Wandering through gun shops....

[Old Dude]

My Lovely Bride and I went to three gun shops today. At the first one, where she was dropping off a gun for repair, I wandered back among the lever action rifles and saw a Henry Big Boy in .45 Colt. It was hefty, but pointed very well. The action seemed quite smooth. I liked it. A lot.

We ended up at the new Cabela's in, Rogers, Minnesota. My first Cabela's. It's big and I wish I hadn't been so hungry or I might have enjoyed my smoked elk sandwich a bit more. I saw a Big Boy there for $629.

Any comments on the Henry Big Boy?

Thanks for your time and attention.

 

[Father Knows Best]

My Lovely Bride and I went to three gun shops today. At the first one, where she was dropping off a gun for repair, I wandered back among the lever action rifles and saw a Henry Big Boy in .45 Colt. It was hefty, but pointed very well. The action seemed quite smooth. I liked it. A lot.

We ended up at the new Cabela's in, Rogers, Minnesota. My first Cabela's. It's big and I wish I hadn't been so hungry or I might have enjoyed my smoked elk sandwich a bit more. I saw a Big Boy there for $629.

Any comments on the Henry Big Boy?

Thanks for your time and attention.

Well, since you asked ....

"Friends don't let friends shoot ugly guns."

And the Big Boy is one ugly gun. There are much better choices in pistol caliber, lever action rifles. The Marlin 1894 series is excellent. There are great replicas of the classic Winchester 1892 available. If you really like the brass look, get a Uberti replica of the Winchester 1866, aka the famous "Yellowboy" that Henry is sorta kinda trying to imitate with the Big Boy. http://www.uberti.com/firearms/1866-yellowboy.tpl

 

[Old Dude]

Thanks, FKB. And thanks for the quick reply.

 

[grizz5675]

the henry isnt a bad gun but my buddies henry in 44 doesnt want to eject the shell ,he has tried to have it fixed and it will not extract the cases,it makes it a true pain in the butt to use.T he gun however is a pretty good straight shooter but on the heavy side.... ps i was at the cabelas in rogers also and your right that is one big store but i love almost everything inside.

 

[MatthewVanitas]

How's the 92 Puma as an alternative?

I've been taking a look at that possibility, but haven't run across any shops in the Austin area that stock them.

From what I've read, seems to be a pretty good copy of the Win '92. So I assume it's a more compact package than the pistol-chambered 30-30 frames? Prices seem pretty good as well (as low as mid-$300s on Gunbroker), stainless optional.

I'm really weirded out by an 1892 copy in .480 Ruger, but somehow fascinated...

 

[Onmilo]

For $629.00 you can find a used Uberti Henry rifle in .45 Colt, the one that really looks and functions like a Henry.

For about $500.00 to $750.00, depending on the model and whether the gun is new or used, you can find a Winchester/Browning/ Miroku Japanese version of the Model 92 Winchester in .45 Colt

For about $425.00 you can find a Winchester 94 carbine or shorter barrel Trapper .45 Colt, new in the box.

For $300.00 to $350.00 you can find used versions of the same Winchesters and all of these will be better buys than the Henry Big Boy in my humble opinion.

 

[ACP230]

I'm very fond of my Marlin 1894FG in .41 Magnum.
They make an 1894 in .44 also.
It might be worth a look.
Used ones should be less expensive than a new Henry and a better gun IMO.

 

[mustanger98]

I like Winchesters and Marlins for pistol caliber carbines. Forget that; I want to know more about the smoked elk sandwich.

 

[Old Dude]

Smoked elk...

It was a cold sandwich, not a hot one. Struck me as rather tough and stringy. It wasn't bad, but I think next time I'll try either wild boar or ostrich. (We were in Ireland and found a restaurant that offered kangaroo meat--one of the owners was Australian! Next time we may try it.)

Thanks all for the reviews of various guns. I have a Cimarron catalog and I often look at (and drool over) the Uberti site.

 

[Colt46]

Go for the '92 Puma instead. Only 6lbs.

Somewhere around the $300 range and really handy to carry and shoot. Quality on mine is top notch. They have some crappy safety atop the rear of the action that serves little purpose, but I can't think of a reason not to go for one.

 

[Texfire]

I've been taking a look at that possibility, but haven't run across any shops in the Austin area that stock them.

From what I've read, seems to be a pretty good copy of the Win '92. So I assume it's a more compact package than the pistol-chambered 30-30 frames? Prices seem pretty good as well (as low as mid-$300s on Gunbroker), stainless optional.

I'm really weirded out by an 1892 copy in .480 Ruger, but somehow fascinated...

Chuck over at Tex Guns in Austin has a Legacy Puma '92 hanging on the wall. It's chambered in .38/.357 with a 16" barrel and big loop lever. It the twin to mine, and after spending $40 on a gunsmith to do some minor tuning I love mine. Great rifle for the price.

 

[BozemanMT]

Browning Lever Action
try one once, you won't pick up any other lever actions.
your finger thanks you.