Henry Big Boy Rifle Use?

[Nimble Fingers SASS# 25439]

2 hours ago, Phantom, SASS #54973 said:

And...the "Fun" comments...

 

If I can't compete, I won't have fun. If I won't have fun, I won't compete.

 

Phantom

 

Yes Phantom you compete and have fun doing it. I am sure that your rifle is short stroked, your shotgun honed to perfection and your pistols have all had action jobs done to them. 

I don’t have any of that and do not fault you becuz you do. But I have fun walking around my range heeled. I have fun dressing up like John Wayne in his style with his guns, yes I shoot a large loop(OMG) and the only way I win my category is if I am the only one in it!  I don’t practice, and I don’t care how badly I shoot. But by God I have a smile on my face when others are complaining about the targets too close or someone else using underpowered 38s. 

Thats my point!  I shoot what I want how I want to be dressed and don’t give a dang about my score!  And I leave kind of sad though at the end because I have to go home and can’t “play” anymore. But there is always next month or another club a different weekend day during the month. 

Let the man shoot what he wants!

 

[Billy Boots, # 20282 LTG-Regulator]

2 hours ago, La Vista Bill said:

Hey all you cowpokes that responded to my query; I appreciate the information. It is sort of what I expected as I've been in this game a while, but I still wanted to get some other view points.

 

See you on down the trail!

 

LaVista Bill SASS#11869

GUNS OF THE OLD WEST Magazine

Bill, When did you move to Indiana?

bb

[Phantom, SASS #54973]

57 minutes ago, Nimble Fingers SASS# 25439 said:

 

Yes Phantom you compete and have fun doing it. I am sure that your rifle is short stroked, your shotgun honed to perfection and your pistols have all had action jobs done to them. 

I don’t have any of that and do not fault you becuz you do. But I have fun walking around my range heeled. I have fun dressing up like John Wayne in his style with his guns, yes I shoot a large loop(OMG) and the only way I win my category is if I am the only one in it!  I don’t practice, and I don’t care how badly I shoot. But by God I have a smile on my face when others are complaining about the targets too close or someone else using underpowered 38s. 

Thats my point!  I shoot what I want how I want to be dressed and don’t give a dang about my score!  And I leave kind of sad though at the end because I have to go home and can’t “play” anymore. But there is always next month or another club a different weekend day during the month. 

Let the man shoot what he wants!

 

I understand your position...and I understand why you shoot.

 

To bad you don't understand my position...

 

Have a great day!!!

 

Phantom

[Nimble Fingers SASS# 25439]

Phantom I understand you completely you compete and have fun doing it. Don’t begrudge the cowpoke his choice of a Big Boy was all I was trying to get across. I agree with you on it being a bad choice if the man wants to compete!  He should then shoot a Marlin in .38, as well as a couple of SAAs also in .38 and a sxs in 12 gauge at least that seemed to be the best competitive package for a long time!  But if he is not into competing and just shooting for sh_ts & grins, then he can go wit whatever he wants, yes? We on the same page?  Hope so. 

[La Vista Bill]

34 minutes ago, Billy Boots, # 20282 LTG-Regulator said:

Bill, When did you move to Indiana?

bb

Hey Billy...I've been in Hoosier-Land for quite some time. Looks like I'll be here for the long haul. I'm retired and just doing my gun writing thing now. I was back at the Holiday this year after a two-year absence, missed seeing you and lots of the "Old Timers". I did stop in Augusta, Kansas and visited Charlie Hanna on the way out. He's doing just fine. Hope all is well with you?   

[Billy Boots, # 20282 LTG-Regulator]

1 minute ago, La Vista Bill said:

Hey Billy...I've been in Hoosier-Land for quite some time. Looks like I'll be here for the long haul. I'm retired and just doing my gun writing thing now. I was back at the Holiday this year after a two-year absence, missed seeing you and lots of the "Old Timers". I did stop in Augusta, Kansas and visited Charlie Hanna on the way out. He's doing just fine. Hope all is well with you?   

Have not been back to Holiday since 2007 when they had Joyce's (Miss Ann) memorial.  Miss it but EOT is just before it so set that as my priority while I am able.

Thought there was another LaVista Bill until I noticed you signature.

Sent you a PM.

[Roscoe Regulator]

23 hours ago, Yul Lose said:

Your last sentence says “ financing by SASS HQ”. Even with a so called organizational credit card I doubt the credit cart company or bank would want to be involved with the financing of firearms in the political climate that we are in nowadays. The paperwork involved in something like this would be enormous, IMHO.

 

Some folks would really pitch a fit if SASS outlawed their main match HRA’s. Maybe that’s what they want to shoot and all they want to do is have fun and they do that with their HRA rifles. 

That's a lot of negativity, when considering constructive ideas depends on how badly you might want new shooters. That said, I think it is true that NRA lost their credit card offer due to anti-gun propaganda.

[Three Foot Johnson]

21 hours ago, Abilene Slim SASS 81783 said:

Newbies buy them because this is an expensive game to enter and the price is attractive.

The Big Boy isn't a cheap rifle anymore. A quick look at gunbroker and the cheapest new Big Boy I could find was $610.39, Buy It Now, and free shipping, but I only went through half a dozen pages, not ALL of them.

 

New Rossi .45 20" round barrel carbines are available from gunbroker seller, PrecisionArmory1 for 399.00, Buy It Now + $45 shipping.

CDNN has factory new Marlin "blems" for $505.00. Their descriptions says they can't find any blems, and the rifles are unfired, but some are missing the offset hammer extension and the box flaps are stamped "USED".

Buds has new Marlin .45's @ $582.00, shipped, while the Henry Big Boy is $671.00, shipped.

 

[Phantom, SASS #54973]

5 hours ago, Nimble Fingers SASS# 25439 said:

Phantom I understand you completely you compete and have fun doing it. Don’t begrudge the cowpoke his choice of a Big Boy was all I was trying to get across. I agree with you on it being a bad choice if the man wants to compete!  He should then shoot a Marlin in .38, as well as a couple of SAAs also in .38 and a sxs in 12 gauge at least that seemed to be the best competitive package for a long time!  But if he is not into competing and just shooting for sh_ts & grins, then he can go wit whatever he wants, yes? We on the same page?  Hope so. 

Tell ya what, show me where I begrudge anyone for shooting a Henry.

 

Thanks!

 

Phantom

[Rooster Ron Wayne]

I think most people repeat what they read or heard .

But few Opnions are from experience it's self .

 

No I don't use a HRA Big Boy as my regular Cowboy rifle .

But I always wanted one .

So I bought one .

Took it to a match to see for myself , So I could speak from experience. 

 

Brand new rifle in 44 straight out of the box unfired and shot a clean match with it !

I know several shooters who are 25+ second shooters who shoot the Henry just fine .

 

I'm No speed demond .

But I avrage a 35 second stage .

Never got into the game for speed.

I live a fast passed life daily and shoot Cowboy for relaxation. 

 No it's Not your best choise at all.

But yes it will work knowing it's limitations. 

Rooster 

 

[Yul Lose]

2 hours ago, Roscoe Regulator said:

That's a lot of negativity, when considering constructive ideas dependsd on how badly you might want new shooters. That said, I think it is true that NRA lost their credit card offer due to anti-gun propaganda.

What are you talking about? Negativity, how? Banning the HRA because it’s a cheap way to get into CAS would be negativity. Get a grip Roscoe.

[Major Art Tillery]

Got one? shoot it!  Have fun enjoy the game.  If not look for something different if you choose to do so.  It really all depends on YOU and what YOU want to get out this great sport.  In short do what evee floats your boat and makes you happy. 

 

Henry Rifle Company is a great company and they will treat ya right when you have an issue with any of their products.  They have been very supportive with my local club with donations and such.

[watab kid]

ive shot a replica henry 1860 , it was fun but not fast and i only use it occasionally these days , ive shot my 1866 henry/winchester replica more often and enjoy it a lot , but i dont think these are what you are speaking of and i have not got a modern henry big bore in my rack 

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

6 hours ago, Nimble Fingers SASS# 25439 said:

But if he is not into competing and just shooting for sh_ts & grins, then he can go wit whatever he wants, yes? We on the same page?  Hope so. 

Why are these concepts mutually exclusive?

[Nimble Fingers SASS# 25439]

Because everyone says the Big Boy is not a “fast” rifle. One or two of the earlier posts mentioned that the B.B. user got fast but for the most part the shooter will be slower. 

[Roscoe Regulator]

12 hours ago, J Bar Binks, #47015 said:

The Big Boy isn't a cheap rifle anymore. A quick look at gunbroker and the cheapest new Big Boy I could find was $610.39, Buy It Now, and free shipping, but I only went through half a dozen pages, not ALL of them.

 

New Rossi .45 20" round barrel carbines are available from gunbroker seller, PrecisionArmory1 for 399.00, Buy It Now + $45 shipping.

CDNN has factory new Marlin "blems" for $505.00. Their descriptions says they can't find any blems, and the rifles are unfired, but some are missing the offset hammer extension and the box flaps are stamped "USED".

Buds has new Marlin .45's @ $582.00, shipped, while the Henry Big Boy is $671.00, shipped.

 

But the new Marlins aren't endorsed either. The newer Rossis with safeties get disrespected. I hesitate when we suggest a rifle we wouldn't want to shoot personally.

[Phantom, SASS #54973]

4 hours ago, Nimble Fingers SASS# 25439 said:

Because everyone says the Big Boy is not a “fast” rifle. One or two of the earlier posts mentioned that the B.B. user got fast but for the most part the shooter will be slower. 

I'm still waiting for you to show me where I begrudged people for using the Henry...

[Cypress Sam, SASS #10915]

Anyone remember back in the late 20th Century, before the days of “short stroke” kits or cut and weld jobs?  Back then ‘92’s and Marlins were state of the art and the preferred rifles for CAS.  The ‘73’s were the clunkers because the stroke was so long.  It took several years for someone to come up with a workable short stroke kit for toggle link rifles and even now no one markets a SS kit for Marlins (Even though they can be short stroked.)

 

I suspect that eventually someone will come up with a way to SS a Henry BB as well.  But, that’s not what La Vista Bill asked.  He wanted to know how many or what percentage of shooters were actually using Big Boys.  I would put the average percentage at about 5% around here in Central Florida.  I have met maybe 15 people using Big Boys over the past couple of years.

 

One of these days one of the “Cowboy Gunsmiths” is going to figure out how to “race tune” the B.B. and discover a gold mine!

[LostVaquero]

23 minutes ago, Cypress Sam, SASS #10915 said:

Anyone remember back in the late 20th Century, before the days of “short stroke” kits or cut and weld jobs?  Back then ‘92’s and Marlins were state of the art and the preferred rifles for CAS.  The ‘73’s were the clunkers because the stroke was so long.  It took several years for someone to come up with a workable short stroke kit for toggle link rifles and even now no one markets a SS kit for Marlins (Even though they can be short stroked.)

 

I suspect that eventually someone will come up with a way to SS a Henry BB as well.  But, that’s not what La Vista Bill asked.  He wanted to know how many or what percentage of shooters were actually using Big Boys.  I would put the average percentage at about 5% around here in Central Florida.  I have met maybe 15 people using Big Boys over the past couple of years.

 

One of these days one of the “Cowboy Gunsmiths” is going to figure out how to “race tune” the B.B. and discover a gold mine!

I hope so. 

[Shooting Bull]

21 minutes ago, Cypress Sam, SASS #10915 said:

One of these days one of the “Cowboy Gunsmiths” is going to figure out how to “race tune” the B.B. and discover a gold mine!

 

I'd bet money against that.  The 66s and 73s can be short stroked by changing the geometry of the links.  Basically you're moving the fulcrum of a lever.  You lose mechanical advantage but you gain a shorter stroke.  Can't do that with the Big Boy because the lever is "attached" to the bolt directly.  There's no geometry to change.  As with the Marlins you can add a pin to the frame which reduces or eliminates any over travel of the lever, but you're not lessening the distance the lever has to move to completely cycle the action.

[Three Foot Johnson]

1 hour ago, Roscoe Regulator said:

But the new Marlins aren't endorsed either. The newer Rossis with safeties get disrespected. I hesitate when we suggest a rifle we wouldn't want to shoot personally.

The new Marlins aren't legal? I did not know that.

[Nimble Fingers SASS# 25439]

54 minutes ago, Phantom, SASS #54973 said:

I'm still waiting for you to show me where I begrudged people for using the Henry...

Sorry I guess I can’t, though I am turning 63 tomorrow and thought I had a pretty grasp of writing in English, I haven’t been able to convince you. What my interpretation of what you said was that the rifle is not competitive don’t use it. My mistake. So if I offended my apologies, if I am still not clear, again my apologies. I like telling people to go ahead and use what equipment gives them satisfaction and they don’t have to worry about being competitive. I hope I am back in your good graces and you accept my apologies, if not then make any comment/reply you want and know that I  done on my side giving you the last word. Fair enough?

[Phantom, SASS #54973]

14 minutes ago, Nimble Fingers SASS# 25439 said:

Sorry I guess I can’t, though I am turning 63 tomorrow and thought I had a pretty grasp of writing in English, I haven’t been able to convince you. What my interpretation of what you said was that the rifle is not competitive don’t use it. My mistake. So if I offended my apologies, if I am still not clear, again my apologies. I like telling people to go ahead and use what equipment gives them satisfaction and they don’t have to worry about being competitive. I hope I am back in your good graces and you accept my apologies, if not then make any comment/reply you want and know that I  done on my side giving you the last word. Fair enough?

I've never understood how folks can turn blame around.

 

You apologize for me being offended...I don't need that. What I asked was clear: Show me where I begrudged someone for using the Henry.

 

If you can, then I'll will apologize to those folks as it was never my intention to begrudge anyone for playing this game with what they have/can.

 

If you can't, then retract your accusation!

 

It's really quite simple.

 

Phantom

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

Pop Corn!!!  Peanuts!!!  Cracker Jacks!!  Cold Beer here!!!  

[Roscoe Regulator]

1 hour ago, J Bar Binks, #47015 said:

The new Marlins aren't legal? I did not know that.

I didn't say that. What I meant was that people typically counsel against Remlins or complain about them, disrespect them etc.

[Roscoe Regulator]

14 hours ago, Yul Lose said:

What are you talking about? Negativity, how? Banning the HRA because it’s a cheap way to get into CAS would be negativity. Get a grip Roscoe.

A disrespectful response.

[Phantom, SASS #54973]

11 minutes ago, Colorado Coffinmaker said:

Pop Corn!!!  Peanuts!!!  Cracker Jacks!!  Cold Beer here!!!  

Isn't it kinda sad though?

 

We talk about the "Cowboy Way" all the time...yet we seem to throw out un-supported accusations all the time.

 

If we make a mistake, man up to it and move on.

 

Phantom

[Goody, SASS #26190]

2 hours ago, Cypress Sam, SASS #10915 said:

Anyone remember back in the late 20th Century, before the days of “short stroke” kits or cut and weld jobs?  Back then ‘92’s and Marlins were state of the art and the preferred rifles for CAS.  The ‘73’s were the clunkers because the stroke was so long.  It took several years for someone to come up with a workable short stroke kit for toggle link rifles and even now no one markets a SS kit for Marlins (Even though they can be short stroked.)

 

I suspect that eventually someone will come up with a way to SS a Henry BB as well.  But, that’s not what La Vista Bill asked.  He wanted to know how many or what percentage of shooters were actually using Big Boys.  I would put the average percentage at about 5% around here in Central Florida.  I have met maybe 15 people using Big Boys over the past couple of years.

 

One of these days one of the “Cowboy Gunsmiths” is going to figure out how to “race tune” the B.B. and discover a gold mine!

 

I picked up my first 73 in 1999. Pawn shop had a 24 inch in 44wcf marked as a Winchester 94 on the tag. Wanted $375 for it. Well, new Uberti 73's were going for about $475 then so I figured it might be worth it. I can tell you there were not too many others being used around North Texas at the time, mostly 92's and Marlins. Then about 2003 (?) Shadrach and Black Barth came back from EOT extolling the virtues of the 73 as tuned by Lone Dude and Cody. And the race was on! Anyway, off topic from the original post, and I probably am misremembering details and will be berated severely for it.

[Badlands Bob #61228]

I fully support my competition shooting the Big Boy.  It's a beautiful rifle in "your" gun cart.

 

I shot my first year with a Winchester 94 in .357.  Joe West did an action job on it for me and it worked a lot better as long as you don't go too fast.  I still have that Winchester 94.  Love the gun.  I just don't shoot it in matches any more.

[dannyd]

When I first started I used one (HBB).   Still have it traded the 73. 

[Yul Lose]

3 hours ago, Roscoe Regulator said:

A disrespectful response.

Waah, waah, waah!!!!!

[Deadwood Charlie]

As a newbie, i took my brand new 44-40 Henry TOH to help on match set up.  I was quickly informed it would not be allowed to be used in the SASS matches.  They said there's been a couple accidents with the mag spring getting caught on something, snapping back and setting off chain reaction of loaded rounds and blowing up the magazines.  

 

Ive put a couple hundred rounds thru it and can't fathom how neglectful you have to be to swing the barrel close enough to something to snag the mag spring.  So i now wait for my '73 parts to arrive.

[Johnny Longpants]

The small club I shoot with has two Big Boy users which puts them at about 10%. 

 

I also own one and as many have pointed out I got it because it was cheap and I didn't "know" better at the time.   It is in 45 Colt and I just won a Wild Bunch match with it at the Great Nor'Easter so I can run in pretty quickly.   I also won my Mid East Regional black powder category with it a couple years ago.  Compared to my 73 it just isn't fast enough but it is reliable and great for lever action Pistol caliber long range side matches.  

 

The other guy that uses his at our local club is just kinda stubborn.  He knows it is slower but it is the one he owns and will damn well shoot it!  Just like his stock Rugers with their stiff as hell springs.

[Warden Callaway]

7 hours ago, Deadwood Charlie said:

As a newbie, i took my brand new 44-40 Henry TOH to help on match set up.  I was quickly informed it would not be allowed to be used in the SASS matches.  They said there's been a couple accidents with the mag spring getting caught on something, snapping back and setting off chain reaction of loaded rounds and blowing up the magazines.  

 

Ive put a couple hundred rounds thru it and can't fathom how neglectful you have to be to swing the barrel close enough to something to snag the mag spring.  So i now wait for my '73 parts to arrive.

 

I have heard of that has happened but I think with proper loading methods,  it would be highly unlikely.   Also,  the 44WCF primer depth is such that the primers are a couple thousands below the base when fully seated. At least they are with my Starline brass. Flat pointed bullets won't be touching a primer. 

 

 

[Deadwood Charlie]

2 hours ago, Warden Callaway said:

 

I have heard of that has happened but I think with proper loading methods,  it would be highly unlikely.   Also,  the 44WCF primer depth is such that the primers are a couple thousands below the base when fully seated. At least they are with my Starline brass. Flat pointed bullets won't be touching a primer. 

 

 

Nice ta hear from ya Warden.  One of the pards also setting up  witnessed first hand at least one of them.  He said the guy snagged it several times at a match before it went off.  So because of a couple guys' negligence and the lawyers not wanting the risk, they've banned their use and having me buy another rifle.  (Ok, not sad about the last point.)