Marlin 1984 vs. Henry Big Boy

[RancidSumo]

Which is a better 45LC lever gun, the Henry Big Boy or the Malin 1894? They are both about the same price so that doesn't matter. I have been wanting a 45LC for a while because of the versatility and I plan on getting a revolver to go with it. I really like lever guns and I have pretty much narrowed it down to these two. Other suggestions are welcome.

 

[ArmedBear]

The Henry is a LOT heavier. Defeats the purpose of a pistol caliber lever gun, for me.

I don't shoot CAS, so it wouldn't live in a range rack.

 

[RancidSumo]

I don't shoot CAS either. I just want it for a fun gun and mabey a camping/hiking gun. So was that a vote for the Marlin?

 

[RancidSumo]

I just checked and the Marlin is about 2lbs lighter than the Henry. I am most interested in which shoots best, most accurate, smoothest action. If the Henry is better in those categories then I am willing to pack around the extra 2lbs.

 

[jwxspoon]

I'd take the Henry all day long. I have a Henry Golden Boy in .22 Mag and two Marlins, one in .45-70 and one in .444 Marlin. The fit and finish on the Henry is far superior and the action on the Golden Boy is the smoothest I've ever felt.

jw

 

[RancidSumo]

The action is my biggest concern. I plan on getting the Marlin in 45-70 eventually but I want a 45LC pretty bad. I have held the Golden Boy and liked it but I have not had the chance with the Big Boy or the Marlin. I think the local gun store might have the Henry in stock so when I go to pick up my CZ Friday I'll try it out but I have heard a lot of good things about the Marlin as well. Anyone personally own either of these rifles (or both) that can give me a run down on performance?

 

[paintballdude902]

isnt it an 1894?

or is there a marlin i dont know about?

 

[glockman19]

When psoed with the same dilema, I decided on the Marlin. I have a Stainless .44 mag and I am waiting for a stainless .357 mag.

Yes the Henry while nice looking weigh's more.

I'll also get a 39a too to round out the calibers.

 

[RancidSumo]

Yes, it is the 1894, my mistake.

 

[RancidSumo]

Anyone able to testify to the smoothness of the action on either rifle?

 

[pbhome71]

If I remember correctly, the Marlin has a loading gate on the side. The Henry has to be loaded by removing the tube.

I prefer the loading gate of the Marlin.

-Pat

 

[chieftain]

I don't doubt the Henry is a fine rifle. No one seems to have one to fill you in on the good and bad of it.

On the other hand, there are maybe a million 1894 Marlin's out there.

My Marlin 1894 is the 'cp' model which is no longer made. 16" barrel with factory comp, a lot like the guide guns, and mine is in 357mag/38spl.

Put XS ghost ring sights on it.

Probably the rifle I enjoy shooting more than any other.

With WWB 38spl's it's like shooting a BB gun.

With Buffalo Bore's hot 357's it approaches the ballistics of the 30-30, and in the 125gr load surpasses the 30-30 energy levels.

I would advise for the Marlin.

Or better yet, get both.

Good luck, and good shooting.

Fred

 

[RancidSumo]

If pbhome71 is right, then that is one huge advantage to the Marlin.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

I have owned a Marlin 1894 in .44 Rem.mag for about 35 years. It does load via a loading gate on the right side of the receiver. It feeds everything smoothly except semi-wadcutters. I dont have any experience with the Henry but I do hear good things.

 

[wanderinwalker]

Get The Marlin!

No question in my mind. The Marlin 336/1895 action (.30/30, .35, .444, .45-70, etc.) does NOT compare to the 1894 action (.357, .44, .45 LC). While it may not be as slick and smooth as other pistol-caliber carbines, it is robust and can be smoothed up nicely with a little care.

As a bonus, there are all kinds of things you can do to the Marlin. Scout-scout, XS sights, regular-ol' Williams sights.

Can you tell I like my Marlin 1894? Mine is a .44 Magnum with the pistol-grip stock. While I have other rifles that may be more suited to specific tasks, for one to grab-and-go, this is it. Stoke it with .44 Specials and I'd be perfectly happy using as a house gun in leiu of an AR or shotty.

 

[Harve Curry]

MARLIN 1894, a time proven design.

Oh yea, I shot both.

 

[Hokkmike]

I think they are both great. I voted for the Henry because I believe it is a little better made. I would love to own either one.

I just did a similar study and made my decision to purchase a Winchester in .44 mag.

Why? I want a piece of Americana that is no longer made.

I thought about about the 45LC but chose a more flexible slightly better hunting round that also worked out of revolvers.

If I was strictly a cowboy shooter I would have gone for the .45. But I wanted to be able to use the rifle for deer if I wanted. There is a better selection of factory .44 ammo out there too.

The new Mossburg lever action has gotten good reviews as a model 94 clone. I don't know if it is available in pistol cartridges though.

Let us know what you decide. Either way, you win!

 

[Omaha-BeenGlockin]

Every Henry I've ever looked at---granted I don't look at them much as I've pegged them as junk from the get go-----has been made from cheap pot metal and then painted.

NO WHERE NEAR the quality forged steel Marlin.

 

[wanderinwalker]

Every Henry I've ever looked at---granted I don't look at them much as I've pegged them as junk from the get go-----has been made from cheap pot metal and then painted.

This is the reason I won't get the little Henry .22 to go with my Marlin. I don't know if the big-bore Henry's are different, but the .22 "reciever" is an aluminum, painted cover over the action proper. It states in the manual NOT to disassemble this unit.

Luckily, the Marlins are simple simple simple. One screw to drop the lever out, and then you can remove the bolt and ejector with ease. They're even pretty straight-forward to detail strip and clean thoroughly, which reminds me...

 

[1858remington]

Had the same Issue... got Henry?

I was at this same dilemma a few months back.

I put in an order for the Marlin in 45colt, and after 2 months waiting for product to get to the supplier, bought the Henry.

I was amazed at the action of the Henry.
It was slick and smooth right out of the box. Way better than any Marlin from the factory.

Yes the Henery was heavy. The weight made shooting 250gr 45colt rounds feel like shootin a BB gun. The weight helps the gun steady when shooting offhand.

Looks , the Henry's got it. The wood on my henry looked like I paid a premium for the gun. The brass action really brings out the old west feel and appeal.

But what I like most about the Henry, is the loading.
The Henry uses the gallery gun style loading, dispencing with the side load gate.
I dont know about you, but those side load gates always pinch my finger.
With the Henry, loading is a fun, painless event.

The only problem with the Henry is, that once someone shoots it, they want to keep it. My wife has fallen in love with mine, and has told me that the Henry is to never be sold or traded.

I'd go with the Henry, you won't be sorry.

 

[Buckeye Tim]

Go for the Henry

I went through the same decision process a year back when deciding what type of .357 lever action to purchase. I already had a Winchester Ranger but wanted to get another .357 lever action with a full sized barrel. I eventually ordered a Marlin 1894 from Dick's Sporting Goods. When I inspected it at the store when it arrived, it was a real mess. The rear buckhorn sight was improperly installed. There were a couple of dings on the barrel, one protruding metallic burr, and at least one small gouge in the stock. Coming immediately after a bad experience with a Marlin bolt action, tubular magazine .22 magnum that would not feed properly, it turned me off on Marlin. (To be fair to Marlin, their customer service people were great to deal with. They replaced the troublesome rifle with a more expensive .22 magnum rifle featuring stainless steel bull barrell and a clip fed magazine, at no cost to me. And that rifle does feed properly great).

After sending the Marlin 1894 back, I ordered a .357 Henry Big Boy, and I absolutely love it. I would prefer if it did not have a tube fed magazine, but that's not that big a deal for me. It is a bit heavier than the Marlin as others have noted. However, it is not uncomfortably heavy, and the octagonal barrel makes the gun feel very steady and solid. The gun is both accurate and absolutely beautiful: much better looking than either the Marlin I had ordered or the Marlin 336 30-30 lever action I own. There were no imperfections on the rifle when I received it. It almost looks like a museum quality piece. Indeed, its almost TOO nice in that it makes me reluctant to take in out in any type of iffy weather (I still have the Winchester, and take that instead on such days) though I have no doubt that it would stand up well under any normal conditions.

Assuming that Marlin doesn't let too many rifles go out in the condition I received my .357 or my .22 magnum, I bet that you would probably be happy with an 1894. However, if you've never purchased a Henry before as I hadn't, you should seriously consider doing so. They make beautiful rifles at a reasonable price.

 

[rybu0305]

I don't like the Henry because it does not have a loading gate. I don't like the fact that you can't just push a round in the tube work the action and ready to go. If the Henry were configured this way it would be my choice. I really dislike tubular magazines that need to be loaded like the Henry's.
Ryan

 

[ArmedBear]

I have an 1894C (.357) and I can vouch for it.

How smooth the action feels? An original 1892 is smoother. But the Marlin is far easier to clean.

Haven't shot the Henry. As I said, I have no interest in a pistol-caliber lever gun that weighs a lot more than my heavier-than-average 24" .30-06.

 

[chieftain]

If I wanted a heavier rifle to shoot the same cartridge I would choose the Henry.
If I wanted a rifle with a painted on finish, I would choose the Henry.
If I wanted a tube loaded, tubular magazine vs the side gate loaded tubular magazine, I would choose the Henry.
If I wanted the rifle more difficult to clean and maintain and does not allowed the barrel to be cleaned from the breach, I would choose the Henry
If I wanted the rifle with fewer accessory's and up-grade parts available, I would choose the Henry.
If I wanted a rifle with almost 100 years of with a reputation of accuracy, success, and history, I would get the Marlin. YMMV

It's America, choose for your reasons.:banghead:

Go figure.

Fred

Semper Fi

Stupid should hurt

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Hey ArmedBear, how much easier is the 1894 to clean than the 1892 and why? Thanks! Never had an 1894..... How much more does the 1894 weigh than the 1892?

I cannot comment on the centerfire Henrys, but the rimfire one I had I got rid of primarily because I didn't like the cheesy painted finish. It functioned very nicely however.