Best new lever action in .22lr?

M

moodorf

Inactive
Hi guys, I've been racking my brain trying to decide on a new
.22lr lever action. I need some help picking one. I was looking specifically at rifles still in production.

I know they're usually the cheapest/best value, but I'm not considering Henry .22lrs because I keep hearing mixed things about them. That, and the golden receiver look isn't to my liking.

I was very interested in the Browning BL-22, because of it's short throw and the fact that the trigger is attached to the lever itself to prevent finger pinching. But then I kept reading about folks complaining that the trigger is a bit heavy/creep-y on the BL-22.

So I then started looking at Marlin 39As and though I like what I see, I keep reading rumblings of the quality not being what it used to be on these rifles.

So I need some help here. Thanks!:)
 
racking my brain trying to decide on a new
.22lr lever action.
Click to expand...

Sounds like you have the quality guns named all right, just get rid of that 'used' stigma.

With all respect, I can still remember when I thought a gun had to be new to be enjoyed.
Don't take as long to wise up as I did.

No direct experience with Henry, they do make blued models though and have a loyal following.
I have never heard a complaint of any kind against a Henry from the many owners that visit our public range.
Nor have I ever seen one with problems.

I do have a BL-22 and a 39-A.
Most any BL-22 made in the 70's or 39-A from the 60s-80s will be just the ticket.
An accurate rifle that does not come with a warranty card because it does not need one.
Quality, even used, does not go out of style.

JT
 
Marlin has not made a new .22 levergun in at least 3 years.
Winchester's 9422 was discontinued several years back.

Last year I did a shoot-off between the Browning & a Henry.
The Henry was infinitely smoother, had better sights, a better trigger, and outshot the Browning for accuracy.
I bought the Henry & returned the Browning.

This month I've just finished a 28,000-round endurance run on a Henry Golden Boy.
The only part that wore out was a spring that broke, towards the end.

I'm not trying to sell you on a Henry, just saying the things do hold up.
You could look at an Italian .22 levergun, but those have their own risks.
Denis
 
I don't like the Browning at all. I had a Marlin and wish I still had it but I wouldn't give up my Henry Golden Boy for it. I've never had a problem with my GB and the action is slicker than snot on a porcelain doorknob. Like was already said they do make blued models.
 
DPris, that is good to know about the Henry. I have been wanting one for a long time. I doubt I will get 2,800 rounds through one in my lifetime, let alone 28,000. Thanks for the review.
 
It is impossible not to like the BL-22, for me at least. I've had a 2-3 Marlin 39's made from 1951 to 1985 including a Mountie I should have kept. The few newer 39's I've examined were a disappointment compared to my older ones. I also had an Ithaca 49R (repeater) long before the Marlins.

I bought my wife a Youth sized Henry Golden Boy for Mother's Day 2015. It's easily the slickest running 22 lever action I've ever used and very accurate to boot.
 
I've worked with three of the BL-22s over the years & liked 'em.
I've worked with several Henry .22 leverguns & they all shot slick & tight.

Quite frankly, going in I had intended to buy the winner in the shoot-off & expected it to be the Browning.
Surprise! :)

I bought the test Henry on that project.

On the current sample, it involved over 30 hours of shooting alone, with sessions running from 300 to 3000 per, and when I was running smoothly it was an average of a thousand rounds in 60-70 minutes.

It was load & shoot as fast as practical, most of it from the hip.

The gun was not cleaned till I got the first extraction failures at a shade over 22,000 rounds.
I did replace the extractor at that point, but it didn't look too worn & I still got a couple extraction failures after. Discussed with Henry, we think those were due to the chamber & bore never being cleaned at all through the entire run.
Total of 7 extraction failures in all 28,000 rounds.

Henry recommends cleaning the chamber periodically, I deliberately didn't.

At the end, with the same four control loads I'd tested for accuracy before the endurance run, the rifle (and uncleaned bore) had gained roughly 1-1.5 inches in 5-shot group sizes of a sandbag at 50 yards.
I did not clean & re-shoot, my wrist has had enough for a while.

Nobody would be shooting a Henry, or any other .22, as hard as I did in a 90-day compressed timeframe.

The thing that broke was not the alloy receiver, it was a STEEL locking bar spring. Even busted at about 26,000 rounds, it was still somehow managing to put enough force against the bar for it to lock the bolt in battery through the entire test.
Once replaced afterward during a diagnostic, lockup returned to normal.

I don't mention this to sell Henry products, just as data points for people to make informed decisions.
Denis
 
I have a Browning BL22 type II 1970. Sweet little 22 lever rifle. Decent trigger with lovely walnut. The only drawback in my mind is that the BL22 is soooo petite.

.02

David. :)
 
If I can put in my .02...

The Henry is a great rifle. As said already, very smooth and accurate.

My experience is with the Frontier model. It's blued with a longer octagonal barrel. Mine was $390. It's a great, classic looking rifle. I took it hunting today. Last year I got a rabbit with it.

If you get a chance to shoulder a golden or silverboy, and then a standard or frontier model henry you will notice a difference in the stock. The golden and silverboy has a bigger drop so that you sight with your head off of the stock. The standard and frontier will sight like a modern rifle.
 
You'll be hard pressed to beat a Henry. If you don't like the Goldenboy, they have more traditional models that are not gold or silver color. I have one and it's the slickest 22 lever I've handled. I'm not a fan of the Browning. Too much gloss, grittier action, and creepy trigger.

I'd recommend the Henry hands-down.
 
an older Marlin 39 is the first one I would look for if I wanted another 22 rifle.

I have a win 94/22 a mid 70's 39 and a newer Henry 1001T ( blued and octagonal barrel model )

The henry is smooth and accurate, so much in fact that I rarely take the winchester or marlin out to the range anymore.
 
I had a 80's Browning BL-22. I never got warm and fuzzy with it. The trigger was stiff and I thought the action was too tight and never smoothed out. For the money it was not equal. I know a couple guys with Henry's and they like them for everything the Browning wasn't. I would look at the Henry.
 
I was given a Henry H-001 when I was around 10.

Like any 22 it needs to be kept clean but it is more accurate than I am, I've made some really impressive shots with it, and its put much meat on the table and has been a handy little rifle, action is very smooth. The tube rolled off a table and the follower broke once. Contacted Henry seeing if I could get a new follower because it seemed easy enough to repair myself, they asked for my address and told me they were just going to ship me a new tube, no charge. What I got about a week later was a new tube with a thicker follower. I'd say my only interaction with their customer service was top notch.

For about their lowest cost rifle, its been a good little rifle.
 
This Henry will be going back to the company in a couple weeks for a thorough go-through.
After they get done running it under a microscope, I've asked 'em to overhaul ONLY what's necessary.
After which I'll buy it from them.

I sold the 9422 earlier this year & the Marlin hasn't been outa the house in over 10 years. :)

I WILL be keeping that Marlin, but I'm thinking the Henrys will be seeing more dirt time.
Denis
 
I WILL be keeping that Marlin, but I'm thinking the Henrys will be seeing more dirt time.
Denis
Click to expand...
My father made a similar decision quite some time back (I'm sure I've posted about it ... somewhere here).

He didn't want to wear out his beloved Marlin 39A 'bicentennial', so he bought a Henry H001 (plus one for the wife).

The Henry is the only lever-action that leaves the house any more, and it has seen quite a bit of use. But the Marlin is still his favorite. Even though he has officially passed the Marlin on to me, I can't actually take possession yet. ;) (I understand - thus the wink, rather than a frown.)
 
I'd go with a blued Henry lever action. My friend bought one and it's about as smooth and slick as they come, and accurate to boot. I have another friend with a Browning lever action .22 LR, it is and always has been a huge disappointment to him accuracy wise. Way too expensive for a rifle that shoots so poorly. Just my $0.02.
 
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