Henry Adds a Gate

For years Henry has made firearms in calibers I wanted, but the lack of a loading gate kept me from buying, glad they finally saw the light
 
The 38-55 has my attention.
I let a Marlin in38-55 get away a while back, so of the caliber offerings the 38-55 is the one that I'm interested in also
 
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I dont see the problem with not having a loading gate. It makes zero difference to me. Henry has possibly the highest quality lever gun on the market with or without a loading gate. Maybe someone can explain why its so tremendous to have a loading gate?
 
I dont see the problem with not having a loading gate. It makes zero difference to me. Henry has possibly the highest quality lever gun on the market with or without a loading gate. Maybe someone can explain why its so tremendous to have a loading gate?
Lever guns look better with a loading gate.

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I dont see the problem with not having a loading gate. It makes zero difference to me. Henry has possibly the highest quality lever gun on the market with or without a loading gate. Maybe someone can explain why its so tremendous to have a loading gate?

Some of us are fumble fingered Muppets? I know I am these days.
 
38/55 is cool but the .35 rem is much more obtainable.

I’m a Marlin freak so Henry doesn’t really interest me even though they finally got a clue. :p
 
I dont see the problem with not having a loading gate. It makes zero difference to me. Henry has possibly the highest quality lever gun on the market with or without a loading gate. Maybe someone can explain why its so tremendous to have a loading gate?
In a hunting situation if you have to load or reload, much less movement involved in using a gate over a plunger.
 
What would be an example of a situation where you would have to load or reload in a hurried or silent manner?

Not asking sarcastically either.


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What would be an example of a situation where you would have to load or reload in a hurried or silent manner?

Not asking sarcastically either.


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Lot of people use the larger caliber lever guns for bear hunting, I don't hunt any more, but any thing I can't reload quickly precludes it from being an option.
If you drop that loading tube in the mud , or it rolls off the bed of the truck in the dark and gets stepped on your rifles useless. And my rifle of choice all the years I hunted was my marlin in 45-70,
 
Ummmm. If ya shoot a lever dry in a hunt yer either on an ass ton of animals or need to go home and practice one shot kills. Most likly the latter, just saying......
I agree and just to add a side note i think a loading gate has almost zero benefit. Loading one in the empty chamber is also quite and speedy.
 
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Lot of people use the larger caliber lever guns for bear hunting, I don't hunt any more, but any thing I can't reload quickly precludes it from being an option.
If you drop that loading tube in the mud , or it rolls off the bed of the truck in the dark and gets stepped on your rifles useless. And my rifle of choice all the years I hunted was my marlin in 45-70,
Loading one in the empty chamber is fast if you need 6 shots to kill the animal. If the bear is 30 yards away and decides to charge after 4 shots the bear is eating you face anyway.
 
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Loading one in the empty chamber is fast if you need 6 shots to kill the animal. If the bear is 30 yards away and decides to charge after 4 shots the bear is eating you face anyway.
If you've.fired a.couple of snap shots at a bear one that missed completely and one a grazing shot thats just managed to piss the bear off, and you want to top off before taking another run at the bear that loading gate is pretty handy.
BTW I was sixteen and hunting with my dad, the first time I was allowed to do the shooting and the last for awhile.
 
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Hell, next thing ya know...they will make a threaded barrel model.
Nuthin is sacred.
They already do... it's a .22.


Hey, ya'll... Trump is a levergunner!

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I dont see the problem with not having a loading gate. It makes zero difference to me. Henry has possibly the highest quality lever gun on the market with or without a loading gate. Maybe someone can explain why its so tremendous to have a loading gate?

It's simple, I don't like it not having a gate. That's all, I just don't like it.

Now if your talking about s9mething like the original Henry, were you didn't have to remove the tube but just lift the spring I could get into that.
 
Growing up with tube fed Marlin .22s, the lack of a loading gate in an absolute non-issue for me. Truth be told, 'n maybe I'm just stupid, but I always struggle/fumble with the loading gates on my Marlin .30-30 & .45-70.

Love my Henry .41Mag 16.5" carbine & a CCH .357Mag carbine is settin' at the top of my 'next' list.

Regardless of my ambivalence toward loading gates, this'll bring a lot of folks over to Henry. I'd imagine the .38-55 will do well, especially if they'd do a longer barreled version. I know folks have been hollering for a .35Rem Henry for a while & a 16.5"er would certainly get my attention.
 
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You guys hating on loading gates sound like the people who demand a reason a rifle needs a detachable magazine.

Because 'Merica, that's why.

It's aesthetically more pleasing with one and more fun throwing cartridges in them than unscrewing a tube and dropping rounds in it like you're setting up to play Kerplunk.
 
You guys hating on loading gates sound like the people who demand a reason a rifle needs a detachable magazine.

Because 'Merica, that's why.

It's aesthetically more pleasing with one and more fun throwing cartridges in them than unscrewing a tube and dropping rounds in it like you're setting up to play Kerplunk.
Im not hating but when i see comments like "now i would buy a Henry because it has a loading gate", why? Its a wonderful gun without it, there is litte to no benefit in having the gate. So people hating on guns without loading gates are either way to picky or maybe they are just so much smarter than me and im soooo stupid to own a henry without one. Its like glock guys talking about how much better a glock is than anything else with zero evidence. Its a really wierd thing. Its more fun to reload?
 
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why? Its a wonderful gun without it, there is litte to no benefit in having the gate.

Unless you want your lever gun to have a loading gate. Then there is a huge benefit to it.

I don't want a lever gun that doesn't have a gate. Therefore I felt no pull to buy a Henry. I saw them in stores and said "eh, whatever". I still don't think they look that good.

Plus, there's a nice benefit where you don't have to take your gun half apart to load it.

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The gate is not being added to the pistol caliber rifles.

I’ve been looking for a 44, with the brass frame really catching my eye. I don’t know if the gate will really be a tipping point for me, but I like the idea.
 
It just easier/more convenient with the loading gate. Truthfully......it was the only reason I preferred a Marlin over a Henry. Now.....either works!
 
Unless you want your lever gun to have a loading gate. Then there is a huge benefit to it.

I don't want a lever gun that doesn't have a gate. Therefore I felt no pull to buy a Henry. I saw them in stores and said "eh, whatever". I still don't think they look that good.

Plus, there's a nice benefit where you don't have to take your gun half apart to load it.

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Half apart? Some people just look for a reason to complain. You twist out a tube and drop in ammo and twist it back. Im not anti gate i like all guns including my 336c in 35rem.
 
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I thought that was old news. I saw last year at my FFL a Henry that all but looked like a 336. I thought I posted the picture here...

Update: I mentioned it but never posted the pictures. I can dig them up.
 
why? Its a wonderful gun without it, there is litte to no benefit in having the gate

But there is. The gate gives me the ability to keep the magazine topped off with the shoot one/load one drill without taking the rifle out of battery or even dismounting it from my shoulder. I know that it's not something that I'd ever likely need, but I like having the option just the same.

It hearkens back to a day when the 1873 Winchester was a general purpose rifle that a man could not only use to stock his larder, but may also be called on to defend hearth and home. In that role, keeping a full compliment of ammunition on tap was an important consideration.
 
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I'm glad to see the change; I hope it expands to some other calibers.
 
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I am fine with them doing this but look how sloppy it is. Compare the way that looks to a Marlin .. it's crooked and leaves just that tiny bit of metal between the port. I wish Henry well and I'm not a tube loader purist .. but they can do better than this hack job.
 
But there is. The gate gives me the ability to keep the magazine topped off with the shoot one/load one drill without taking the rifle out of battery or even dismounting it from my shoulder. I know that it's not something that I'd ever likely need, but I like having the option just the same.

It hearkens back to a day when the 1873 Winchester was a general purpose rifle that a man could not only use to stock his larder, but may also be called on to defend hearth and home. In that role, keeping a full compliment of ammunition on tap was an important consideration.
I've carried a rifle and never needed this function. If you shoot all of the ammo out of the mag, you can shoot one load one on an empty tube mag. If for some reason you need to.

I understand there are reasons people do things or dont do things and some of them are for reasons they will never use, like carrying a gun. Chances are the average guy wont ever have to shoot anyone, but i carry a gun anyway.
 
I've carried a rifle and never needed this function.

So have I. The likelihood of needing it is irrelevant. I like having the option, and there's no downside to it being there.

If you shoot all of the ammo out of the mag, you can shoot one load one on an empty tube mag.

With the gate, you don't shoot the gun dry as long as you have spare ammunition, and you can keep it topped off without taking it out of battery.
It's the main advantage that a lever rifle has over a bolt action. I like that. YMMV


QUOTE="Mightyox04, post: 852231, member: 669"]I understand there are reasons people do things or dont do things and some of them are for reasons they will never use, like carrying a gun.[/QUOTE]

Exactly.
 
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I am fine with them doing this but look how sloppy it is. Compare the way that looks to a Marlin .. it's crooked and leaves just that tiny bit of metal between the port. I wish Henry well and I'm not a tube loader purist .. but they can do better than this hack job.

Yeah that non JM Marked Marlin quality is first rate
 
Well, I grew up with tube fed .22's. Saw a lot of .22's over the years missing tube plungers.

But one main reason for a gate: you don't have to be turning the gun around and jacking around near the muzzle. I know, I know, stupid will find a way to win no matter what you do.
But I just prefer to be able to load a rifle while maintaining control of grip while muzzle is pointing away from me or mine. Not a deal killer, but a preference.

However, I am gonna go against the grain and say I prefer the aesthetic of the regular Henry. The Big Boy, for example, I find it to be a very lovely shape. Maybe one of the best looking. It reminds me of the Marlin 29. I'd want that one just like this. Don't cut any holes in it!

Big-Boy-Steel.jpg
 
Other than the classic aesthetics I despise the loading gate.

The shape and size of my fingers does not play well (especially with the last couple decades of less than stellar Marlin production) or fast with the gate.

The night I met @BurnedOutGeek I was trying to help a (less gun-centric) friend who had rendered his (crappy Walmart non JM) Marlin 336 inoperable by accidentally tearing off the tip off his $2 cotton glove while trying to perform a shaky adrenaline fueled reload after shooting a deer. That little bit of cotton and him pulling rearward after the round was in bent the gate beyond it's ability to spring back and we had to replace it.

I almost cried tears of joy the first time I laid eyes on a Henry.

Obviously versatility is a good thing. I may try to acquire a rifle that has both options eventually.

But tube-fed only works fine for me.
 
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