New for 2009 - The Henry Big Boy 44 Magnum!

Back in 1973 I served in the Navy Seabees (Construction Battalion) and spent a year on a small island in the Bering Sea halfway between the USSR and Alaska in the Aleutian Island chain. For recreation my buddy and I moved into a WWII water tower that some guys before us had turned into a rather nice hunting cabin. We staked our claim to the structure and spent a lot of our free time hunting ptarmigan and plinking with our rifles with the water tower serving as our home away from home (the barracks). Over that year I had a blast shooting a 1973 Winchester Model 94 lever action 44 magnum that I bought at the island's Navy Exchange. Adak was the kind of place where you could go almost anywhere off the main military base and shoot in any direction with basically no chance of hitting anything of value. If you're interested in some old Navy stories you can visit my Adak blog at http://navstaadak.blogspot.com. Due to complications flying firearms all the way from Adak back to the states, I decided to sell the gun prior to leaving with the intention of buying another when I returned to the states. I did pick up another firearm at that time, but instead of buying a 44 magnum I bought a Colt AR-15 to sharpen my M-16 skills.

It's been 34 years since I had possession of that 44 magnum, and for the life of me I couldn't remember who I sold it to. This week I was contacted by the owner; my old Navy buddy Mikel Cliff Garman. I didn't know if he was alive or dead, and was very happy to discover that he's alive and well, and still owns that rifle along with my 12 gauge Browning A-5 Light that I sold him before being shipped back to the states. He said the blueing has worn off the 44 magnum completely and he revarnished the forearm and stock about 15 years ago. He also mounted a silver dollar in the stock that his dad gave him and said that the slick is drilled to hold 7 bullets. He's going to send pictures and I can't wait to see it again and how he's modified it! What a blast from the past.

Time passed, kids were born and there always seemed to be more bills than cash, so I putting off getting that 44 magnum... until today. I've decided to get back into shooting a 44 magnum by buying a Henry Big Boy, which is a beautiful rifle. I plan to get in to reloading 44 magnum cartridges, and post my experiences and findings in this online journal.

One of the reasons I began considering the purchase of a Henry 44 is because with the Obama administration in control, we can expect a swift passing of the 'Assault Weapons Ban'. That bill will be much more far reaching than the ban instituted during the Clinton era. I expect it will now include SKS's (which I have a fondness for) as well as carbines in general. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if 10/22's are in time taken off the market. Microstamping is also a likely possibility, which will cause ammo prices to skyrocket. Say, "Hello" handloading! That's not really an option for the 17HMR's I own, but it would be a perfect low-cost alternative for a 44 magnum. When AR's begin to disappear from gunshops, everyone will be searching for an option and a lever gun is a great alternative. Logic tells me that those will be the last guns Obama will go after, and should it get down to that, the administrationn is well aware that all hell will break loose.

It's my objective to show you what a lever action has to offer, and considering that I've never reloaded, you can start from scratch with me as we work our way through the process of loading my own cartidges and testing them at the range. I'll also be working on lining up a coyote hunt with it on private land which boarders the state WMA. Until this Henry arrives, I'm like the kid waiting for his Red Rider BB gun on Christmas Eve.

A FINAL THOUGHT
As I was deciding which Big Boy to purchase, so things came to mind that you might want to consider. This Henry model comes in 3 calibers: 44 magnum, 357 magnum and 45 colt. I was considering the 357 magnum, but I decided against it because I shoot a 38 Special revolver. Why? Because 38 Special and 347 Magnum cartridges are almost identical in appearance. You can shoot 38 Special out of a 357 Magnum but you'd better not accidentally shoot 357 Magnum out of a 38 Special or you'll be in big trouble. In my opinion this would be an accident waiting to happen, so that sealed my decision to get the 44 Magnum. One nice thing to also consider is that the 357 Magnum can shoot 38 Special cartridges, so your handgun and rifle can share the same ammo.

SPECIFICATIONS:
Big Boy .44 Magnum
Model: H006
Action Type: Lever
Caliber: .44 Mag /.44 Special (Cartridge info)
Capacity: 10 rounds
Barrel Length: 20'' octagonal with 1:38rh rate of twist
Length: 38 1/2'' Overall
Weight: 8.68 lbs.
Stock: Straight-grip American walnut
Sights: Adjustable Marble semi-buckhorn rear with white diamond insert and brass beaded front sight
Finish: Solid top brass receiver, brass buttplate and brass barrel band

Henry Repeating Arms Company
59 East 1st Street, Bayonne, NJ 07002
Phone: 201-858-4400 | Fax: 201-858-4435 | Email