Rifmire - Pump vs. Lever

C

Cosmodragoon

New member
Hi. I was looking at lever guns and noticed that Henry makes a pump-action rimfire rifle. It comes in a choice of .22S/L/LR or .22WMR. So I got to wondering... Is there a place where the pump-action shines? Is there a case in which any of these ammo choices (I shoot all but the .22L) will work better in pump? Is there a case where one of them will be problematic in a pump? What is your opinion of these rounds in pump vs. lever?
 
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I can run a pump faster than a lever, yes I can. If I were shooting running jacks and had to chose between the two, it'd be the pump for me. Similarly, if I was i a .22 league where manual actions were scored more leniently than semi's, I'd likely shoot a pump as well. Did so a bit in a .22 comp our local club had for a while, and used to be able to give the semi guys a run for their money. Otherwise, rate of fire likely doesn't matter, to me anyhow, in a field rifle.

The lever has a distinct allure and I think the Henry touches that in many of us.
I've come close to buying a Henry lever on many occasions, and wish I had when they were first out and were a real bargain.
 
A pump in any gun is going to be much faster for aimed repeat shots. Pumps are darn close to semi autos for speed, levers just barely beat bolt guns. Despite growing up watching thousands of Westerns levers are one of the slower guns for "aimed" repeat shots. It is possible to shoot them fairly fast, but the movement causes the sights to move more than most other actions and getting them back on target takes time.

That said, I just like levers better. None of the pumps ever grew on me. If I want accuracy I buy a bolt gun, for speed I buy a semi, and I prefer a lever for nostalgia. A pump is a good all around compromise of speed and accuracy. They just never appealed to me. Not a bad choice if someone likes them though.
 
I have a couple Henry .22 lever guns. They're extremely smooth and quite accurate. Both are nice guns and fun to shoot.

But my favorite.22 is still a Winchester Model 62A pump that I picked up a few months ago. To me that gun is a classic and something I've always wanted.
 
@Mr. Cosmo: I also like pump rifles and I've been missing the remington 572, which I gave to my son a few years back. So a couple of weeks ago, I bought a new henry pump. I haven't fired it yet, but the action is STIFF (capitals intended). Perhaps it will loosen up with use? The other thing: even with high rings, a scope leaves no room for manually manipulating the hammer. An uncle mike's hammer extension is a must. However, all in all, I like the rifle. You may want to visit rimfirecentral.com also. They have a henry subforum.

As for pumps being less accurate than a bolt rifle, I've owned five .243's: A rem 788, a rem 700, a browning A-bolt, a commercial mauser, and currently a remington 7600 pump. For a 3 shot group from a cold barrel, my present remington pump is second in performance only to the previous remington 788. I wish I had the 788 back.
 
Pumps are faster for rapid aimed shots, but if you're just talking about rapid fire a pump can't touch a lever gun fired from the hip.

Boomer
 
Thanks for the feedback. I'm glad to know about the stiff pump on the Henry. Because no local shops have any in stock, I'd have to order it and then I'd be on the hook. If anyone else has one and it has loosened up nicely, I'd love to know. I'd also be glad to hear of any problems with things getting too loose. I've handled used pump shotguns and larger-caliber lever guns that felt far too loose with a disturbing amount of side play.

A main question I was hoping to get answered involves the length difference in these cartridges. For instance, has anyone noticed a difference in the way either action handles shorts versus LRs?
 
I haven't used the Henry but I had a pump .22 when I was a kid ( A savage I think? ) and it would feed anything from CB's to long rifle.

I didn't have it long enough to judge long-term wear and tear on the action but it was very old when I got it and it was still smooth as glass. Rapid fire was pretty fun with such a short action, just a flick of the rist. I got many a rat in the pig barn with it ;)

I was stupid and traded it when I got my first 10-22:(

Boomer
 
@Mr. Cosmo: I'm sorry. I didn't mean to discourage you. Although it is stiff, I like my henry pump and would buy it again. Matter of fact, I like the henry brand so much, that if I run across a .22LR henry lever action, I will probably pick one up. The problem though, is that since the hurricane on the east coast, the availability of henry's has been sporadic or non-existent, at least here in arizona.

I don't think .22 shorts or long rifles would make any difference in the operation. You're going to have to cycle the bolt all the way back to cock the hammer in either case.
 
I have a Henry H101. Its a lever action for those unfamiliar with that model. The action is super smooth. Really nice gun for the money, was about $260 @ Dicks couple years ago.
I've fed it numerous brands and types of LR with zero problems. Also have used Remington shorts and CCI CB shorts, again zero problems. Not sure I've ever actually seen a .22L..............
 
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