So this week I got a letter from the police, containing the permanent ownership permit for my Winchester 94 Trapper .45 Colt. This was the last step in the almost four month process of acquiring said rifle. (We don't get to buy guns in this country just on a whim, you need to put some effort into it.) Today, I was looking at Mosin-Nagant slings when, naturally, I find... A 1952 Winchester 94 carbine in good condition, in .30-30. Cheaper than what I paid for my Trapper, too.
Every. Godsdamn. Time. I search high and low for something, it's not available anywhere, I finally manage to get something close to what I was looking for, and then after I've paid for it, options start popping up. Never before the money changes hands and the paperwork is filled up, but only afterwards.
(The .45 might even be more suitable for me, as this is just a range and larping gun and I hear the .30-30's heat up mighty fast if you try to shoot drills with them. And aside from the previous owner buggering up some of the screw heads, I have no complaints so far about my little Trapper. That thing is so neat! This just annoys me on principle.)
The American way is, “Get both.”
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Not another dime.
so the consensus is that Henry is better than Marlin right? I haven't seen a Henry 38/357 with side loading gate in stock anywhere, but I want one now that they've finally added the loading gate
From my sample of Henry's that I have shot, 22, 22 mag and 357, they are much smoother in action and have better fit and finish than the Marlin's, Winchester, Rossi and Mossberg lever actions. This is pretty subjective but if I were to be looking for another lever action, in rimfire or centerfire, I would look at Henry first.
My bottom line Henry 22 H001 turned into an absolute tack driver with the addition of target sights.
Sorry I can't give better empirical data but I do recommend Henry based on my experience with them and other brands.
Gringop
Play that song about the Irish chiropodist. Irish chiropodist? "My Fate Is In Your Hands."
I find the Trapper, regardless of caliber, much handier. I have a 30/30 Trapper converted by the Gunsite Gunsmithy decades ago. Perhaps the handiest rifle I own. Now that Henry has added the side gate, I intend to get one in 357 magnum.
Semper Paratus,
Steve
The one observation I would make about the Henrys is that you're feeding a pistol cartridge through a rifle sized action, thus the guns are about a pound heaver and a skosh longer than they need to be.
I was into 10mm Auto before it sold out and went mainstream, but these days I'm here for the revolver and epidemiology information.
And...
It occurred to me this morning that the Henry action is long enough to accommodate .357 Maximum.
I don't know what would be involved in modifying the feed mechanism, or how hard it would be to change the chamber dimensions in the Henry, but it's a no-go in the 1894c.
I was into 10mm Auto before it sold out and went mainstream, but these days I'm here for the revolver and epidemiology information.