About my Henry rifle problems. The .44 Mag would not feed reliably regardless of brand of ammo. The .357's lever would fly open when the tube was loaded to capacity. The factory repaired both on their dime.
My 45-70 has had zero issues. l like these rifles. The however part of the statement is that if I were using a lever rifle for bear protection, I would spend the coin to buy an older Marlin 45-70. I owned these at one time. They are well made and proven. If I did use a Henry for serious purpose, it would be a model with side loading. These statements are opinion based on experience with both brand. Bias often makes up opinion. I favor the older Marlins but have no data to show that Henry levers are not as good.