Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots Henry Single Shot

I've prowled local shops and big box stores from Tulsa, Oklahoma to Beaumont, Texas with stops in Mississippi and Louisiana along the way since they came out and have yet to lay paws on one.... I figure they'll catch on in Louisiana or Mississippi quickly for the primitive weapons season uses.

I had a chance to handle one in a gun shop the other day. Observation and question.

The observation, the hammer was bit too low, narrow and hard to cock quickly while bringing the rifle to shoulder. The spring is also very stiff. All this, compared to the old H&R which I could handle very quickly. That is a problem for me.

The question, what is the safety or procedure to carry a loaded gun while hunting? Not a nit pick, just a question. There is no transfer bar. No 1/2 cock. No safety button, lever or latch. I asked the clerk, he had no idea. Maybe some one here can fill me in.

According to Henry's website, "The action has no external manual safety; it uses a rebounding hammer that can’t touch the firing pin unless the trigger’s deliberately pulled."

Thanks Jim.

I guess, then it can be carried cocked with all fingers outside the trigger guard. I guess? Or keep the hammer down until.

If I had one, I would have to study the parts diagram and look closer at the reciever. I like the transfer bar, others dont. Being able to see the bar makes me more confident than having some internal lock out. It must be ok. I am not going to worry about any more for now.

I just wonder if they are more accurate than other models of the same type. I've not heard a lot of good things about H&R, NEF, etc., being real consistent shooters.

The test I read of a .223 was positive. Certainly they should be accurate enough for ordinary purposes. Never owned one of the others you mention, but have read they're good shooters, but sometimes sensitive to forend tension. My cousin bought a 20ga slug gun because everyone said they were so accurate. He spent about $200 trying to find a slug load it liked before he gave up and unloaded it.😜

All I want is a 30/30.

That'd work, though considering all the loading stuff I have, a .308 makes more sense.

There's a free .30/30 in every .308 box.

I think the NEF were pretty good guns. I am sorry they are gone.

Chuck Hawks (no accuray testing) on the Handy rifle.
http://www.chuckhawks.com/nef_rifles.htm

Some discussion on this forum:
https://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=450568

This pretty well sums it up

And finally a review on the Henry, from the American Rifleman (edit, I did not notice this was already linked, I guess not everyone follows all the links, me included)

https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2017/12/20/tested-henry-single-shot-shotguns-and-rifles/


RE, the Henry - IMHO- this is outstanding accuracy (edit: sorry. I though this was 100 yards, well even at 50 it is more than just good hunting accuracy)

I'm not a fan of rimless anything in break action firearms

I just wish someone would revive the 219 Savage with a forged steel receiver. A 45-70, 30-40 Krag,38-55 and 44 mag with a .429 bored barrel with a twist that would handle 300 grain cast would find a home here

I recommend building a time machine. Such a gun ,if built today would cost WAAAAAY more than you would be willing to spend.

doubt it would be way more than I was willing to spend

I had to google the 219 savage. Right away, I see a better looking gun.!! Damn !! Easy reach, big hammer. Slender graceful stock. Why is it so difficult? I dont get it, are people really this stupid? And why would that cost more than any one would spend? Why would a Henry exact clone of the 219 cost a nickel more? I dont see any big manufacturing challenge. I was naive enough to expect to see something more/less like this from Henry. The Henry is heavy too.

I dont care if the receiver is forged. That is not important to me. The strength vs weight can be achieve multiple ways.

All internet chatter aside, I might just add the 219 in 30/30 to my long term watch list.

Read up on those a bit before you buy. Not all barrels are interchangeable on all frames. Older guns cock when the lever is operated. Newer ones have a draw bar that cocks when the action is broken.

Also, watch for the firing pin sticking in the fired position, which can give you a surprise when you load and close it.

I picked up a .410 a couple of years ago that had been nicely restored long ago. Neat little gun.

219 was an internal hammer, forged steel receiver to handle higher pressure than cast

Google failed me, I looked at an image that looked like a hammer. I like the lines.

Henry seems challenged for the proper look and feel for the whole product line.

The original Savage 219 was made for a few years before WWII, and built at the old Savage works in Utica, New York. Those rifles, like the model 220 shotgun were striker-fired. The post-war version, or at least one post-war version, (219A? 219B?) built in Massachusetts, had an internal hammer. I would not think the pre-war 219 would have a problem with the firing pin sticking forward since it was a long striker which was cocked as the gun was opened.

Yes. Early 219s were strikers. And it is totally a pain to change the firing pins if broken. That said I changed mine. Hornet barrel in the original .223 size. I drop the charge a bit and shoots quite well. Ex FIL had one in 30-30. Have no idea where it is now. A slim, graceful package.

I agree that if anyone if going to revive a break-open single shot, the Savage 219 is the one, especially the Utica version which had a walnut stock and a much more graceful STEEL trigger guard than later models. With modern manufacturing methods, you could make the barrels much more interchangeable than the originals, too. An American European-style stalking rifle or "kipplauf", like the Germans say. A .25-35 WCF with modern bullets would be the nuts for medium game where you didn't need to shoot a country mile. So would a .243.

I think fourbore is looking at a different rifle. Savage 219s are all hammerLESS. They have a tang safety just like a fancy double shotgun. Quick and positive. I have three, all with fitted Savage 220 shotgun barrels (the "old 220," not the current bolt action rifled shotguns that use a 110-style action).