I know this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but I recently picked up a used Henry Mares Leg in .45 Colt for the sole purpose of converting it to a SBR, or short barrel rifle for those that are not into NFA stuff. Unlike some of my other lever action projects, I am not planning to thread this one for a suppressor since loading would be problematic with the magazine tube.
By itself, the gun in its factory configuration is at best a cool novelty, but is very awkward to shoot without an actual buttstock and is of limited practical use. Regardless, it should make a compact and hard-hitting package when complete and holds 6+1 rounds of ammo vs the 5+1 advertised on the Henry website. Furthermore this should be an easy conversion as it will only require adding a regular stock when the stamp comes back.
Overall the gun is in good shape but shows a few scratches and a nice ding on the edge of the muzzle. It was also pretty dirty and I probably spent an hour just cleaning the lead and copper fouling from the barrel. This is my third Henry but is my first centerfire model and I am impressed with the overall feel of the gun and smooth action. For fun here are a few preliminary photos of the gun as received:
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By itself, the gun in its factory configuration is at best a cool novelty, but is very awkward to shoot without an actual buttstock and is of limited practical use. Regardless, it should make a compact and hard-hitting package when complete and holds 6+1 rounds of ammo vs the 5+1 advertised on the Henry website. Furthermore this should be an easy conversion as it will only require adding a regular stock when the stamp comes back.
Overall the gun is in good shape but shows a few scratches and a nice ding on the edge of the muzzle. It was also pretty dirty and I probably spent an hour just cleaning the lead and copper fouling from the barrel. This is my third Henry but is my first centerfire model and I am impressed with the overall feel of the gun and smooth action. For fun here are a few preliminary photos of the gun as received:
