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Henry Pump opinions ?

14K views 30 replies 21 participants last post by  flangster 
#1 ·
Was shooting my big loop carbine with friends last night, the lever is great but always wanted a pump gallery gun.

Had heard the Henry is stiff to pump; don't want it if I can't shuck rounds thru it quickly and smoothly.

Anyone have a recent production example to report on?
 
#2 ·
I SURE DO



I have owned a Henry .22 LR octagon barrel pump for 5+ years now. I love pump guns and have 7 of different vintage. the Henry is the only current production one I own, all the rest are vintage. savage 29B ,Winchester 275, sears 35, Remington 572, ETC. I love the Henry but it will never be a light pump stroke. mine is broken in and I can live with it but it will never equal the others. you have to pump it like you are MAD at it. it is very positive but heavy. the reason is, when you pump a Henry you are moving a LARGE bolt which must also cock the large hammer, just the nature of the beast. if you are looking for a light pump stroke, spend your money on a good used vintage 572 Remington. you wont be sorry, and for what the Henry costs you can get a nice condition 572.i have a 1958 and a 1967 572, they are the love of my life. I like the Henry, don't get me wrong, it is just a heavy pump stroke that will NEVER be light pumping as a 572. stay away from the early 572s, before 1957, they had some bad defects that were corrected in 1958. you DO NOT want one of those, believe me !
 
#4 ·
I've owned a Henry pump in .22 LR for two years and agree it will never be a light action. I bought it to replace a long-stolen Rossi copy of the old Winchester. I've always liked the exposed-hammer look. It is a well-made piece with nice furniture, but heavier than the Rossi/Winchester. It shoots great, but you do have to work it like you mean it!
 
#6 ·
Great pump action rifle.

Bought my Henry Pump H003t last October. It's a fun gun to shoot with very good accuracy. The action was a bit stiff at first but has lightened up a lot. I've run upwards of 1000 rounds through it. I'm sure it will never be a light as some of the other pumps I've used but I don't find it a problem. I really like the heavy barrel. It helps me keep the rifle steady. I don't think you can go wrong getting one.
 
#24 ·
I have had two and I fully agree it just does not compare to a Winchester 62A or a Rossi pump 22. I really wish that Henry would consider recreating these two rifles
a 62A recreation would be the tops.

I got rid of both of my Henry pumps. just didn't like the action.
 
#8 ·
I have a recent Henry pump. It is a .22 Magnum, and a good shooter. I love a pump .22. It is very accurate and fun to use. I also have an old Remington 121 (precursor to the 572) in .22 S/L/LR. True, the Henry takes a little more effort to pump, but I don't find it a problem.
If there was anything I would say watch out for if you get one, it is that you don't hold too far up the stock with your right hand, or the bolt will bite you when you cycle the action...
 
#9 ·
Not to sound trite, but it is what it is. The Henry pump consistantly and reliably ejects the spent shell and feeds a fresh round every time. It's not too difficult to work the action, my grandson has no problem. It is different from other pump actions I've experianced, the Henry "shuck" is like cutting a carrot with a butter knife. Very positive. It does tend to reduce my rate of fire, but I consider that a good thing. Not an ammo waster. We all our 10-22's for that.
 
#12 ·
Shucking rounds....

I've had my Henry pump since last September. Got maybe 1300 rounds thru it. As others have said before it was a little on the stiff side when new (as compared to the Remy 121 I used to shoot.) It has lightened up a lot. You should have no trouble shucking rounds smoothly through it.
 
#15 ·
there IS........



if you ever find one! the 1960s Winchester 275 .22 magnum pump. I have one, it is a good looker, fun to shoot and accurate. mine is ammo picky, only will run 100% with the sharp pointed hornaday V-Max ammo. go figure. I don't shoot it often, so it doesn't matter to me.
 
#16 ·
i agree 100%



there are some nice 29B s on gun broker right now, decent prices. it IS under rated in my opinion, a real vintage all blued steel and walnut .22 pump.i love my 2 572 pumps, a 1958 and a 1967, but the 29B holds a special place in my collection. just sayin !!
 
#17 · (Edited)
I have two Winchester Model 270's - one was given to me in 1964 by my Father for Christmas when I was 12 and the other I bought last year to pass along to my grandson. It will work with anything - LR all the way down to CB caps. I know many aren't fond of the 200-series Winchesters for a variety of reasons, especially the receiver, but the 270 and 275's (.22 magnum) can't be beat for having a lightweight pump action.

In comparison, the Henry action is much heavier - the analogy that you have to act as if you're mad at it is a good one. Can't complain about the quality, though. You won't go wrong with a Henry if you want a pump.
 
#18 ·
I bought a like new Henry pump about 6 months ago. LIke everyone said - stiff to pump but if you don't baby it then it's fine. Also keep the handgaurd screw tight. Mine is very accurate but the semi-buckhorn rear sight doesn't lend itself to the best sight picture. Planning on putting a peep sight on it. But I like it alot all the same.
 
#25 · (Edited)
I have one of the Henry .22 mag rifles I got used at a gun show and it has never worked as it should. I guess that's why the the previous owner dumped it on me. It jams a LOT (fails to feed). It is hard to pump, it now just wastes space in the back of the vault. I would not even think about buying a new one. Maybe just my bad luck but that won't change my opinion.

Sorry, didn't notice this was a year old thread that just got drug back up..
 
#26 ·
Well...... I guess we shall see. I've wanted a pump .22 for quite some time and I'm a huge Henry fan, so I just ordered their pump .22mag. I should have it within the week.

Of course after doing so, I come here and read all the negative reviews....

Maybe they've worked out the issues and it'll be good to go. Fingers crossed. I don't mind the stiff pump action back and forth - like a bolt action rifle with a butter smooth feel, it's still intended to be run hard back and forth and that's what I've done for many years.

After crossing the stiff pump issue, as long as it's accurate and reliable, I'll be happy. If not, it'll be the first Henry I won't brag about.
 
#27 ·
.22wmr pump

If yours is like mine you will be happy.

I went with a Henry pump cause there were no other options in .22wmr and after a few years I can report zero problems. Accuracy is more than satisfactory although the buckhorn rear sight is better at fast targeting over pinpoint accuracy. But I can say the same for my '70s Win. 94 and it works just fine as a deer rifle.

My action has smoothed out quite a bit with use, nowhere near a vintage Remington but smooth. If you want a new pump that's well made Henry is a safe bet compared to other domestic brands that aren't crafting firearms as good as they were 50 years ago.

I've shot a Henry lever .22wmr and while I liked it enough I'd buy one in a Mare's Leg setup I wouldn't trade my pump for one.
 
#28 · (Edited)
When I was a kid, my Dad had a 1906 Model Winchester and then bought me a brand new Model 270 Winchester. With some work on it, which I will describe, my new Henry Pump 22 LR operates easier than the 1906 but not quite as easy as my 270 did. However, I am remembering over 45 or so years since the last time I used either one of the earlier guns.

Before ever firing the Henry, I cycled the action many times. For the first forty or fifty cycles, the action seemed rough, then smoothed out. At around 180-190 cycles, the action stuck and it was all I could do to get closed. I thought I had turned the forend a bit wrong, but a couple strokes later it stuck again. At that point I stopped and took the rifle apart.

I found the bolt stuck in the action cover and gently worked it free. There was a lot of black around in the works, which I think was either finely ground up black paint or whatever other finish was on some moving part. I did not take the rifle apart before operating the action so I do not know where black paint could have been on sliding parts for sure, but I did notice the action slide bar. I did notice some of the black finish, which looked like large crystal magnetite, was worn off in a long strip on the outside surface. I do not think this was the only culprit but cannot specifically spot another item.

I cleaned the gun and got out all the black residue I could, then oiled everything with traditional gun oil (mineral oil I think). After putting the gun back together, it cycled very smooth and easier than before.

Since that time, I have taken the rifle to a range three times and have shot about 300 rounds through it. After each time, I have taken the rifle apart and cleaned it. There are now two shiny strips on the outside surface of the action bar, along the two long edges. There is now a shiny spot on the inside surface in the middle, maybe a quarter of an inch in diameter.

As the action wears in, it seems to get a tiny bit smoother each time after a cleaning.

I think cleaning often and reasonable lubrication of all the parts that can slide against something is very important for this rifle.

I am having a really good time with the rifle and am glad I bought it. I have more to say about the rifle, why I bought it, some of the design choices as I see them, but will save that for later.

Bill Steen
 
#29 ·
I misremembered something. I took the action cover off my rifle to look at the action again. There is still some black paint on the rails the bolt slides on. I suspect this is also an contributor to the stiffness and roughness of the action on a new rifle. The whole aluminum body is appears to be dipped in black paint, dried, and probably baked. I am seeing some of the aluminum starting to show through black paint where the action bar slides as well. As the paint wears off the aluminum slide surfaces, the action should get easier and smoother operating.

I put a new thin coat of gun oil (a few drops on a small piece of cloth goes a long way) and put the scope back together. The action seems to be even better than the last time I took the gun out. It is working really well now.

Bill Steen
 
#31 ·
Thanks for the feedback! This is, of course, the wrong time to go looking for a new rifle. Most of the Henrys that I have seen have been on GB with asking prices that fall into the gotta-have-it-now category. Bud's is out. My LGS doesn't know when orders he places will be filled.
 
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