# Marlin 1894 vs Henry Big Boy Steel



## BassBlaster

Hey all. Most of you probably don't know me. Been awhile since Ive posted here. I used to be a regular here back in the day!

Anyhow, I'm in the market for a lever gun and I'm trying to make an educated decision. Ive never owned a lever gun but Ive been reading a ton of info. So I know I definitely want 44 mag.

I was all set to pick up a new Marlin 1894 when I learned that the quality has gone down hill since the Remington take over. Most research say its gotten better recently but getting a good rifle is hit or miss. Having trouble finding this gun locally so I havnt even put my hands on one so a mail order would be the likely way it would happen. I have handled the 1895 which is basically the same rife.

Then I found the Henry Big Boy Steel. Almost as purty as the Marlin! This rifle gets exceptional reviews everywhere but it has a tubular magazine similar to the Marlin Mod 60 22. That may be fine for the range but in a state that limits you to 3 rounds while deer hunting, that's just not an acceptable method of loading IMO.

Any opinions on theses 2 rifles or others that I havnt considered? Trying to stay within a budget of 700 bucks or so. Havnt had much luck looking for a Marlin built 1894 on the used market either.


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## Dovans

http://www.gunrunnerauctions.com/

Theres few that kind of meet your criteria... Not exactly 44 mag... but they come close


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## Drm50

New Marlins are called Remlins, because of poor quality fit & finish. But 1894 Marlin is tried and true classic
design. My advice is to find yourself a pre Remington Marlin, they are marked JM on barre. I prefer models
before addition on safety. As for the Henry, I'm not wild about them. I feel they are kind of a novelty gun. Not
a gun to last generations. Having said that, they do have good customer service. They saw the void left by
Win & Marlin, and jumped in the market. There are a lot of Marlins in nice shape on used market, it's a better
gun and will increase in value. Good Marlin 1894 goes for $600 around my area of Ohio.


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## BassBlaster

Ideally that would be the direction Id like to go. Problem is, I cant find anything local. Therer are a ton of them on the auction sites. I may go that route, I just really like to put my hands on a gun before I buy it. The guys at the Marlin forums are telling me 400 to 450 for a decent used rifle but everything I'm seeing is 550 to 600.


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## Drm50

Yes decent guns $350-$450 would be about right. That is for a gun that has some honest wear, but not abused.
$600 is for a gun in like new condition, but has been shot. A couple weeks ago I saw a dozen JMs 1894s, all
were hi condition, couple had boxes, $600. Only one was a pre safety. There were a lot of Remlins NIB, they
were $600+, didn't pay attention to them. Winchesters were $800-$1200, NIB, only 3 that I saw. There were
some Rossi and other foriegn Win replicas at higher price than Marlins. I make a practice of not buying any
brands that sound like they should come with bread sticks.


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## tm1669

I have a Henry Steel Big Boy in 44 mag and love it. Action is very smooth right from the factory. Accuracy with several factory loads and handloads is damn near MOA out at 100 yards. Only problem Ive had is that the tubular magazine shook itself loose during an extensive range session. Easy loctite fix. The rifling is suited to lighter 180/240 stuff. It feeds heavy stuff fine but wont shoot 310 grain WFNGC for anything so if you want the heavier bullets the Henry might disappoint you.


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## jonnythfisherteen2

Whats wrong with the tubular magazine for a state with the 3 rnds limit?

And also, whats wrong with breadsticks? Haha.


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## tm1669

Slow as balls to reload. Side gate is much faster to top off.


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## BassBlaster

jonnythfisherteen2 said:


> Whats wrong with the tubular magazine for a state with the 3 rnds limit?


You have to remove the tube and follower, remove the required plug, drop three rounds in, reinstall plug, reinstall tube and follower. If that isn't enough, now add the fact that I hunt between 20 and 25 feet off the ground and there really isn't a place to put all these pieces during this process. It just seems like a way silly design for my purposes when a loading gate on the receiver just makes more since.


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## FAB

BassBlaster said:


> You have to remove the tube and follower, remove the required plug, drop three rounds in, reinstall plug, reinstall tube and follower. If that isn't enough, now add the fact that I hunt between 20 and 25 feet off the ground and there really isn't a place to put all these pieces during this process. It just seems like a way silly design for my purposes when a loading gate on the receiver just makes more since.


Don't believe you need to plug a PCR only requirement is that it not be loaded with more than three rounds.


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## BassBlaster

Hmm, Ill have to dig into it. It only makes since that if a shotgun has to be plugged that a rifle would have to be plugged as well. I havnt hunted for the passed few years due to work and family constraints so I havnt entirely kept up with the law.


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## Drm50

Didn't they drop the plug for the honor system in shotguns & rifles?


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## FAB

Drm50 said:


> Didn't they drop the plug for the honor system in shotguns & rifles?


I'm pretty sure that's the case. The regulations no longer say anything about a plug in either one. But they do state that either gun my be loaded with no more than a total of 3 cartridges in magazine and chamber combined.


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## tm1669

Yep. No plug required. 
Definitely something to think about with that tube mag though. A drop from a treestand and you have a single shot.


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## Dovans

I had a Henry 357 few years ago and I decided to move it mostly because of the tube load. I didnt like having to pull out three foot tube to load it. (slight exaggeration) It seemed to be very accurate. Took a firm cocking on the lever though. otherwise the shells jammed. My wife has Henry 22 and it is the most accurate little 22 I have ever shot. As for customer service... They were "lets get the problem solved" and they went out of the way to make it happen.


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## MIGHTY

I have a Henry golden boy 22 and love it, but I don't hunt (except and occasional squirrel trip with a friend of mine). I'm not very knowledgeable about lever guns but they are my favorite type of rifle. I've shot Henry's, marlins, and older winchesters. Hopefully I don't sound like a jackass since I don't know the first thing about deer hunting but all of them to me, were exceptionally accurate firearms. I can understand the tubular mag issue for a hunter I guess but man, they are just so easy to shoot! The last one I shot was a newer marlin in 45-70 that my best friend just bought for deer hunting. Very comfortable, sturdy, and smooth firearm. I will say the sights on the Henry (golden boy at least) were my least favorite out of the 5 or 6 different lever guns I have experience with. Good luck with your purchase


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## BassBlaster

MIGHTY said:


> I have a Henry golden boy 22 and love it, but I don't hunt (except and occasional squirrel trip with a friend of mine). I'm not very knowledgeable about lever guns but they are my favorite type of rifle. I've shot Henry's, marlins, and older winchesters. Hopefully I don't sound like a jackass since I don't know the first thing about deer hunting but all of them to me, were exceptionally accurate firearms. I can understand the tubular mag issue for a hunter I guess but man, they are just so easy to shoot! The last one I shot was a newer marlin in 45-70 that my best friend just bought for deer hunting. Very comfortable, sturdy, and smooth firearm. I will say the sights on the Henry (golden boy at least) were my least favorite out of the 5 or 6 different lever guns I have experience with. Good luck with your purchase


I don't have anything against Henry as a whole. If not for the tube load design, I think it would probably be a no brainer for me. The gun gets amazing reviews everywhere with the exception of the tube mag. Suppose to be one of the smoothest, most accurate rifles out of the box.

That 45-70 was probably an 1895. Basically the same as the 1894 I'm considering.

Whatever I end up with will probably get an aperture sight put on it. I'm not a fan of scopes on lever guns and my eyesight isn't good enough for standard buck horn sights.

Thanks. I'm looking at a pre safety Marlin 1894 this morning. Hoping to get lucky!


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## BassBlaster

Well, I made my decision last night. Scored this beautiful JM stamped 1894!! I'm excited!!


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## JOE W

nice job getting that gun !!


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## Salamander

You will love that rifle!


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## fireline

Good choice


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## supercanoe

Nice rifle, I would love to have one of those. I really want a JM stamped 444 Marlin. Where did you find that, and how much?


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## BassBlaster

supercanoe said:


> Nice rifle, I would love to have one of those. I really want a JM stamped 444 Marlin. Where did you find that, and how much?


Thanks! Picked it up on GunBroker. I was bidding on several and I think the guy I was bidding against on this one fell asleep. It ended late Sun night. I expected it to sell for much more than I was willing to pay based on its condition but it went for $600. Based on everything I'm seeing on GB and what the guys over at Marlin Owners are telling me, I got a pretty good deal. Been seeing some in pretty rough condition selling for 575ish. Most of the really good shape JM stamps are selling for 675 and up. I searched every possible source I could find in central OH and came up empty everywhere so online was pretty much my only option.


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## BassBlaster

Just checked GB. There are 5 or 6 JM stamped 444 ranging from $599 to $2000.


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## MIGHTY

Awesome congrats on the purchase!


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## one3

tm1669 said:


> I have a Henry Steel Big Boy in 44 mag and love it. Action is very smooth right from the factory. Accuracy with several factory loads and handloads is damn near MOA out at 100 yards. Only problem Ive had is that the tubular magazine shook itself loose during an extensive range session. Easy loctite fix. The rifling is suited to lighter 180/240 stuff. It feeds heavy stuff fine but wont shoot 310 grain WFNGC for anything so if you want the heavier bullets the Henry might disappoint you.


I have a Henry Big boy with brass reciver in 44mag. with factory or hand loads the best i can do at 100yards putting rounds in a 4in. circle. What load are you using? I am using H110 powder and Hornady 240 gr xtp bullets. I am not real happy with the way mine shoots.


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## Popspastime

one3 said:


> I have a Henry Big boy with brass reciver in 44mag. with factory or hand loads the best i can do at 100yards putting rounds in a 4in. circle. What load are you using? I am using H110 powder and Hornady 240 gr xtp bullets. I am not real happy with the way mine shoots.


Keep playing with different loads for that 44 mag. It's hard to beat it at 100 yds once you get it dialed in. 4" with open sights is pretty darn good shooting at 100 yds. btw.


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## tm1669

one3 said:


> I have a Henry Big boy with brass reciver in 44mag. with factory or hand loads the best i can do at 100yards putting rounds in a 4in. circle. What load are you using? I am using H110 powder and Hornady 240 gr xtp bullets. I am not real happy with the way mine shoots.


21.5 grains of 2400 and 240 grain XTP's are shooting into an inch at 100 with my steel big boy.
Factory Rem 240 Grain JSP shoot real well for factory loads also. Not as well as the XTP's but good. 
It wont shoot anything over 240 grainers for beans though.


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## tm1669

tm1669 said:


> 21.5 grains of 2400 and 240 grain XTP's are shooting into an inch at 100 with my steel big boy.
> Factory Rem 240 Grain JSP shoot real well for factory loads also. Not as well as the XTP's but good.
> It wont shoot anything over 240 grainers for beans though.


Just saw the open sights comment.. If your using irons thats pretty darn good good.
I have a 2-7 Nikon on mine.


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## BIGDADDYDB

I purchased a Henry .45/70 last summer. I put a Leupold VX-1 2-7 on it, boresighted it at 50 yards, and after about 20 total rounds, was shooting inside a 3 in circle resting on my elbows. FYI, on my rifle you do not have to take the tube all the way out to reload it. Mine is it's own separate model (curved lever) and may be different on the Big Boy. I hunt my own small wooded property and my max shot would be about 75 yards, so I have every confidence with that setup that when I eventually get to take a shot at a deer, I will probably not be needing to reload. I also have a couple JM Marlin 336's (.30-.30 and .35 rem) and do like the gate loading better but definitely not a deal breaker on a beautiful rifle.


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