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Thread: Never thought I'd post in this forum - what can I say? I bought a Henry!

  1. #1
    Boolit Grand Master bedbugbilly's Avatar
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    Never thought I'd post in this forum - what can I say? I bought a Henry!

    I'm on the downhill ride towards 70. I shot 22s when I was a kid - started out with my Dad's old Stevens Favorite - then shot BP for 50 some years and then bought a couple of 22 rifles. But, back when there was the "22 shortage" . . . I got real tired of getting up early to stand in a line at a store that "might" have some 22 ammo come in that you could purchase in very limited quantities - even had to take a number and hope it lasted until your number came up. I said the heck with it and sold the 22 rifles I had with the exception of my Dad's Favorite. Then I had a chance to by an older, but new in the box, Henry youth model 22 lever rifle with the Brooklyn address - still own it but loaned it out to a friend to use with his grandkids.

    This past week, I went to the LGS to pick up a Ruger American Ranch
    Rifle in 5.56 that i had ordered. Before I went, I found a brick of 22 LR on the shelf with some other ammo I had tucked away and I got to thinking about how much fun we used to have with the 22s. While I was at the LGS, I asked the fella what they had in 22 rifles as there seem to be a number of them now - Ruger, Savage, Marlin, etc. He gave me what they had on the menu and among them the only thing I heard was "Henry". Years ago, always had a hankerings for one of Henry's 22s with the octagon barrels. Well, they had one of the H001T "Frontier" models in stock and long story short - he offered it to me at a very reasonable price since I was already purchasing the Ruger American Ranch and she came home with me - I never even asked to look at it but waited to unpack it when I got home (I knew I could take it back there was anything wrong with it). All I can say is that she's a beauty! Kind of a light burl in the butt and foreshock - excellent fit and finish but the action? It cycles like hot butter!

    Life is too short to have regrets - I'm really pleased with the rifle and now I never have to look back and say . . . "I wish I had . . . . ". We all like different things and that's fine . . . I have several other Henrys in centerfire . . . we all know what a Henry is . . . . but holding this rifle brought back so many childhood memories of tramping across the farm hunting squirrels, rabbits, fox and varmints. While I may have gotten disgusted during the shortage, there is just something about a 22 . . . whether you're a kid or an older guy going through his second childhood. My eyesight isn't the best and my hunting days are over, but I sure look forward to shooting and pinking with this with a new friend I go shooting with out here in AZ. As much as I would like to use the open sights, they won't do the job for me so I put on a compact "Crickett" rimfire scope that I'm sure will allow me to get lots of pop cans and other things just fine.

    When I was a kid, we would buy our 22 ammo at the local hardware store in town - in those days, Dad would only allow us to use "shorts" - when we wanted to use LR, he would point out the warning of "Danger - Range 1 Mile" printed on the box. I mowed lawns - no riding mowers for us at that time - and I got 50 cents a lawn - which is what a box of 50 22s cost. Well, the ammo might be a bit more now but the fun is still the same or greater.

    Getting this new Henry 22 has taught me something . . . an important thing that you are never too old to learn . . . "never say never". I said I would never have another 22 rifle . . . hmmmmm . . . I was wrong. Now I remember those old feelings of being a kid who couldn't wait for Christmas morning to come . . . now I can't wait to get out and shoot it!

    The young ones might not understand . . but you older ones will. I feel heart sorry for the kids today with the way things are. So many will never know the fun or have the memories of tracking a rabbit int he snot and getting your firs t bunny with a 22, of hunting with friends or your Dad or taking your dog with you as you hunt squirrels with a 22 and the dog trees them. All the more reason for us to all try and help kids learn proper gun safety, how to shoot, how to hunt and how to make good memories that will last their lifetime . . . and no better way to do it than with a 22.

    Yea . . . I'm glad I got over being stubborn about any more 22 rifles and I really like this Henry . . . . my wife and I don't have kids but I already have a younger person in mind to pass this nice rifle on to when the tim comes. Funny how things come along that can make you feel like a kid again!

  2. #2
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    Way back in the days of my youth I had a Marlin Golden 39A. They are great rifles, but with my youthful short vision into the future I let it go for something else. FAst forward 50+ years and I have a safe full of old single shot 22's but no lever actions and certainly no Golden 39A's. They are truly Golden today and I have given up on spending that much to relive to wonderful days of yesteryear.
    But, just maybe a Henry is in my future.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
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    bedbugbilly your post got me to thinking about 22's went and looked in the safe and found my mossberg mod 402 palomino that I got years ago in part of a trade that I have not shot yet . Guess I will have to get it out and shoot it before the grand daughters find about it .

  4. #4
    Boolit Master
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    love 22s ,1022 for fun and hunting and a martini international lefthanded for precision.fun for everyone.

  5. #5
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    I was talking to a couple old friends years ago, and the topic came up of which gun we had historically had the most fun with.

    Everybody said it was with .22s.
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    shame on you Billy!!!!!

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  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master FergusonTO35's Avatar
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    Yep, I have an H001T and love it!
    Currently casting and loading: .32 Auto, .380 Auto, .38 Special, 9X19, .357 Magnum, .257 Roberts, 6.5 Creedmoor, .30 WCF, .308 WCF.

  8. #8
    Boolit Grand Master
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    I have the cheapest Henry...bought it over a decade ago and it is a nice little gun. Still have my first .22...an entry level Anschutz sporter

    Now is the time to stock up on .22 ammunition if you have not done so. Prices are decent and supply is good.
    Don Verna


  9. #9
    Boolit Master Drm50's Avatar
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    My first gun was a Marlin 1897 carbine for my 5th birthday 1955. Still have it with many more. We used 22s for small game and still do. All mine are classic old Wins & Rems, except for a 10/22 & a 77/22. I always enjoyed shooting 22s more as I got older and deeper in guns. It was a rest not to have to pick up brass. Scoot & shoot to my hearts content.

  10. #10
    Boolit Bub
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    Great post OP! I too have rediscovered rimfire shooting lately and am having a great time. Really enjoying revolvers and am on the hunt for another one.

    Sometime in the 1990’s or very early 2000’s I too bought a Henry on a whim. Friend had a Marlin lever action growing up that we shot a lot. Nostalgia I guess at the time played a part in the purchase. Also, it was inexpensive (around $175 IIRC). Anyway, I shot it some when new then put it away favoring centerfire rifles at the time. Now the centerfire’s just sit.

    My Henry is very accurate and a pleasure to shoot. Feeds and functions without a hitch no matter the brand of ammo. Very smooth action. Fed Auto Match is it’s favorite bulk ammo. Higher end match ammo might shoot smaller groups from a bench. Haven’t tried any yet. I hope you are as happy with your newer vintage Henry as I am with mine.

    Rob

  11. #11
    Boolit Master Baltimoreed's Avatar
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    Attachment 258558
    Bought a used model 39 years ago as a cas practice rifle to mate with a .22 Ruger Vaquero. Ran a bunch of .22s through them, shot almost every day. But the best I could ever do at a state and regional match was 4th and 5th place duelists. Fun stuff. Was a whole lot cheaper than practicing with my .45s. Back to my 39, I didn’t like the fat, clunky stock and forearm so I contacted Marlin and had them swap the rd bbl with the octagon 1897 bbl. I reshaped the buttstock and forearm to look like the 1897. Turned out nice. Great rifle.

  12. #12
    Boolit Master
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    I picked up a Henry .22 youth model, sent the receiver cover to Skinner and had a receiver sight put on- such a delightful little desert-wandering rifle! I had a Winchester 9422 I never used because it was too pretty- I worried about scratching it. The Henry is amazingly accurate with targets of opportunity in my wanderings.
    Loren

  13. #13
    Boolit Master
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    My wife saw the Henry add on tv and decided she needed one so we got one of the H001 carbines. It's a fun gun to shoot, light and handy but the accuracy is only so so. The Federal auto match is the most accurate of the non target ammo I have found.

  14. #14
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    Bubba w/a 45/70's Avatar
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    I have a Henry in 22 Mag and absolutely love it. The little carbine is a joy to shoot and as accurate as the sights allow for me. That hopefully is going to change with some changes I detail in another thread, but I adore this little carbine.

    The only other lever that is as much pure fun to fire is my Henry Big Boy in 357. The big difference between the two, for me, is the 22 Mag doesn't require me to pick up brass.
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  15. #15
    Boolit Master
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    Lever action 22s are just fun to shoot my first was a Winchester .

  16. #16
    Boolit Master Drm50's Avatar
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    I have 9 Marlin Levers from turn of century. 97, 93s, 94s. I have 4 Marlins post ww2 to 1980. When you handle the old Marlins you will notice the wood and metal are flush. No extra hoggy wood. Well I have a 1895 , 1970 vintage and it had more forearm and the shotgun butt. I peeled the forearm flush and removed a lot of wood from butt. It really handles nice now. The down side is I reduced the area of butt plate and felt recoil is increased. Not fun to bench but much nicer to carry.

  17. #17
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    Last two recent firearm purchases were a Ruger 22/45 Lite and a Ruger LCP II to go along with a Ruger Mark II target, Ruger 10-22, Winchester 9422 and a Ciener conversion for my Browning HP. Time to shoot up the copious amounts of 22 ammo, I squirreled away over the years.

    Winelover

  18. #18
    Boolit Buddy FrankJD's Avatar
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    An old thread, but the title is apropos to me. I just ordered a Henry Frontier H001TLB. I don't "need" another .22 rimfire, but this one was calling me out. Got 'er done. Be interesting to see how she fares at some serious long distance, and what ammo she like likes bestest.

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BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
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