Did they still make non AE after they introduced the AE?

 

Vlad: I stand corrected. The AE was introduced in 1982 and while the eventually dropped the "AE" designation, the improvement itself became standard.

There are guys who do iit for the Cowboy action matches, basically tehy use a piece of copper water pipe of the right diameter for their ammo, and a push stick. Measure out a section of pipe 1" loner than 5 rounds , drill a hole 1/4" back from each end for a cotter pin or clevis pin IIRc they also bevel the "Front end to lay flat on the reciever. Set yoeur loader in place with the pins out, and use a dowel to push them all in. Repeat as needed. most of the one's i;ve seen are 5 rounders because the Rifle portion of MOST stages is 10 rounds. I had something similar for my Henry Rifle (Uberti repro of an original Winchester/Henry), with one end plugged..stopped using it though after hearing a few too many stories of gang-fires in Henry rifle mags doe to the design..also learned to let the follower EASE down onto the top round rather then just twisting the barrel shroud and letting the follower "Snap" down.

I see what you're saying. In fact, after your description, i'm reminded of the speed loaders for shotguns used in 3-gun where they have a stick full of shells that they slide into a similar loading gate only its on the bottom, rather than the side of the gun.

I see what you're saying. In fact, after your description, i'm reminded of the speed loaders for shotguns used in 3-gun where they have a stick full of shells that they slide into a similar loading gate only its on the bottom, rather than the side of the gun.

 

Same concept..those CAS guys get pretty innovative. Some guys that use different caliber guns use the tubes anyway, especially if their rifle is say .45 Colt and their revolvers .44-40, or .38 colt. the only reason i stopped doing it for my Henry was the pretty solid history of problems with that design and centerfire ammunition. ***Note When i say "Henry" I am Referring to the 1860 Model, NOT the Modern "Henry Repeating Arms"*** Originally they were chambered in ,44 Rimfire, and held almost 20 rounds in the magazine...mine in .44-40 holds, iirc 14. I made up a spacer to take up the extra space so i didnt have do do the "Henry Hop" to feed my last couple of rounds as the follower comes up against your hand for the last couple of rounds in the magazine.

This weekend i got a chance to try out a new Henry .22 lever that a buddy just bought and i have to say that i had a helluva lot of fun shooting it! Of all the stuff we brought out, i found myself gravitating towards the henry since it was just so much fun to plink with. It didn't help that it was sub freezing out and our semi's were sluggish and malfunctioning; but that old lever action just kept rolling along! His was the octagon model and i found it to be a little front heavy for off-hand shooting, but i understand they make a slimmer profile model as well. The price was right too as compared to a Marlin or a Browning.

 

My only complaints were that the rear sight seemed loose where it kept walking towards the left thereby making shots pull left. It seems like the rear sight leaf has a single screw up front attaching it to the barrel rather than a dovetail and it kept pivoting on that and goign out of whack. Is this a common issue?

 

I also noticed that the internals seemd very shiny and looked to be made of some cheaper zinc-like material. I know rimfire isn't much of a strain on metals, but are these guns known to be robust and durable with long term usage?

Comments removed (wrong thread).

"but are these guns known to be robust and durable with long term usage?"

Only time will tell for an answer. From a distance, the Henry's look nice. Upon close inspection they make use of some lower grade materials compared to a Marlin, Winchester or Browning. Their price point makes them desirable. And yes they are fun to plink or hunt with. Older Marlin's employed the use of forged parts, built to the same standard as their centerfire rifles. I don't know what has changed production-wise with the new Marlingtons/Remlins but I personally would find an old lever action .22 if I was looking for one today. No, they are not cheap anymore but I think you get what you pay for. JMO

My only complaints were that the rear sight seemed loose where it kept walking towards the left thereby making shots pull left. It seems like the rear sight leaf has a single screw up front attaching it to the barrel rather than a dovetail and it kept pivoting on that and goign out of whack. Is this a common issue?

 

This is not a common issue. The rear sight is held in by a dovetail not a set screw. The screw is for tension purposes only. If the screw is tight and the sight is still moving the sight may be faulty. PM me and I will get your buddy a new sight if this is the case.

 

I also noticed that the internals seemd very shiny and looked to be made of some cheaper zinc-like material. I know rimfire isn't much of a strain on metals, but are these guns known to be robust and durable with long term usage?

 

Henry's can handle long term use I would say. I talk to shooters that have had them for over 10 years and they work just fine with regular use. If they ever do have a problem they have a lifetime warranty, so if you manage to find something wrong with them that we don't know about, we will either fix it or just give you a new rifle no matter how old it is.

I am not sure where the OP is on his search, or possibly purchase, of a lever action, but PLEASE be weary of tubular-fed lever actions. The mag tube can easily bend if hit hard on something, or possibly not anything. MAKE SURE to check if the mag tube is bent before buying it.

 

I went through 3...not 1, not 2, but THREE Winchester lever actions. The first one I bought, I went to the range and could not fully insert the mag tube dowel into it. Took it back to Cabela's. I exchanged it for a second. Took that one home, shot it, SAME THING. I was so frustrated. I went back to Cabela's and asked them to bring me out another one. They brought it out, I checked the mag tube, SAME THING. So I said screw it, let me see one of those Henry's over there (made in Bayonne, what what!). Brought it out to me and the mag tube was fine, and overall it felt better shouldering it than the Winchesters. They gave me that one, and refunded me the difference. I went with the Henry and never looked back. 2 years later, it still functions great...it was actually a graduation gift from my mom.

 

So please, just make sure to take the dowel out and put it in the mag tube a couple times and make sure it goes all the way down and tightens.

 

Also, A+ on Cabela's customer service during that incident. No questions were asked, and they were super nice about everything! AND they refunded me the difference no problem.

I bought my son a Henry for Christmas several years ago now, maybe 8 or 10, back when they were being made in Brooklyn NY. Thousands of rounds through it and it still works fine!

 

Anthony & Company make a really nice product. Their magazine tubes are made of a heavier metal that doesn't get dinged or dented!

While I have no experience with them, I have heard nothing but good things about Henry as a company. And if their customer service is as good as how responsive Anthony is when responding to questions via email, then I surmise it's quite good.