Henry 41 dies

S

stagpanther

New member
In my on-again, off-again soap opera I keep trying to get at the root cause of why the accuracy is so inconsistent with my new 41 mag Big Boy. I kept thinking it had to be something with the scope mounts/rings etc.

This morning I discovered that yet again the screws in the receiver had become loose and re-tightened them. I probably should have put two and two together a while ago and deduced that screws coming loose repeatedly was not a normal thing--but I've never experienced this before.

So I tightened them and took out some mild loads to see if it grouped any better. After a few shots (which still grouped widely inaccurate) the action became very stiff with the bolt seemingly resisting chambering. My intuition told me the next shot could be the big KABOOM so I stopped right there.

Tomorrow I call Henry to see what they say.
 
Wow, sorry to see you having such a tough time. I'm heading out for a day of shooting this Saturday. I'm going to give mine a good workout at some longer distances finally. So far at 25 yds accuracy wise mine has shown good potential, I'll see if this stands up at 50 and 100 yds this weekend. Same for my .357.
 
Wow, sorry to see you having such a tough time. I'm heading out for a day of shooting this Saturday. I'm going to give mine a good workout at some longer distances finally. So far at 25 yds accuracy wise mine has shown good potential, I'll see if this stands up at 50 and 100 yds this weekend. Same for my .357.
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I've taken a closer look at the functioning of the action after removing my scope and mount--what seems to be happening is as the bolt comes back from the chamber it is riding hard over the top of the trigger hammer, which in turn provides a fulcrum for angling the bolt, causing extra friction. I did a headspace check of sorts when I first received the rifle and it appeared to be just barely in the no-go compliance zone, don't know if that is involved possibly.

I've noticed that when firing the lever will often pop open as well, so it is hitting my fingers. At this point it's simply a $850 tire iron.
 
Sure seems like something definitely wrong if the lever is popping open and hitting your fingers. Sounds like it's time for Henry service to step up and prove itself. So far mine hasn't done this, and it seems to show a preference for the heavier loads and I've put around 300-400 through without any issues. Good luck, keep us posted on what happens if you would please.
 
The lever action popping open might be a clue.
Might not be normal, but it could suggest something.
Are you loosening your grip just as the gun goes off?
Might be also losing shoulder to stock position and cheek weld.
Might explain a few things if you do.
Just a thought.
 
The lever action popping open might be a clue.
Might not be normal, but it could suggest something.
Are you loosening your grip just as the gun goes off?
Might be also losing shoulder to stock position and cheek weld.
Might explain a few things if you do.
Just a thought.
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There was a period--maybe the first 20 shots or so--when the rifle grouped reasonably well, but then that's when all the screw loosening and other problems became noticeable. There comes a point sometimes when that little voice says "stop, this might be unsafe to fire further" and I pay attention to that voice, even if it turns out to be unfounded. Anyway, I called Henry and they immediately issued a call tag for return of the rifle--we'll see what happens.
 
Could the scope mount screw(s) be binding the bolt so that tightening them up makes things worse? You can use some blue Loctite to keep the screws in place, but that might not solve the accuracy problem.

Jim
 
Yup--I already suspected and checked that--the bottoms of the 3 mount screws show no signs of abrasion (they have a paint finish which would probably have shown wear). You can easily see the back underside of the bolt ride over the trigger hammer and get pushed up upon extraction of a spent case.
 
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Latest update: Henry says they are sending me a new rifle--but because of overwhelming demand for their new all-weather 45-70 it's going to be a few weeks. The rifle I returned has not been checked yet--so I can't say what the "prognosis" is.
 
Interesting.

Did you ever slug the bore to make sure it was actually 41 caliber?
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Actually that's one check I didn't do--didn't think of that. I could see maybe a thousandth off here or there, but in a new rifle I kinda think if that were a real problem other guns would be having similar issues?
 
They are sending you a new rifle without having checked the one you sent back...
That seems exceptionally odd to me.

Like maybe there was in fact something obviously quite wrong with it. Like a 44 mag barrel as Frankenmauser seems to have suggested.
 
Like maybe there was in fact something obviously quite wrong with it. Like a 44 mag barrel as Frankenmauser seems to have suggested.
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I admit I was remiss in not checking the bore diameter--but the probability of taking a barrel for 44 and reaming the chamber for 41 seems extremely remote to me. my personal feeling is that something was wrong with how the receiver was assembled, screws kept coming loose and the working of the action became stiff and erratic.
 
I was thinking more like a .400/.401" barrel, rather than the more appropriate .410/.411". Increased pressure. More stress.


Hopefully, they tell you what, if anything, they find wrong with the rifle. (If they're sending a replacement, they may not inspect the original very well.)
 
I was thinking more like a .400/.401" barrel, rather than the more appropriate .410/.411". Increased pressure. More stress.


Hopefully, they tell you what, if anything, they find wrong with the rifle. (If they're sending a replacement, they may not inspect the original very well.)
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Could be--I feel stupid for not measuring the bore. that said--I would think lever guns in general that are designed to shoot both jacketed and cast bullets I would expect to have at least a couple thousandths of expansion play.
 
Also, such a quick full replacement may indicate yours is not the only one out there with this issue. Slugging the bore is past many shooters list of checks, (not saying yours;))I wouldn't feel bad about overlooking that.
 
Also, such a quick full replacement may indicate yours is not the only one out there with this issue.
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True--or it may also reflect their commitment to "whatever it takes" to make the customer happy.:)
 
Brand new Henry 41 mag lever arrived today--I only did a quick check and really can't tell what was fixed--since they gave me an entirely new rifle. I cycled the bolt a few times and noticed that while the top of the hammer still pushes the bolt up at an angle initially--there is a relief notch that drops that pressure off once the bolt is fully retracted. As I recall, the bolt on my first 41 mag did not have that relief notch long enough (or the bolt was retracting too far) and basically created a wedge force on the bolt.

I'll report when I go out and fire it.
 
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