[Dr Barrie]

Being slightly disabled l cannot handle the weight of a ‘normal’ type of rifle hence my neighbour suggests more of a short, carbine type would be more beneficial to me.

As my desire is to own a lever action .22 calibre rifle for Target Shooting only my list of rifles is divided between two makes.

One is the Marlin model 39, and the other one is the Henry Golden Boy.

My questions to the Forum are:
What are the good points or bad points of either of these two rifles…………….and
What kind of price would a good example of a pre-owned one be.

Your thoughts, advice and comments would be very much appreciated

Barrie (Dr)

[email protected]

 

[oscarflytyer]

Doc

If you shoot from a bench and sandbag the rifle, shouldn't matter - get what you like the best.

If you are shooting from a wheelchair (not assuming anything, just unclear on your limits/disability) I would look at getting a rifle rest that would connect to the chair and support the rifle forearm.

If all things are equal, I would go with the Marlin 39. henry looks great, but all I read is the 39 has killer accuracy. I have neither, but now that I have the Marlinitis bug, may try to pick up a 39!

And FWIW - I have shot skeet with a cpl older gentlemen that shoot from a wheelchair - and the bastiges outshot me! They were very good!

 

[336SS]

Being slightly disabled l cannot handle the weight of a ‘normal’ type of rifle hence my neighbour suggests more of a short, carbine type would be more beneficial to me.

As my desire is to own a lever action .22 calibre rifle for Target Shooting only my list of rifles is divided between two makes.

One is the Marlin model 39, and the other one is the Henry Golden Boy.

My questions to the Forum are:
What are the good points or bad points of either of these two rifles…………….and
What kind of price would a good example of a pre-owned one be.

Your thoughts, advice and comments would be very much appreciated

Barrie (Dr)

[email protected]

Hey Barrie,

I have a 2010 Marlin 39A and a 2009 Henry H001T Frontier. I like both gun's,, but they are different in their own rights.

The Marlin is made good and Strong with Steel,, has Sling Swivels,, and is drilled and tapped on the Receiver for a Scope or Peeps. It's about 2 inch's longer than the Henry Frontier and a little bit heavier,, but not much.

Although the Golden Boy is Pretty,, it is not Solid Brass,, but Brass Plate. I would suggest that you hold and shoulder both the Frontier H001T,, and The Golden Boy,, as The ButtStock Angle on The Golden Boy is Lower and many don't like that.

I haven't had any problem's with Feeding, Fireing, or Ejecting with my Frontier,, but the Marlin is a little bit more Finicky in That Department. The Henry uses Zamac on the Receiver Cover,, and I'm not sure what the Metal is for the Receiver ~ Henery said that it is Steel,, but some don't think that it is,, I just don't know. The Henry doesn't come with Sling Swivel's,, or a Good Stout Way to Mount them and I consider that a Handicap for the Henry.

I like the Henry for it's Smooth Operation,, Octagon Barrel,, a little bit Shorter and Liter,, but I also like the Marlin 39A,, being able to use the Sling to assist shooting and being able to use the Sling to carry the Rifle.

Also be aware that mounting a Scope or Peeps on the Receiver on The Golden Boy requires removeing the Rear Site,, whereas on The Frontier,, a Scope or Peeps can be mounted on the Grooved Receiver.

In all honesty,, I would have paid more for the Golden Boy,, if I thought that it was better. But IMO,, The Henry Frontier is a Better Gun.

I can't say whether my 39A or The my Henry H001T is better. The Marlin is made better,, but The Henry Functions perfectly, So,, My Advice is to just get both, ~ Keep The One that You Like or do what I did,, keep both of them,

Joe

 

[bigjeepman]

Welcome to MO's forums Dr. I hope you enjoy this fine site as much as I have over these past years.

Your question wants opinions on the Model 39 and the Henry Golden Boy. I own a 39 and have only held the Golden Boy several times in gun shops. The 39's are just really special rifles as they shoot very well and handle nicely. The Golden Boy does not appeal to me as it just didn't feel as good as my 39 nor do I like the brass (?) plated receiver. I am sure many like them but I am just not one of them. So to answer your original question, I would definately choose the Marlin 39 over the Golden Boy.

On a side note, I do like the other Henry .22's but I still do not own one. I bought my son the Big Loop model and he loves it. I prefer the Frontier model Henry and will eventually buy one. Have fun with your search for a good .22 lever action as it doesn't get much better in the "fun" department.

bjm

 

[stubbfarmer]

I do not have any Henrys and the ones I have held did not fit and aim well for me. I love my 39A’s. I would suggest you look for a 39TDS with the 16-inch barrel if weight is a problem. They are expensive but come up on Gunbroker fairly often. Good luck in your search!

 

[rhendrix]

I don't know what your handicap is but if you need a shorter, lighter weight .22 and you want a lever action then the little Browning BL22 is fine little .22. Check this site out. It scores all the lever guns and lets you take a look at each one of them. Good luck on the one you choose and Happy Shooting.

http://www.ssaa.org.au/officialreviews/official-reviews-22-lever-action.html

 

[Eli Chaps]

Does it have to be a lever gun? Marlin made a number of bolt and semi-auto models that are extremely accurate.

My little 795 is amazingly accurate and weighs less than 5lbs.

 

[bob kk]

Marlin 39D is shorter and lighter than the 39A. Don't know much about Henry's except if it breaks or has trouble they will stand behind it. Ruger 10-22's are light but you will spend more money on one to get it to shoot like a Marlin.

 

[wrench man]

I have a 39A, Golden Boy, H001 Henry and a Winchester 9422, I like the 9422 best, the 39A is right behind it and the two Henry's are alot farther down the list, the Winchester and Marlin are blued steel, the Henry's are both some kind of alloy, yes the Golden Boy is just plating, it is a purdy riffle but it just doesn't seem to have it?, I don't care for the feel of the stock, the sights SUCK and mine is an older one with the plastic barrel band, the H001 has a new receiver cover on it now, the paint, yes PAINT! was flaking off, and when I emailed Henry about it I also complained about the crappy plastic sights, when I received the new receiver cover there was a new metal front sight and barrel band in the box Henry does indeed have EXCELLENT! customer service and they do stand behind their product!
The Winchester is lighter than the Marlin, you might want to look around for one of them, or as suggested a 39M.

 

[Catherine]

Hello and welcome to the forum! Nice to meet you.

I have some physical issues to deal with when it comes to my arthritic hands and an old accident injury that flares up on and off.

I do not have any problems shooting my Marlin Golden 39A and I shoot it more than any of my other firearms. It is a bit heavier than some other rifles though but how much more, I do not know, because I don't have the weight statistics in front of me. I shoot ALL of my guns standing up and I can't stand to shoot sitting down, prone and/or 'bench rest'! I can shoot sitting on the ground IF need be but I do not like it that much. I shoot the BEST standing up and without leaning against anything and that goes for rifles and handguns. This was with all kinds of calibers, including 22LR, before my hands got worse in recent years, my old injury flare ups, etc. I shoot with regular gun sights and do not use scopes too. I have worn glasses since I was 5 years old and now with my bifocals... I just shoot better with MY kind of shooting, self defense and plinking, with 'iron sights' - no scopes. I do Not hunt and I can understand if anyone else does hunt that they MAY need scopes to help them out with or without wearing eyeglasses.

I did previously own and liked several other 22LR and centerfire rifles and handguns. The 22LR rifles were a Browning BL22, a Winchester 94-22 and a Marlin Papoose besides the 2 Marlin Golden 39A rifles.

I gave my second NIB '39' to my husband. He is shooting it quite often now and loves that rifle!

I have a Stevens Favorite single shot 22LR rifle made by Savage too. That is a sweet, straight shooting rifle too! I really LIKE single shot rifles and old fashioned styles... I have been looking at them more too. I am considering a couple of them.

The Browning BL22 is a sweet shooting rifle and a bit lighter than the Marlin Golden 39A. The Winchester 94-22 is a sweet shooting rifle but they do not make it anymore unless they recently brought it back into production. That felt lighter too. The Marlin Papoose is NOT a lever action rifle but a sweet, straight shooting, VERY light weight, 'take down' rifle and it comes with it's own rifle case. I shot that, my late husband shot it and so did MM but even though it was a COOL rifle... I tend to like lever action and single shot rifles more.

I am considering buying a Henry rifle too. MM wants to get one for us to shoot but I still have Not made up my mind plus I am in the middle of building a new house at this time. The top three Henry 22LR rifles that I am thinking about are LISTED in another thread in another section of this forum. Take a look there. "All NON Marlin Leverguns" section - the thread was moved to that section even though they were rimfires. We discuss quite a few rimfire rifles HERE too. I debated about where to put it before I posted about it here but it was moved. No problem. I did not mean to cause a problem for anyone here by putting it here in this section from the gitgo.

http://www.marlinowners.com/forums/index.php/board,190.0.html

http://www.marlinowners.com/forums/index.php/topic,86667.0.html

I shot a HENRY Golden Boy at a shooting event and it was a sweet shooting rifle. I loved how it shot! SMOOTH and accurate just like my Marlins and my other rifles! That Henry's action was really SMOOTH. This was several years ago and I have not had a chance to shoot any other Henry since that time frame. (Our shooting events have not been held every single year due to everyone's CRAZY schedule plus due to some other personal reasons.) That Golden Boy was heavier than the other Henry rifles that I held and tried out in the store recently. I have not owned a Henry and only shot that one Golden Boy at the one event. I would consider BUYING one and so would MM.

Some other hints for you that may be something for you to consider. I shoot FEDERAL bulk pack ammunition the most and so does MM out of ALL of my 22LR rifles and handguns. Super Walmart out here has the best price for us. I shoot American Eagle made by Federal too. I get that at another LOCAL sporting goods store and it is not too bad of a price but a bit more expensive than BULK Federal at Walmart. Ammunition is more expensive than years ago as anything else in this country. It is not as high as it was during the last buying spree but it is still something to CONSIDER when you get into shooting any caliber of gun. Buying ammo or reloading. With 22LR ammunition - you buy it so I look out for prices, call around and I always, always stock UP. I do NOT have any problems with this Federal ammunition and I have used it since the late 90's and on more than other name brands. I used to shoot several hundreds of rounds per week using 22LR and various centerfire firearms. Now, I shoot up to a hundred, sometimes MORE - sometimes less, of 22LR ammunition. There was only one kind of bulk ammunition that I TRIED years ago and I will NEVER buy again since it was 'dirty' ammunition. The name escapes me but I think (?) it was Winchester 'Xpert' not expert in a BULK BOX of 22LR. MM did NOT like it at all either! This was YEARS ago and I only bought it one time while I tried other name brands of ammunition especially in 22LR. So you can shoot a lot and get more bang for your buck with Federal and American Eagle ammunition in MY experience with ALL kinds of my previously owned and presently owned 22LR firearms. That goes for my late husband's firearms and MM's too. Although MM does try various kinds of other ammunition on and off too. HIS Marlin Golden 39A did not like one kind of 'special' 22LR ammunition that he used in other firearms but the name escapes me now.

Best wishes to you no matter what you decide to buy and shoot. I hope that you have many fun and safe shooting days with a SWEET 22LR firearm. I do not know if you shoot standing up or sitting but I have seen some people shoot extremely well 'bench rest' and out of a wheel chair with all kinds of firearms. I do not know what your physical issues are so no offense to you.

I adore shooting my 22LR firearms and use them the most especially my Marlin Golden 39A!

Take care!

Catherine
Western Montana

 

[Maudite]

Welcome to the forum Dr. Here you will find a lot of good folks who always want to be helpful- and are always open to learning from each other.

I want to echo what Catherine said about the BL-22 by Browning. I have one and it is considerably lighter than my Marlin 39A Golden. It is shorter and more compact as well. Its a good shooter. The best difference between the 2- I think, is that the stroke of the action of the Browning is about 1/3 of the Marlin's. It is a quicker action- much easier to manipulate.

If you're hooked on getting a lever 22- and size and weight are factors- you should check one out. There are usually a bunch of used ones out there.

Good luck- enjoy the shopping!

M

 

[swany]

Either way they are made in the USA, high pts in my opine.

If you can find a Mountie that would be a good one for you. If you can't but can find a 39A it don't cost much to have them shortened.

Hope my handicap story brightens your day, I have gout and when a flare up comes along with the regular aches and pains of a 65 year old with an idiot past.

I finally decided to go for the handicapped privy for my car, the very first time I went to park in a spot, all I could do is laugh, once parked.

I was remembering a Simpsons episode when Homer could not find a parking spot and he said, "How come all the cripples get the best parking spots." It did make my day. In retrospect when I got it I thought on my good days I'll park out and let others use them, then I figured okay ya dip stick what your doing is taking a spot someone needs and all them blue lined spots up front are empty and they can't use them. Sometimes you have to be there to see the light.

But then I laugh every morning at the breakfast cereal waltz on the way to the morning ritual at the "Great Porcelain Throne" "Snap Crackle and Pop" ;D

Hope your final answer is a bargain on a Marlin.

 

[Catherine]

Welcome to the forum Dr. Here you will find a lot of good folks who always want to be helpful- and are always open to learning from each other.

I want to echo what Catherine said about the BL-22 by Browning. I have one and it is considerably lighter than my Marlin 39A Golden. It is shorter and more compact as well. Its a good shooter. The best difference between the 2- I think, is that the stroke of the action of the Browning is about 1/3 of the Marlin's. It is a quicker action- much easier to manipulate.

If you're hooked on getting a lever 22- and size and weight are factors- you should check one out. There are usually a bunch of used ones out there.

Good luck- enjoy the shopping!

M

^^^

Thank you!

To the original poster:

What he said and the Browning BL 22 is a quality made, pretty and straight shooting rifle. It lighter and it has a shorter 'throw' in the action. If I wanted to get another BL22 - I would not hesitate because they are VERY well made. It has more of a higher gloss finish than some other rifles that I have owned. My former one had a bit better grade of walnut, it had a gold trigger and the receiver was blue with some scrolling on it. It was bought NIB from the late 90's to 2001.

I do not know if the inside workings are more complicated because I never took one apart, I am NOT a gunsmith, NO expert, I do not understand some things way deep INSIDE of a firearm, and I never had any problems with my rifles or handguns... EVER!

Have fun shopping!

Catherine

 

[Catherine]

I agree with what some others have said too.

The Henry and the Marlin are made in the US of A.

One thing that I have heard recently, some in the past, about the HENRY is that they give fantastic customer service and they try to make the customer happy!

Our one friend owns a few of them and when we have our shooting event after our house is built... hopefully he can come over with his Henry rifles.

I think that Marlin will try to make the customer happy even though some things have changed in the location. I hope that MARLIN comes back to what it once was because I love my Marlin rifles and so do other people that I know who own them. Not just people on this forum.

IF I did not own a Marlin and really wanted a new '39' - I would still buy one and IF the NIB one did have problems - it is under warranty. I do not know much about used guns so IF I had NO help and NO one to tell me what was good or bad or what to LOOK OUT FOR... I would go with one with a warranty. IF you have someone to help you out - look for a used one with their help unless you understand such things.

I was a Newbie buying guns so mine were bought NIB from the late 90's and on. My late husband bought NIB and 2 used guns from a very TRUSTED friend who kept his guns nice as we always did. My late husband was VERY picky about taking care of ALL of his tools including firearms. I am VERY picky about all of my tools, firearms, lawn/tree equipment, boats, vehicles, etc. too and I can't stand when people abuse things inside or outside of their home. That goes for GUNS too!

Catherine

 

[miatakix]

You guys know those pretty catalogs the gun manufacturers give you for "free" at the gun stores? Yeah, those things are pretty insidious ;D The talk about the Browning made me think about a Browning catalog I picked up a little while ago when I was considering a new Browning Hi-Power, recently (ended up with a H&K, instead). They really make some pretty firearms, Browning does. My first firearm was a semi-auto 22 gallery rifle that my dad bought for me. I still have it and have ran countless rounds of ammo through it over the years. Very nice little rifle. Light, accurate, sleek, etc. I'm thinking those Browning lever 22s have to be pretty awesome.

Anyway, the contribution I wanted to make here is to suggest that you're on the right track with the lever 22. I was shooting my CZ bolt action .22 at the range today, and as much as I really enjoy that rifle, it does take a firmer pop to work the bolt handle than all the Marlin 39s I've handled required of their levers.

 

[rhendrix]

I love my 39A but the little Browning BL22 I had (gave it to my son when he was small and now it belongs to my grandson) was and still is a sweet little gun. The lever through on it is about half the distance of the 39A and man can you shoot them fast and they too are very accurate. The stock on them is a little short. I think they were made for women or children or at least men with very short arms.

 

[Eli Chaps]

Not to harp but if you're not set on a lever action and just want a gun to make you smile, as I said, my 60 and 795 do that for me routinely and they shoot wonderfully.

Here's a pic of my last target with the 795 and iron sights. 25yrds on a cold wet day (ask Rowdy ;D ) and with bulk ammo (should read Fed not Win).

I need to pull it left a bit more but as I said, it was cold and I called it a day. These were not real slow shots either maybe a second between them. If a fella needs more accuracy than this well, I don't know what to say.

 

[rhendrix]

Eli, there are a lot of good .22s out there and the ones you named are great little guns but he did say he wanted a lever action.

 

[Eli Chaps]

Eli, there are a lot of good .22s and there and the ones you named are great little guns but he did say he wanted a lever action.

Yeah I know. My only point was to offer him some alternatives due to his disability.

 

[drjjpdc]

336,

Check out the Skinner site. I took a look and he has a section on Henry and the normal peeps should work without removing anything, I think. I think the Express will only work on the 30-30.

John