Lever action .22

[maideneddie 35]

Looking for some advice on a lever action .22. I have narrowed it down to the Henry line of rifles (the H00 series), and the Marlin 39A. The Henrys have a much better price point than the Marlins, but I know that sometimes you get what you pay for.

 

From all of my online research it seems that the Henry has a smoother action, and superior customer support, but the Marlins are better put together with higher grade materials.

 

My question is, do any of you guys have experiance with either of these rifles, and why would you choose one over the other. And is the Marlin worth the extra $100-150 dollars more?

 

Thanks in advance for the expertise...

[The_Matrix 105]

I own a Henry and love it. Its very smooth and the exterior finish is great for a "cheap" rifle...under $300. It is light and balances very well. The inside metal does look cheap though.

My friend has the Marlin. Its a bit heavy and the finish is also very nice and solid, but I find the action a bit stiff.

I like the Henry more, but you need to try both since its your money. Good Luck.

[tbtrout 141]

Both are solid rifles. I prefer the looks and lines on the Henry to the Marlin. Now if you can find a Winchester 94/22 at a good price, it would be the way to go. It is on my list of must have rifles.

[Guest HuntingPaper]

I own the Henry Frontier, that's the model with the octagon heavy barrel. I really like it I tried a Marlin but I didn't like the action.

 

Henry Octagon Frontier

[Parker 213]

I can't speak for the Henry, but I have shot the 39A. It is a man-sized, full-size .22 rifle. Accurate, but I always thought it was a bit big for what it should be. I have the shorter carbine model, a 39M Golden Mountie. 20" barrel with a straight-gripped stock, I find it handier than the 39A yet it's still very accurate. Construction is top-notch and it is built to last a few lifetimes. Takedown is slick. But if you like the Henry, then get one. They seem nice and can be had for a good price over the Marlin.

 

I am somewhat amazed at what older Marlin .22's are selling for today.

[Tactical Monkey 51]

I own a Henry .22 Lever action and I really like it. The action is definitely smooth and it's a accurate little gun out to 75 yards or so (maybe farther, I've never tried). The one potential drawback is it looks and "feels" like a toy. That doesn't bother me, but for some it might be a problem. Just my $0.02

[Ray Ray 3,566]

I own a Henry 22lr lever gun and it is sweeeeeet! Mike, you can shoot her at the BH when you come by.

[totalabuse 27]

I also own the Henry Frontier and since purchase it has seen more action than all my other arms combined.

[axeman_g 128]

I was always looking for a good used 39... especially a 39a but appparently they are as rare as hens teeth. I really like the Marlin, but the price is a little too high. Yes it is high quality, but i am not sure it is all that much more higher quality.

 

That being said, I shot Tactical Monkey's Henry and yest the action needed some breaking in, but it was very accurate. 15 rds in the black on a rimfire target at 25yds makes me sold on an open sight rimfire rifle any day of the year.

 

Get the Henry... see if you really like a rimfire lever action, then go get the Marlindown the road. Rimfire rifles have a way of overpopulating your safe.

[Tactical Monkey 51]

That being said, I shot Tactical Monkey's Henry and yest the action needed some breaking in, but it was very accurate.

 

How did my name get changed to Tactical Monkey?? Its funny, but I didn't do it!

[Pizza Bob 1,488]

Looking in my safe one day, I realized that I had no rimfire lever action guns, so I set about to remedy that situation. I bring this up simply because no one has yet mentioned my choice in this thread, and I think it deserves consideration.

 

Ideally, I would have liked to have a Winchester 9422, but they are hard to find and extremely pricey when you do (that has moderated somewhat since I made my search). So, the only real contenders were the aforementioned Marlin, the Henry and the one no one has mentioned, the Browning BL-22.

 

The Marlin was, indeed, a full, man-sized rifle. Fine for .30-30 or .45-70 or other manly calibers , but a bit clunky and heavy for a fast-handling rimfire.

 

My rejection of the Henry was purely subjective. Just didn't like the way it felt. No offense to those that have them, but I thought they looked and felt "cheap". Nice size, but just couldn't get over the first impression - probably my bad.

 

I ended up with the BL-22. Nicely proportioned, lightening fast, very short lever throw. The only downside is the trigger - they tend to be heavy. I think this is a function of the linkage necessary to cause the trigger to move with the lever assembly. I have read that about all you can do is use a lighter spring. Me, never being satisfied with the run-of-the-mill, ended up with one of the fancy versions with the longer octagon barrel and the silver, engraved receiver. The irony being that for what it cost, I probably could have had a 9422. But it was love at first sight/feel and I don't regret going with the Browning.

 

Just something else to consider.

 

Adios,

 

Pizza Bob

[Parker 213]

Pizza Bob,

 

I was going to mention the BL-22. They are great little guns as well. Like the BLR's, the triggers are heavy and mushy but they can be lightened a bit with a different spring. This way you are not fiddling with the sear engagements. The results are still not "crisp," but are slightly better.

[axeman_g 128]

Now Bob... he was not asking about the Holy Grail... he was just looking for a mug.

 

The BL22s are very nice. Funny thing is, you can sometimes find them at gun shows for sale... needing to be fixed. They innards are like a swiss watch, you do not take it apart yourself if you dont know what your doing, like me. I have two friends that have stumbled on "broken jap brownings" at gun shows for less then $200 and then gotten them working fine for $100 or less by a competent gun smith, or by themselves.

 

I keep looking, but I cant seem to find the dumbasses before other people find them at gun shows.

[DaveMcL 18]

Rimfirecentral.com is a great place to learn about .22s.

Dave

[hd2000fxdl 422]

Looking for some advice on a lever action .22. I have narrowed it down to the Henry line of rifles (the H00 series), and the Marlin 39A. The Henrys have a much better price point than the Marlins, but I know that sometimes you get what you pay for.

 

From all of my online research it seems that the Henry has a smoother action, and superior customer support, but the Marlins are better put together with higher grade materials.

 

My question is, do any of you guys have experiance with either of these rifles, and why would you choose one over the other. And is the Marlin worth the extra $100-150 dollars more?

 

Thanks in advance for the expertise...

 

 

I shoot weekly a Marlin Golden 39A at the range, at least 100 round a week through it and not a single problem. I got the gun new back in 83 or 84, I can't remember the exact year now, but it's been a workhorse. Prior to that I used to shoot my Fathers exact same model that was purchased in 1958, shot just was well, and to this day it works as it did when it was new.

 

They are a very good and quality rifle, don't know much about the newer models but I do not see or hear anything bad about them on the forums, I just don't know personally. Yes there are cheaper alternatives, and I'll probably get some to play with down the road and Henry rifles are some that I have looked at and would consider.

 

Harry

[MedicYeti 96]

I just picked up a Henry Lever and LOVE it! I'm hitting 4" targets at 100 yards with open sights. I love the action and the ease. I highly reccomednt the Henry. If your in extreme south jersey I'll bring you to the range with me and let you try it.

[RecessedFilter 222]

I got a Henry lever action .22 for a gift about a year ago.

 

I've had so much fun with it so far. Very accurate, easy to clean, and a whole lot of fun! It's a good time setting up clay birds at 25-50yds and taking them out, that's one of my girlfriends favorite things to do with it.

 

While I'm on the topic, I originally got a Marlin 94 new but the mag tube was bent so I went back and exchanged it for a new one. We took it out of the box and that mag tube was bent as well. I've read that this is a big problem in Marlin .22 levers, and that was the end of Marlin for me.

 

Got the Henry for like $200 less and I am so glad I went with it. Plus they're made in Bayonne, NJ, hoorah!

[maideneddie 35]

I forgot that I started this thread....update I picked up a nice Henry with a scope off of a member here on the forum. Now if only the weather would get a little nicer so I can shoot it