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New Henry rifles - All-Weather Lever Action

Pair that 45-70 with this puppy, they match in chrome and black. Hmmmm, I want to do this!!
https://www.magnumresearch.com/Firearms/Magnum-Research-4570-Revolver-75-inch-Barrel.asp
GetDynamicImage.aspx
 
Funny story. I was at an indoor range and had the above BFR, a 45 ACP, and a 357 Mag. Uncasing the pistols the RO comes over and informs us of the strict policy for no "MAGNUMS"

I was kinda bummed cause I had the new BFR and a ton of ammo for my 357. He says, no no no, the 45/70 is fine, just no magnums, so your gonna have to pass on the 357.
 
Stape said:
Funny story. I was at an indoor range and had the above BFR, a 45 ACP, and a 357 Mag. Uncasing the pistols the RO comes over and informs us of the strict policy for no "MAGNUMS"

I was kinda bummed cause I had the new BFR and a ton of ammo for my 357. He says, no no no, the 45/70 is fine, just no magnums, so your gonna have to pass on the 357.
Click to expand...

Makes sense...
 
jpm said:
good luck finding a rimfire lever with a loading gate! You can hunt unicorns with it when you do find it ;-)
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Nooooo, lol, perhaps I misspoke or wasn't clear. What I was trying to say was that I like the Henry lever guns, but shy away from them because they don't have a loading gate, so I stay away from them aside from their rimfires, which don't have a loading gate either, but neither does any other rimfire lever gun. My Henry rimfires have a tube load/ feed like any other lever, but when it comes to centerfires, I like a loading gate.

Sorry for any confusion
 
Okay Andrew 1220 you just had to post this. I was already pumped about the Henry's and this pushed me over the edge. I ordered a HO10 45/70 yesterday. Not the all weather model, but still a great rifle I suspect.
 
The Goose said:
Okay Andrew 1220 you just had to post this. I was already pumped about the Henry's and this pushed me over the edge. I ordered a HO10 45/70 yesterday. Not the all weather model, but still a great rifle I suspect.
Click to expand...

I ordered the All Weather 44 mag rifle last week and it will be arriving at my dealer tomorrow. Will be using it for deer in Maine later this week....
 
Stape said:
Nooooo, lol, perhaps I misspoke or wasn't clear. What I was trying to say was that I like the Henry lever guns, but shy away from them because they don't have a loading gate, so I stay away from them aside from their rimfires, which don't have a loading gate either, but neither does any other rimfire lever gun. My Henry rimfires have a tube load/ feed like any other lever, but when it comes to centerfires, I like a loading gate.

Sorry for any confusion
Click to expand...

Yeah I agree with you about that, for some reason I just want to have the loading gate in centerfire lever rifle. I'm
not sure why, maybe it's because all the historic Winchester rifles have them. It's funny because I've bruised my thumb many times trying stuff cartridges into stiff loading gates. The removable tube has the issue that you have to put your hands in front of the barrel, and also they can come loose at inopportune times.

I have a Rossi 92 stainless .357 which was worked on by Steve's Gunz, so it's easier to load than typical off the shelf models.
 
hminsky said:
Yeah I agree with you about that, for some reason I just want to have the loading gate in centerfire lever rifle. I'm
not sure why, maybe it's because all the historic Winchester rifles have them. It's funny because I've bruised my thumb many times trying stuff cartridges into stiff loading gates. The removable tube has the issue that you have to put your hands in front of the barrel, and also they can come loose at inopportune times.

I have a Rossi 92 stainless .357 which was worked on by Steve's Gunz, so it's easier to load than typical off the shelf models.
Click to expand...

On my 410 Henry shotgun my hand never goes over the muzzle. Just twist the knob and slide the tube up a little at a time. However.......when I load it.....I always open the action and leave it open during the loading process......lock down the tube.....rack the lever twice to load a round in the chamber.......then point in a safe direction to pull the trigger to lower the hammer. Yes....when out hunting with a Henry you have to pay attention.....you have to lower the hammer on a loaded chamber....it's old school (sort of because it does have a transfer bar safety so as long as your finger is off the trigger when lowering the hammer it wont go off)......and part of the charm of hunting with a Henry.

Henry rifles are not for the gun owner that is in a hurry to reload. I have hunted small game with my 410 lever for the first time this fall...been out many times already and harvested quite a bit of game. The advantage to the Henry action is in the unloading actually. Open the lever.....slide the tube up past the loading slot...dump the ammo into your hand....Imo this is better than racking the lever until you are empty. As you do with a loading gate lever.


The 410 capacity is 7 rounds. Plenty for small game hunting as never in my Hunting career have I had to do a "stress reload"!

The advantage to the tube over a loading gate is clear when using a lever action to hunt. On the range you can just fire till it's empty....clear the gun and pack it up. When hunting you will have to actually unload the gun when you get back to the truck. Here is where the tube mag on a henry is easier and safer than a loading gate.


It's a hunting gun.....not a tactical or home defense gun....so the Henry action is perfect for my use as a hunting gun.

Just my 2 cents.
 
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The Goose said:
Okay Andrew 1220 you just had to post this. I was already pumped about the Henry's and this pushed me over the edge. I ordered a HO10 45/70 yesterday. Not the all weather model, but still a great rifle I suspect.
Click to expand...

Funny to see this thread come up today. I just put that rifle up for sale in the classifieds. Beautiful rifle, well made and accurate, but I just cannot get used to that loading tube. Gonna stick to my Marlins.
 
Per henry instruction manual the action should be closed during loading of the tube. At first it seemed odd to me but subsequently makes sense in that if its closed, a round cannot get loaded up into the chamber. Im not looking to debate this its in the manual.

in terms of loading gate vs tube this has been debated ad nauseum. I also preferred loading gates until I got used to the henry design which I now dig. To me the only real downside is that if the tube is same length as barrel theres really no way to top it off as a +1 without muzzling your hand. Now my henry 45-70 the tube is shorter so one can safely access it with a chambered round if done correctly.
 
I do not think that either style magazine is inherently better. It is strictly a matter of preference. I prefer the loading gate and since I have a choice I go with that.
 
Squib308 said:
Per henry instruction manual the action should be closed during loading of the tube. At first it seemed odd to me but subsequently makes sense in that if its closed, a round cannot get loaded up into the chamber. Im not looking to debate this its in the manual.

in terms of loading gate vs tube this has been debated ad nauseum. I also preferred loading gates until I got used to the henry design which I now dig. To me the only real downside is that if the tube is same length as barrel theres really no way to top it off as a +1 without muzzling your hand. Now my henry 45-70 the tube is shorter so one can safely access it with a chambered round if done correctly.
Click to expand...

When you leave the action open you can go plus 1 safely. Action open.....fill the tube.....close the tube....insert one in the receiver......close the action. Perfectly safe. Hand never goes over the muzzle.....action is open and out of battery the entire process,.....no round goes into the chamber until you close the action and are ready to lower the hammer to carry the gun.
 
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whacko said:
However.......when I load it.....I always open the action and leave it open during the loading process......lock down the tube.....rack the lever twice to load a round in the chamber.......then point in a safe direction to pull the trigger to lower the hammer.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, I can't load my .44 with the action open unless I do something to keep the lifter from going all the way to the up position (i.e,. the down direction when the gun is flipped over for loading). The problem is that the rim on the first loaded round can encroach into the receiver under the bottom edge of the lifter. If that happens with this gun, you'd better have the right screwdrivers handy, because it will be jammed up good unless you can remove the lever and possibly the lifter pivot screw. My loading ritual is to rack it clear and lower the hammer before loading. But with that ritual, I never worry about muzzling my hand. I just don't. I mean, I don't intentionally do it, but I don't believe in magic, either.

This is a negative for the tube loading. No doubt about that. But it's so much easier to load and unload compared to the loading gate. It's the difference between loading against spring tension, both of the gate and of the magazine tube spring, versus loading against no tension.
 
This thing is friggin sweet! Took up to Maine this week for deer hunting but sadly no deer. Awesome rifle though.

Also installed a stainless Skinner peep sight for range plinking.

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I still would prefer a Marlin. I'm sure the Henry is fine. But Marlin has been doing this for 100+ years. And it's got that loading gate. LOL

I could be wrong. Honestly, I don't need a 45/70 lever gun. But I'd like one. Someone here had one pre-Covid for a good price and I never snapped it up. Dumb dumb dumb.
 
Broccoli Iglesias said:
Everyone needs a 45/70, some just don't know it until they buy one.
Click to expand...
As a fairly new owner of a H010X in 45-70 I couldn't agree more. Some of the most fun I've had shooting.

Anyone have any tips on not losing the tip of your thumb loading through the side gate or am I just a moron?
 
DaveL. said:
Anyone have any tips on not losing the tip of your thumb loading through the side gate or am I just a moron?
Click to expand...

I use the tip of the next bullet. Only think I dislike about lever guns is the side gate - I think I'd much prefer the Henry style. Sure, it's harder to top off the magazine, but I really don't see myself surrounded by outlaws taking cover behind the carcass of my horse and reloading under fire. For what I want a lever gun for, anything in the mag after 2 is just extra weight I don't need.



Maybe this is the reason that I need a .45-70, so that I can effectively load the rifle with my sausage fingers.
 

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