I have a Henry H001T, and I love it. I'll try to dispel some rumors, and re-enforce some facts:
1) The rifle uses plastic parts. This is true for the H001 and H001Y models, but only as far as the barrel bands and front sight are concerned. This is to keep the cost of the rifle to a minimum so that more people can afford the rifle. With a simple phone call to Henry, you can order metal replacements. Even with the metal replacement parts, the gun still costs less than the next most expensive model in their lineup.
2) The receiver cover is made out of pot metal. This one is totally false. The receiver cover is actually made out of ZAMAC - a zinc/aluminum/magnesium alloy. It's a very tough, and polishes up quite nicely. By the way, the metal barrel bands are made out of the same stuff.
3) Henry's customer service is the best in the industry. Very true. They bend over backwards to make sure their customers are happy with their product. It is not uncommon to actually talk to the guy that owns the company.
If you're even halfway serious about your lever gun, you should skip the H001 and go straight to the H001T. It has an octagon barrel and the front sight is easily replaceable. This is not to say that the front sight on the H001 is not replaceable, it's just a lot easier on the octagon barrel guns.
I've replaced my front sight, removed the original buckhorn rear sight, and installed a creedmore tang sight on mine. If you have a H001 and you want to replace the original rear sight, my advice is to use a tang sight because you won't be required to change the front sight. I've used both the Marbles tang sight ($115 at Brownells), and a creedmore-style sight I found on Track of the Wolf for just $55.
The long and the short of it is that you simply cannot go wrong buying a Henry. They have a butter-smooth action out of the box, and are available in a number of calibers from .22LR all the way up to .45 Colt (they're introducing a .30-30 model in March).
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Got a Henry lever gun? Check out the Henry Lever Gun Internet Competition. All calibers and sight systems are permitted, and there is absolutely no cost to you for signing up to compete.
1) The rifle uses plastic parts. This is true for the H001 and H001Y models, but only as far as the barrel bands and front sight are concerned. This is to keep the cost of the rifle to a minimum so that more people can afford the rifle. With a simple phone call to Henry, you can order metal replacements. Even with the metal replacement parts, the gun still costs less than the next most expensive model in their lineup.
2) The receiver cover is made out of pot metal. This one is totally false. The receiver cover is actually made out of ZAMAC - a zinc/aluminum/magnesium alloy. It's a very tough, and polishes up quite nicely. By the way, the metal barrel bands are made out of the same stuff.
3) Henry's customer service is the best in the industry. Very true. They bend over backwards to make sure their customers are happy with their product. It is not uncommon to actually talk to the guy that owns the company.
If you're even halfway serious about your lever gun, you should skip the H001 and go straight to the H001T. It has an octagon barrel and the front sight is easily replaceable. This is not to say that the front sight on the H001 is not replaceable, it's just a lot easier on the octagon barrel guns.
I've replaced my front sight, removed the original buckhorn rear sight, and installed a creedmore tang sight on mine. If you have a H001 and you want to replace the original rear sight, my advice is to use a tang sight because you won't be required to change the front sight. I've used both the Marbles tang sight ($115 at Brownells), and a creedmore-style sight I found on Track of the Wolf for just $55.
The long and the short of it is that you simply cannot go wrong buying a Henry. They have a butter-smooth action out of the box, and are available in a number of calibers from .22LR all the way up to .45 Colt (they're introducing a .30-30 model in March).
----------
Got a Henry lever gun? Check out the Henry Lever Gun Internet Competition. All calibers and sight systems are permitted, and there is absolutely no cost to you for signing up to compete.
