Being an "Old Guy" I have a bit of history with the Henry. As a kid, it was the first rifle I ever shot. It was originally my Greate Great Grandfathers who it was issued to in the Civil War. (My uncle has it) it was in pretty rough shape but it shot and we had a ton of shells, which are LONG gone. Still had the cleaning rod in the stock and the only markings on the gun at all, other than my G.G.Grandfathers name scratched into the side plate, was the number 44 on the top of the barrel right in front of the receiver. I've owned a Uberti and currently own a Henry Repeating Arms 1860. The Uberti IS a much closer reproduction than the HRA. One thing that really bugs me about the HRA is the lever lock. The tang on the end of the lever is too short and it makes it quite difficult to twist the lock and of course the injection cast internals. That being said about the HRA - it is absolutely a nicer shooter and the loading block has a completely mechanical function that the Uberti doesn't. The lever moves the block to the top and all the way to the bottom even with the frame and can't be pushed back up from the bottom without moving the lever. The last portion of travel in the Uberti is accomplished by a spring that pushes it down and will fail if dirty and stop the next round from entering the lifter. The cast internals were a real disappointment for me the first time I took it apart, but it's plainly obvious that the are far better fit and have almost zero free play, unlike the Uberti - can't testify to the original as it was well worn before I was even born. Okay, Okay.... don't hang me yet! All of this being said - if I ever buy another, it'll be a Uberti even if they are a pain in the but to sight, don't shoot as nice and the lifter block issues can be fixed..... other than the fact it says "made in Italy" it's a near perfect copy of the original and I have to admit "the ONLY reason I bought the Henry Repeating Arms 1860 was because it says made in USA" ..... oh, and the wood is absolutely fantastic. Take it for what you will, it's only my opinion. Cheers :) As far as shooting goes, I swear that the more I shoot it the better it shoots - No kidding.
I am legitimately excited when I see a video thumbnail from IRTV with a lever gun. This one did not disappoint. Match videos, modern gun videos, mud tests, are all good but for some reason Karl talking about old west guns are what I get the most enjoyment out of and I will legit quit multitasking (no checking phone, no side conversations going on, no other browser tabs) and full-screen the video and just sit and watch the whole thing.
Completely honestly For how much the Henry costs just having better fit and Finnish alone doesn’t cut it Still having cast internals is unacceptable on a 2k+ gun
@@purplepenguin43 Original, meaning the actual 1860s gun? I believe all parts for all mass produced guns in general in that period were made by hand with machine assistance. Casting still requires you to machine off the burrs from imperfect casting, so with mass production in the 1860s I don't think it would be that much of a cost and time saver compared to more traditional methods.
@@chitoryu12 depends on how many you make. for 100, it doesn't make sense to prepare casting dies, but if you're in 1 to 100 thousand range, now all that time not spent machining adds up, and the process is faster in the end even with time spent preparing casting dies.
Unless the purpose of you buying the gun is to have a collector's gun. When you buy Henry's or Colt's reproduction guns, you're not only buying the gun but the name as well.
honestly the Italian one seems to me like it will last longer the machined action is major not sure why the American one didn't go with it as well the fit and finish on the American one is better but that doesn't make up for a 1000 dollar price difference the wood used in the handle probably cost about 20$ more than the Italian it looks like quilted walnut with an acrylic finish and the barrel on the American one looks to be hot blued while the Italian one looks like its cold blued. hot blue is fairly more expensive with prepping time the chemicals you need and the setup but the finish on the barrel cant exceed a cost about 100$ as for the tightness of the seams with modern CNC it is easily done for a pretty low price and the polishing on the brass probably cost like 10$ buffing is cheap and fast the Italian on looks like a much fairer price they are definitely scalping a much larger margin of profit on the American made one which im fine with that's the beauty of capitalisms you are can only charge what people are willing to pay that being said i still want the American one I'm a sucker for pretty things that or id buy the Italian one and redo the finishing work myself.
@@monkeyship74401 lol so? I'd imagine karl has many many many more years of shooting experience and knowledge than you as well as I doubt you own several companies dedicated to firearms as he does.
Right off the bat, as a fan of the .44-40, I have to say the perceived issues with reloading it are generally quite exaggerated. It's not really any harder to reload than .45 Colt, perhaps unless you're running a progressive press. I could see some chance for problems there, but I have plain old simple Lee presses and have never had any extra trouble from .44-40 over any other big bore revolver cartridge.
My circa 1990 .44-40 Navy Arms / Uberti Henry is a tack driver, it's also been dragged around camping, hunting, shot BP and cleaned days later, dropped on the ground, dinged up, etc. In that time It's developed a patina of wear, slight rust pitting and tarnished gunmetal and it's absolutely beautiful. It would also not look out of place on a civil war gun rack, whereas the Henry safe queen would stick out like a sore thumb!
I still applaud Karl's taste in cars. Kübelwagen FTW! And yes... I know it's not really an OG Kübel, but that's what we call them over here in ze Fatherland... ;)
Not to pick on Henry firearms but if I'm spending around 2k for a firearm, I want machined parts. If I was doing CAS I would want the Uberti for potential longevity and durability. I think Henry cuts corners in the most odd ways from my experience.
The cavities in the Henry action parts are typical of cast parts put there to use less raw material to make the part, doesn't seem like much but when you make many of them it adds up. The same cavities would have to be machined into a non cast part and so would cost more.
@@ivankrylov6270 I doubt the Henry part was made using additive manufacturing, I'm fairly certain it was MIM or investment cast, neither fit the definition of additive manufacturing which is adding layers like 3D printing.
Still, having handled both a Henry Big Boy rifle in .41 magnum and my older Marlin 1894 CB in .44 mag (which the Henry 'Big Boy' action is a round bolt copy of), the Henry internals do not always inspire great confidence in their durability. They may very well be perfectly fine, but the prevalence of those cavities and the general cast feeling finish of them does not give you that inherent confidence that the milled parts tend to inspire, and I generally don't mind cast, as long as it's done well. At least they've finally discovered the King's patent loading gate for some models, making them a more attractive substitute for a Remlin (Remington made Marlin, for those that don't know). Can't speak to their other models, as I've never had much chance to handle them or take them apart, but it seems the internals might be fairly consistent. Really if it wasn't for them offering oddballs like .41 magnum or .327 Federal, I wouldn't have any experience with them at all, in part because they've long ignored the loading gate.
@@kylethedalek he explained that with his original comment. Since you cast the part anyway, you might as well create a mold that lets you save on the raw material. As opposed to machining, where you take a solid block of metal and cut it into the desired shape.
Karl, I think you should have gone with a Taylor's rather than the Uberti. They only cost $100-200 more, but they are a Uberti that has a better finish and trigger job out of the box.
@@uclajd a used antique would have been browned, not blued. Neither the Taylor’s nor Uberti are true to the originals, if you’re nitpicking. I’ve handled several late 19th century marlins and winchesters.
My 1860 Uberti 45 Colt with 250 gr lead bullets and 8 gr Unique [ pretty standard load] gets around 1000 fps and it was on at 50 yards out of the box. Not only that, but the ladder sight was on at 200 yards which was pretty impressive. My Uberti is from Taylors, so I think that their Quality Assurance /inspection is a notch above :- ] Also, the internals were very clean....no filings , and the fit was very good too. It's a great gun for the price .
Great timing, i just purchased the Uberti yesterday. I've heard the Ubertis described as a "preassembled kit", due to the rough machining and swarth/shavings that may still be present in the gun.
Thanks for the comparison. For my purposes I would choose the Henry. Fit and finish is important to me. I also won’t want to file and tweak on the gun to make it accurate. I also like the made in America aspect of a rifle that represents the old frontier. Seems like that gun should be an American made gun if possible. I also think the gun will always retain its value if not increase in value as time passes. I’m not sure that will be the case in the Italian gun. Time will tell I guess
I really love this lever gun series. Keep it up! I hope we get to see you guys try out that "squad tactics with leverguns" stuff you were talking about in the P&S podcast.
I love my Uberti Henry in 45 colt, however; the Minnesota Whitetails do not. Besides Mr Arthur seemed to do just fine with his, and Augustus McCrae did pretty good at longer ranges also.
I realize this is an older post but I would like to see them chamber this rifle in 44 special that would be a lot closer to the 44 Rimfire it was originally chambered in. With black powder loads the ballistics would probably be close to the original too.
Love your video on Henry Operators 1860s style. Well done and very informative for anyone considering purchasing one. As a long time owner of a winchester 92 I can say you managed to convince that despite the nuances of the Henry, and its older, weaker design, one can run the henry far quicker!
I've always preferred lever guns. I even prefer them to an AR-15. The first gun I ever shot was a lever gun and I was 8 years old. It was a 25-20 Winchester manufactured sometime in the 1800s. Which was stolen from me when my father died. By a family member of course. This was a awesome video. Pretty education and professionally done. You're absolutely right the American made Henry's are heirloom quality. It is too bad they are unaffordable for most people. I'm going to keep on watching your channel.
It’s great your HRA Henry shoots so well out of the box. My own Uberti Henry shot perfectly right out of the box. At least once I’ve managed to hit a 100-yd gong offhand. I shoot live with my Uberti as well using blanks in reenacting. Reenactors need to know the Henry-made Henry cannot reliably fire blanks. One of my friends bought a HRA Henry and discovered this the hard way. He contacted Henry, and they told him they really hadn’t anticipated the need to handle blanks, so tough luck. He now owns one of each.
Im a bit biased against Henry USA. Their deceptive advertising starting in the 90s acting like they have roots back to the Henry rifle when in reality they are ERMA rebranded and brought from Germany to the US. They make many guns out of less than great parts like Highpoint they use Zamak. I had a pump 22 of theirs and it was terrible, bad geometry of the action. They took the lever action and badly converted it to pump. The gun was also a jamimatic that would only chamber certian brands of 22lr among many other malfunctions like out of battery firing and had plastc parts where they should have been metal. Id take the Uberti all day over the Henry
I ran to the gun shop when they first started coming out on the market. I could not believe that they wanted that kind of money for a firearm that was clearly made out of some kind of alloy with a baked on enamel finish.
Zamak isnt garbage pot metal tho. My 1930s usa made atlas metal lathe uses zamak gear sets for the change gears. Its lasted 90 years so it seems durable enough when used within its limitations.
@@2bitmarketanarchist337 so will aluminum? Nearly 3000 degrees C flame melts a lot of things. Polymer, wood, brass, aluminum never mind it ruins steels strength.
I am a Henry fan. Both of my sons and I have their BSA Philmont edition .22 lr lever actions. Amazing fit and finish and performance. I have a Big Boy Steel in .44 mag. Wow. what a rifle. Are their rifles cheap? NO. Are they worth the cost? IMO yes.
After using the new gun, clean it and wax your brass so it protects the finish. Clean it with brasso once and a while. You could possibly polish your uberti so it looks newer too. Thought about getting a Short stroke link for the new rifle?
I think the intention was to carry on his legacy a bit for as limited as his career really ended up being. I would be a bit more miffed if they called it New Haven personally.
Modern Winchester rifles are not made in the USA anymore. They make them in Japan. Thats kind of the same thing. Its just a name at that point, with a huge price tag.
Late comment: It's the "Cowboy 45 Special". The developer of the cartridge so named it to distinguish it from other so called "specials." (But, it's much easier said as 45 Cowboy Special)! 2ndly, accuracy is very much a product of bullet to barrel fit... are your bullets .451, .452, or even .454 in diameter? Can make a difference. My steel framed Uberti Henry imported by EMF is pretty much a one-hole gun right out of the box using .452 diameter bullets at cowboy distances... on paper @ 100 yard, 2-½".. I didn't have to fiddle with it's sights.
Love my Henry rifles and especially the 22Lr that I bought my son for his first rifle. Will be adding more and hope they come out with an all weather side gate 10mm.
50 yards is roughly the same as 50 meters, right? I have an Uberti 1873 30 inch sporting rifle in .44-40 Winchester. With my handloads I shoot groups (with the stock iron sights) at 50 meters of less than three inches. I just want to say with this that in my experience, Uberti rifles can be as accurate as what that Henry-Henry is showing in this video. At some point, we had five of the 1873 long rifles in our shooting club and they all were very accurate. And besides that, they are just awesome to shoot. Most people I encounter on lever gun matches in Germany have Marlin rifles. They are ok, but far from matching the smooth action of the 1873.
Nice comparison 👍. The wood on the Henry is beautiful but I like the red color stain on the uberti . I like the better accuracy and the sites being correct straight out of the box that's really nice on the Henry. I would like to see how the Winchester reproduction compares to these two. By the way I love the Volkswagen thing my father had one when I was a kid we used to go off-road with it often and I learned to drive with it. I've always wanted to get one just haven't been able to find a good solid one yet. Thanks 👍
Great review Karl. I'd like to see more comparisons of Old West reproductions like this. I think the Henry here would meet my needs better than the Uberti.
Tried to watch an old episode just to support the channel, only to find I already watched it, and somehow the "like 👍" stuck, thanks again anyway still great content!
Nice video :) I've been looking at 1860s and 1873s as an option for steel target competition. Somewhat surprised to see such huge groups in the video. Here in the UK we compete with lever action rifles (mainly Win 94s and Marlin 1894s) in pistol calibres for "Gallery Rifle Shooting". I use .45 Colt in both my 94 and 1894 and would be horrified with those results. Rested at 50m, mine will hold sub 1.5" groups all day long. This is also with lead cast bullets (I cast my own) being launched at about 900 fps. I'm sure if you play with the loads (try Trail Boss" powder - brilliant) and crimp you can shrink those groups dramatically.
I have a Uberti 1860 in the barrel white from the factory in .45c - got it second hand for around 750.. lightly used if at all.. looked into the Henry Manufactured alternative and just couldn't justify nearly 2k on a gun that would be mostly a range toy. Sub 1k yes and from what i can see fit and finish are nicer on the Henry manufacture, but I just couldn't justify the price. Also casted internals.. for that MSRP not acceptable.
Just watched this video four years too late. I bought my Uberti made 1860 Henry in .45 Colt from Navy Arms way back in the old days of 1998 when I was doing Civil War reenacting. I shot blanks for the battle scenarios but for my enjoyment, I loaded 250 grain Remington RN lead bullets over 35 trains of Goex 2F. To tell the truth the Uberti shot extremely well right out of the box with this load. I found the sights could hit my target usually an empty shotgun case at 20 feet off hand shooting (once the smoke cleared enough for the next shot). A six inch target at 25 yds. usually gave a 4 inch group for the same load. Looking at the cost for a US made rifle vs the Uberti, I'd go with the Italian made because the savings can be used for ammo. I'm sure that Henry makes a very fine rifle but I will stick with my battle worn Navy Arms 1860.
I would be interested to see how they both compare in terms of fit and finish to mint condition original. It would t surprise me if buy virtue of the higher expectations of modern manufacturing, that the cheaper gun is actually closer to the original
If you get why Karl did then how do you not understand how other people would? Karl and Ian aren't the only people in the world allowed to love historic firearms. The success of their channels shows that many people share this passion.
I also have an Uberti 1866 in 45lc and I was quite surprised with the work Karl said he had to put into his 1860. The only fiddling I've done with it is adjusting the rear sight but have had no problems maintaining 2-3 inch groups at 50m. What I did learn when first taking it out to the range is what happens when you use ammo that hasn't been crimped, more than enough FTF that I would up tipping the gun down to let the new round seat before closing the lever. Then I bought some American Eagle and damn the action was as smooth as butter
Great for Henry that you don't have to fiddle with the sight, but that's a hefty difference in price that I just couldn't justify recommending that someone sink the extra cash into the domestic Henry.
If you have an interest in selling a pair of eyeballs for 1500 bucks in order to afford a marginally better (and much shinier!) American gun, then the Henry is for you! Life is indeed full of trade offs :D
This is me wishing someone made a Winchester 1907 repro while knowing the demand is probably too small to support it. Henry's (lever guns in general) are nice pieces of history, I prefer a box mag semi-auto though.
No issue with cintered metal parts. They are strong enough. They make engines out of mim process now, is it as nice as forged parts no but not junk, and id rather pay for an American to build my trifle versus an Italian
Can’t compare an old gun that the bore might be a bit worn… not a good test. I have 2 Uberti Henry’s and 1866 … all engraved. I like Uberti since they copy the internal workings exactly like originals… will probably last longer in the long run.
.45 CS is ideal for making BP loads for use in old BP only revolvers that will not be mistaken as easily for .45 Colt cartridges loaded with smokeless.
I’ve read a bunch of the comments here and am struck by a few things: 1. Sure are a lot of Henry Repeating Arms haters here. That’s puzzling. Henry is a well-run company that makes high quality rifles right here in New Jersey and Wisconsin. Why hate on them? If you’re not interested in their products, don’t buy them. 2. Why the puzzlement about why someone would spend $1,700 on a lever gun? Guys at the range are always bragging about having $2,000 in their latest AR “build.” No one seems to think it’s weird to sink that kind of money into a collection of parts. The Henry Original is a beautiful, beautiful rifle. Karl correctly notes that they will be heirlooms for many buyers. 3. Lever rifles are as American as baseball, hot dogs, apple pie... it’s sad that they seem so foreign to so many who have commented here.
My Henry BBS Lever action rifle shot about 12” high and 12” to the right out of the box. Pretty disappointing. I was unable to zero it with the factory sights and had to replace them. I also noticed that almost all of the internal parts are MIM. The trigger and hammer are also MIM and I’m pretty sure the lever is MIM too. I’m not too concerned about that, in fact I think that’s what gives the Henry rifles a smooth cycling feel out of the box. Now for comparison my Remington made Marlin 1894 cowboy, which by many internet authorities, was supposed to be garbage, was zeroed at the factory and required no adjustments, and shoots groups half the size of any Henry I’ve shot at both 50 and 100 yds. Now I will say that the Henry has nicer wood for sure, metal finish is a bit better than the Marlin. The Marlin took some deburring and polishing of the internal action parts to give it a slick feel which the Henry didn’t need, which I assume is because of the smoother finish of the MIM parts in the Henry.
My Marlin 336 which I think was made in 2017 came zeroed out of the box as well. Accuracy is better than my Winchester 94. Fit and finish is way better than I expected but the checkering on the wood is really poor. The Walnut on my 336 is beautiful. The polishing/blueing on the receiver and barrel is better than most Henry's I've looked at except the Henry Original. I would like to find a color case hardened Big Boy in 44 Mag. Hopefully these models have a better receiver polish than the plain steel ones which have a dull matt finish.
You could do another video with these two rifles using black powder reloads and see which one jams up first. Either way I enjoyed this comparison, thanks for posting!
I really cannot fathom spending $1,500 on a rifle, then having to work on the sights, literally having to "file a significant amount" off the front sight. I sure am thankful that my interests fall more under utilitarian and /or common(ish) milsurps.
@@AZTLANSOLDIER13 lol, I must admit I do enjoy shooting a mosin, but no I admit they are pretty terrible, largely because so often they are very difficult to sight in as well. At least they are 1/5 of the price at least. But no, ar-15 platform or m1garand is more where my interests are.
Henry's shoot well but I think I'd take the Italian gun. Try to accurize it some but the machining and case hardening. To me speaks better for the manufacturer and price
I actually prefer the dull patina on the Uberti. I'm not even sure if the Henry is actually brass! I know their rimfire Goldenboy uses some kind of "brasslite" receiver.
Just wondering what the accuracy would be like with the Italian rifle shooting 45 Colt and not special loads. I would think the longer Colt load would probably be more accurate with a lot less free bore than the special load.
Any thoughts on the best reproduction 1866 Winchester on the maker today? Specifically one in .357 Magnum or .38 Special for use as a cowboy action gun and, as Karl likes to say, for historicity.
I have shot lever action for more then 20 years in bulseye 50m standing iron sights give me a Huberti anyday compared to a Henry or a winchester , also shoot 90s model marlin 336 in 3030 lot better then the recent 336 in quality.
Which one is more faithful to the original? I usually notice the Italians are more faithful. Is that the case here? Also, I notice that henry tends to buff the barrel edges smooth and the brass is too shiny. I prefer the Italian rifles for authenticity. i just don't care for their European Walnut.
The Uberti is further machined afterward and out of a larger piece to avoid warping issues during the casting process. I'm not sure why the henry looks to be MIM'ed but they could have done the same thing Uberti did for theirs instead of the frankly ugly option they went with. Injection molding is cheaper but for $2.5k there is no excuse.
i love these guys ......they have imagination....he is talking having the two western rifles on a WEHRMACHT S KÜBELWAGEN . FROM VOLKSWAGEN ....!! crazy man ..!!!!!
Any chance you guys could do a mud test for a Winchester 1894 or a Marlin 1895? Or even a more modern Henry or Marlin 336? Also, the American one looks way nicer
Karl: Jests Ian for researching arcane complexities. Also Karl: Accuracy tests 1860 Henrys.
Ian plays with Kraut space magic, Karl plays cowboy.
@@ssreeser95 Ian plays with French Voodoo.
@@monkeyship74401 *french jujumagumbo
@@ssreeser95 don't forget the Russian space magic that is the an94.
Thank you for your valuable information
Being an "Old Guy" I have a bit of history with the Henry. As a kid, it was the first rifle I ever shot. It was originally my Greate Great Grandfathers who it was issued to in the Civil War. (My uncle has it) it was in pretty rough shape but it shot and we had a ton of shells, which are LONG gone. Still had the cleaning rod in the stock and the only markings on the gun at all, other than my G.G.Grandfathers name scratched into the side plate, was the number 44 on the top of the barrel right in front of the receiver.
I've owned a Uberti and currently own a Henry Repeating Arms 1860. The Uberti IS a much closer reproduction than the HRA. One thing that really bugs me about the HRA is the lever lock. The tang on the end of the lever is too short and it makes it quite difficult to twist the lock and of course the injection cast internals. That being said about the HRA - it is absolutely a nicer shooter and the loading block has a completely mechanical function that the Uberti doesn't. The lever moves the block to the top and all the way to the bottom even with the frame and can't be pushed back up from the bottom without moving the lever. The last portion of travel in the Uberti is accomplished by a spring that pushes it down and will fail if dirty and stop the next round from entering the lifter. The cast internals were a real disappointment for me the first time I took it apart, but it's plainly obvious that the are far better fit and have almost zero free play, unlike the Uberti - can't testify to the original as it was well worn before I was even born.
Okay, Okay.... don't hang me yet!
All of this being said - if I ever buy another, it'll be a Uberti even if they are a pain in the but to sight, don't shoot as nice and the lifter block issues can be fixed..... other than the fact it says "made in Italy" it's a near perfect copy of the original and I have to admit "the ONLY reason I bought the Henry Repeating Arms 1860 was because it says made in USA" ..... oh, and the wood is absolutely fantastic.
Take it for what you will, it's only my opinion. Cheers :)
As far as shooting goes, I swear that the more I shoot it the better it shoots - No kidding.
I am legitimately excited when I see a video thumbnail from IRTV with a lever gun. This one did not disappoint. Match videos, modern gun videos, mud tests, are all good but for some reason Karl talking about old west guns are what I get the most enjoyment out of and I will legit quit multitasking (no checking phone, no side conversations going on, no other browser tabs) and full-screen the video and just sit and watch the whole thing.
Me too ! He's so knowledgeable about these old guns .
Completely honestly
For how much the Henry costs just having better fit and Finnish alone doesn’t cut it
Still having cast internals is unacceptable on a 2k+ gun
what was the original, hand machined?
@@purplepenguin43 Original, meaning the actual 1860s gun? I believe all parts for all mass produced guns in general in that period were made by hand with machine assistance. Casting still requires you to machine off the burrs from imperfect casting, so with mass production in the 1860s I don't think it would be that much of a cost and time saver compared to more traditional methods.
@@chitoryu12 depends on how many you make. for 100, it doesn't make sense to prepare casting dies, but if you're in 1 to 100 thousand range, now all that time not spent machining adds up, and the process is faster in the end even with time spent preparing casting dies.
Unless the purpose of you buying the gun is to have a collector's gun. When you buy Henry's or Colt's reproduction guns, you're not only buying the gun but the name as well.
honestly the Italian one seems to me like it will last longer the machined action is major not sure why the American one didn't go with it as well the fit and finish on the American one is better but that doesn't make up for a 1000 dollar price difference the wood used in the handle probably cost about 20$ more than the Italian it looks like quilted walnut with an acrylic finish and the barrel on the American one looks to be hot blued while the Italian one looks like its cold blued. hot blue is fairly more expensive with prepping time the chemicals you need and the setup but the finish on the barrel cant exceed a cost about 100$ as for the tightness of the seams with modern CNC it is easily done for a pretty low price and the polishing on the brass probably cost like 10$ buffing is cheap and fast the Italian on looks like a much fairer price they are definitely scalping a much larger margin of profit on the American made one which im fine with that's the beauty of capitalisms you are can only charge what people are willing to pay that being said i still want the American one I'm a sucker for pretty things that or id buy the Italian one and redo the finishing work myself.
But Karl, don't you know you can't shoot a lever gun from prone?
And you noticed that Karl knocked the sandbag over while reloading too??? ;)
@@monkeyship74401 lol so? I'd imagine karl has many many many more years of shooting experience and knowledge than you as well as I doubt you own several companies dedicated to firearms as he does.
@@bigbud6842 At least Karl has a sandbag! In the old west we just had pockets full of sand and we were glad to get
@@bigbud6842 but Bud, he didn’t have enough sense to clean the barrel out of the box…
Why not
This video could also be called
"How I Validated my purchase to my wife"
Q Anon -can you still watch InRanch after this ? 😂 or did you get banned for life ?
Right off the bat, as a fan of the .44-40, I have to say the perceived issues with reloading it are generally quite exaggerated. It's not really any harder to reload than .45 Colt, perhaps unless you're running a progressive press. I could see some chance for problems there, but I have plain old simple Lee presses and have never had any extra trouble from .44-40 over any other big bore revolver cartridge.
Love the old school cowboy stuff. I get kinda tired of the same Glock, AR15, etc videos out there. This is something refreshing!
My circa 1990 .44-40 Navy Arms / Uberti Henry is a tack driver, it's also been dragged around camping, hunting, shot BP and cleaned days later, dropped on the ground, dinged up, etc. In that time It's developed a patina of wear, slight rust pitting and tarnished gunmetal and it's absolutely beautiful. It would also not look out of place on a civil war gun rack, whereas the Henry safe queen would stick out like a sore thumb!
I commented this on Patreon and y'all actually did it I feel so special Kasarda-san.
I still applaud Karl's taste in cars. Kübelwagen FTW!
And yes... I know it's not really an OG Kübel, but that's what we call them over here in ze Fatherland... ;)
Yes, but did you notice that the car was placed BEHIND the two targets..?
Spyros G I did, but I think it’s because the type 181 is such a shitty car that he doesn’t care
VW 181 We used it in the "Bundeswehr"...But we sadly we didn't shoot Henrys 😉
Would have liked to be able to see a close up of the difference between the two toggle links couldn't see much on the video.
Not to pick on Henry firearms but if I'm spending around 2k for a firearm, I want machined parts. If I was doing CAS I would want the Uberti for potential longevity and durability. I think Henry cuts corners in the most odd ways from my experience.
I have heard Henry's referred to as build them cheap and sell them steep?
The cavities in the Henry action parts are typical of cast parts put there to use less raw material to make the part, doesn't seem like much but when you make many of them it adds up. The same cavities would have to be machined into a non cast part and so would cost more.
additive vs subtractive manufacturing is an important distinction
@@ivankrylov6270 I doubt the Henry part was made using additive manufacturing, I'm fairly certain it was MIM or investment cast, neither fit the definition of additive manufacturing which is adding layers like 3D printing.
Still, having handled both a Henry Big Boy rifle in .41 magnum and my older Marlin 1894 CB in .44 mag (which the Henry 'Big Boy' action is a round bolt copy of), the Henry internals do not always inspire great confidence in their durability. They may very well be perfectly fine, but the prevalence of those cavities and the general cast feeling finish of them does not give you that inherent confidence that the milled parts tend to inspire, and I generally don't mind cast, as long as it's done well. At least they've finally discovered the King's patent loading gate for some models, making them a more attractive substitute for a Remlin (Remington made Marlin, for those that don't know). Can't speak to their other models, as I've never had much chance to handle them or take them apart, but it seems the internals might be fairly consistent. Really if it wasn't for them offering oddballs like .41 magnum or .327 Federal, I wouldn't have any experience with them at all, in part because they've long ignored the loading gate.
@@kylethedalek he explained that with his original comment. Since you cast the part anyway, you might as well create a mold that lets you save on the raw material. As opposed to machining, where you take a solid block of metal and cut it into the desired shape.
@@kylethedalek Why would you ask when the answer is in the comment you replied to?
Karl, I think you should have gone with a Taylor's rather than the Uberti. They only cost $100-200 more, but they are a Uberti that has a better finish and trigger job out of the box.
He used what he had already, he said it at the beginning
The point of the Uberti finish is to replicate the patina of a used antique gun. I think it looks wonderful.
His kubelwagon almost looks in the line of fire.
Yes!
@@uclajd a used antique would have been browned, not blued. Neither the Taylor’s nor Uberti are true to the originals, if you’re nitpicking. I’ve handled several late 19th century marlins and winchesters.
My 1860 Uberti 45 Colt with 250 gr lead bullets and 8 gr Unique [ pretty standard load] gets around 1000 fps and it was on at 50 yards out of the box. Not only that, but the ladder sight was on at 200 yards which was pretty impressive. My Uberti is from Taylors, so I think that their Quality Assurance /inspection is a notch above :- ] Also, the internals were very clean....no filings , and the fit was very good too. It's a great gun for the price .
I should add that the Uberti likes .454 cast lead. Accuracy isn't the same with .452 .
Great timing, i just purchased the Uberti yesterday. I've heard the Ubertis described as a "preassembled kit", due to the rough machining and swarth/shavings that may still be present in the gun.
I've got a Henry Big Boy in .44 Magnum, and it runs like a dream. Nice, handy little bush rifle if you're ever out in the woods.
As someone who has worked for a few American owned manufacturing groups....make it look pretty and screw the inside is zero surprise to me
Thanks for the comparison. For my purposes I would choose the Henry. Fit and finish is important to me. I also won’t want to file and tweak on the gun to make it accurate. I also like the made in America aspect of a rifle that represents the old frontier. Seems like that gun should be an American made gun if possible. I also think the gun will always retain its value if not increase in value as time passes. I’m not sure that will be the case in the Italian gun. Time will tell I guess
I really love this lever gun series. Keep it up! I hope we get to see you guys try out that "squad tactics with leverguns" stuff you were talking about in the P&S podcast.
When you said "paint the targets" I thought, "Why do we need a laser designator with a lever action?" I then realized what you meant.
I love my Uberti Henry in 45 colt, however; the Minnesota Whitetails do not. Besides Mr Arthur seemed to do just fine with his, and Augustus McCrae did pretty good at longer ranges also.
I've seen the Italian ones go as low $800 at a local gun shop
The stock on the Henry is beautiful.
I realize this is an older post but I would like to see them chamber this rifle in 44 special that would be a lot closer to the 44 Rimfire it was originally chambered in.
With black powder loads the ballistics would probably be close to the original too.
The Italian one looks like it's for field work, the US made one looks like it's going to a Wild West show
@@danielvaldez2203 que? XD
Love your video on Henry Operators 1860s style. Well done and very informative for anyone considering purchasing one. As a long time owner of a winchester 92 I can say you managed to convince that despite the nuances of the Henry, and its older, weaker design, one can run the henry far quicker!
They are both beautiful firearms, thanks for the comparison.
I've always preferred lever guns. I even prefer them to an AR-15. The first gun I ever shot was a lever gun and I was 8 years old. It was a 25-20 Winchester manufactured sometime in the 1800s. Which was stolen from me when my father died. By a family member of course. This was a awesome video. Pretty education and professionally done. You're absolutely right the American made Henry's are heirloom quality. It is too bad they are unaffordable for most people. I'm going to keep on watching your channel.
It’s great your HRA Henry shoots so well out of the box. My own Uberti Henry shot perfectly right out of the box. At least once I’ve managed to hit a 100-yd gong offhand.
I shoot live with my Uberti as well using blanks in reenacting. Reenactors need to know the Henry-made Henry cannot reliably fire blanks. One of my friends bought a HRA Henry and discovered this the hard way. He contacted Henry, and they told him they really hadn’t anticipated the need to handle blanks, so tough luck. He now owns one of each.
Im a bit biased against Henry USA. Their deceptive advertising starting in the 90s acting like they have roots back to the Henry rifle when in reality they are ERMA rebranded and brought from Germany to the US. They make many guns out of less than great parts like Highpoint they use Zamak. I had a pump 22 of theirs and it was terrible, bad geometry of the action. They took the lever action and badly converted it to pump. The gun was also a jamimatic that would only chamber certian brands of 22lr among many other malfunctions like out of battery firing and had plastc parts where they should have been metal. Id take the Uberti all day over the Henry
Here here. Poor quality cast metal, uberti uses barstock to mill out a lot of there parts
I ran to the gun shop when they first started coming out on the market. I could not believe that they wanted that kind of money for a firearm that was clearly made out of some kind of alloy with a baked on enamel finish.
Zamak isnt garbage pot metal tho. My 1930s usa made atlas metal lathe uses zamak gear sets for the change gears. Its lasted 90 years so it seems durable enough when used within its limitations.
@@as-jp5cl zamak melts easily with a map gas torch
@@2bitmarketanarchist337 so will aluminum? Nearly 3000 degrees C flame melts a lot of things. Polymer, wood, brass, aluminum never mind it ruins steels strength.
I am a Henry fan. Both of my sons and I have their BSA Philmont edition .22 lr lever actions. Amazing fit and finish and performance. I have a Big Boy Steel in .44 mag. Wow. what a rifle. Are their rifles cheap? NO. Are they worth the cost? IMO yes.
So have you make the trek, or have your boys done so? Just asking because that is a very specific model to get.
@@Jeremiah90526 I have made the trek 3 times as an adult. Once with each of my sons and once as an adult volunteer. Amazing experience.
After using the new gun, clean it and wax your brass so it protects the finish. Clean it with brasso once and a while. You could possibly polish your uberti so it looks newer too. Thought about getting a Short stroke link for the new rifle?
Does it grind anyone else's gears that Henry Repeating Arms tries to imply a lineage to Benjamin Tyler Henry
I mean that's how marketing works now. "Panzer" makes shotguns. "Churchill" makes shotguns and rifles. These are just meaningless words.
I think the intention was to carry on his legacy a bit for as limited as his career really ended up being. I would be a bit more miffed if they called it New Haven personally.
@@REALjohnmosesbrowning I guess
Modern Winchester rifles are not made in the USA anymore. They make them in Japan. Thats kind of the same thing. Its just a name at that point, with a huge price tag.
Nice comparission and a lot of useful information for consideration.
Late comment: It's the "Cowboy 45 Special". The developer of the cartridge so named it to distinguish it from other so called "specials." (But, it's much easier said as 45 Cowboy Special)! 2ndly, accuracy is very much a product of bullet to barrel fit... are your bullets .451, .452, or even .454 in diameter? Can make a difference. My steel framed Uberti Henry imported by EMF is pretty much a one-hole gun right out of the box using .452 diameter bullets at cowboy distances... on paper @ 100 yard, 2-½".. I didn't have to fiddle with it's sights.
Love my Henry rifles and especially the 22Lr that I bought my son for his first rifle. Will be adding more and hope they come out with an all weather side gate 10mm.
|My favorite is the '73, but damn! choices, choices.
73 introduced the out of battery safety. Be careful with Henry's and Yellow Boys to make sure there in battery
50 yards is roughly the same as 50 meters, right? I have an Uberti 1873 30 inch sporting rifle in .44-40 Winchester. With my handloads I shoot groups (with the stock iron sights) at 50 meters of less than three inches.
I just want to say with this that in my experience, Uberti rifles can be as accurate as what that Henry-Henry is showing in this video. At some point, we had five of the 1873 long rifles in our shooting club and they all were very accurate.
And besides that, they are just awesome to shoot. Most people I encounter on lever gun matches in Germany have Marlin rifles. They are ok, but far from matching the smooth action of the 1873.
Nice comparison 👍. The wood on the Henry is beautiful but I like the red color stain on the uberti . I like the better accuracy and the sites being correct straight out of the box that's really nice on the Henry. I would like to see how the Winchester reproduction compares to these two. By the way I love the Volkswagen thing my father had one when I was a kid we used to go off-road with it often and I learned to drive with it. I've always wanted to get one just haven't been able to find a good solid one yet. Thanks 👍
45 LC is actually closer to the 44 Rimfire than the 44-40. 45 LC is .451, 44 Rimfire was .446, and 44-40 is .427.
Great review Karl. I'd like to see more comparisons of Old West reproductions like this. I think the Henry here would meet my needs better than the Uberti.
Tried to watch an old episode just to support the channel, only to find I already watched it, and somehow the "like 👍" stuck, thanks again anyway still great content!
Both are heirloom pieces IMO .
One you bond with your kids over, one hangs on the wall
Ones an overpriced cast/mimed dangerous piece of junk and the other is michined from barstock that needs some edge deburing.
@@TheBiggestIron that's why you just buy a Taylor's that comes cleaned up
@@TheoldSouth
Or you get it and look at it as an intro to gunsmithing.
@@TheBiggestIron nothing wrong with MIM, but at this price point it's ridiculous...
Nice video :)
I've been looking at 1860s and 1873s as an option for steel target competition. Somewhat surprised to see such huge groups in the video. Here in the UK we compete with lever action rifles (mainly Win 94s and Marlin 1894s) in pistol calibres for "Gallery Rifle Shooting". I use .45 Colt in both my 94 and 1894 and would be horrified with those results. Rested at 50m, mine will hold sub 1.5" groups all day long. This is also with lead cast bullets (I cast my own) being launched at about 900 fps.
I'm sure if you play with the loads (try Trail Boss" powder - brilliant) and crimp you can shrink those groups dramatically.
I have a Uberti 1860 in the barrel white from the factory in .45c - got it second hand for around 750.. lightly used if at all.. looked into the Henry Manufactured alternative and just couldn't justify nearly 2k on a gun that would be mostly a range toy. Sub 1k yes and from what i can see fit and finish are nicer on the Henry manufacture, but I just couldn't justify the price. Also casted internals.. for that MSRP not acceptable.
The American made Henry's are way too expensive. Not worth it.
I’ve been waiting for this EXACT vid
Just watched this video four years too late. I bought my Uberti made 1860 Henry in .45 Colt from Navy Arms way back in the old days of 1998 when I was doing Civil War reenacting. I shot blanks for the battle scenarios but for my enjoyment, I loaded 250 grain Remington RN lead bullets over 35 trains of Goex 2F. To tell the truth the Uberti shot extremely well right out of the box with this load. I found the sights could hit my target usually an empty shotgun case at 20 feet off hand shooting (once the smoke cleared enough for the next shot). A six inch target at 25 yds. usually gave a 4 inch group for the same load. Looking at the cost for a US made rifle vs the Uberti, I'd go with the Italian made because the savings can be used for ammo. I'm sure that Henry makes a very fine rifle but I will stick with my battle worn Navy Arms 1860.
Thanks Karl, I've been hoping for this comparison :)
I went with the Uberti. 60 yards out of box center of mass hits.
I would be interested to see how they both compare in terms of fit and finish to mint condition original. It would t surprise me if buy virtue of the higher expectations of modern manufacturing, that the cheaper gun is actually closer to the original
I'm excited to see what comes next!
I get why karl did but why would anyone else pay $2500 for a lever gun?
You can spend a similar amount on a world class escort. I know which is going to be more satisfying the morning after.
It's an exercise in quality gun making, and in that regard it's fairly inexpensive.
If you get why Karl did then how do you not understand how other people would? Karl and Ian aren't the only people in the world allowed to love historic firearms. The success of their channels shows that many people share this passion.
"...different strokes for different folks..." - Sly and the Family Stone.
ron sonju same reason anyone buys anything... it is your money and you want it.
I have Uberti 1866 in 45lc and it shoots 2 inch groups at 50 m. I had a Henry 22 that would jam and did about 10 inch groups at 50m with a scope.
I also have an Uberti 1866 in 45lc and I was quite surprised with the work Karl said he had to put into his 1860. The only fiddling I've done with it is adjusting the rear sight but have had no problems maintaining 2-3 inch groups at 50m.
What I did learn when first taking it out to the range is what happens when you use ammo that hasn't been crimped, more than enough FTF that I would up tipping the gun down to let the new round seat before closing the lever. Then I bought some American Eagle and damn the action was as smooth as butter
American: *it's time to kick ass cleet!*
Italian: *mamma mia Marcello!*
Guns N' Games i’m italian and this cracked me up
Hell yes Karl! Hell yes!
Great for Henry that you don't have to fiddle with the sight, but that's a hefty difference in price that I just couldn't justify recommending that someone sink the extra cash into the domestic Henry.
If you have an interest in selling a pair of eyeballs for 1500 bucks in order to afford a marginally better (and much shinier!) American gun, then the Henry is for you! Life is indeed full of trade offs :D
Outstanding review! Honest comparison, so buyers can make their own informed choice.
All that trouble sighting in the Uberti, just throw on a mount and a red dot!
I wouldn't be surprised if someone in the middle east has done that XD
The ghost of Benjamin Tyler Henry will hunt you down.
This is me wishing someone made a Winchester 1907 repro while knowing the demand is probably too small to support it. Henry's (lever guns in general) are nice pieces of history, I prefer a box mag semi-auto though.
My heart just sank hearing of the rubbish internals in the “heirloom” gun.
No issue with cintered metal parts. They are strong enough. They make engines out of mim process now, is it as nice as forged parts no but not junk, and id rather pay for an American to build my trifle versus an Italian
@@kflo409 exactly. most connecting rods on high performance engines are sintered metal now.
Can’t compare an old gun that the bore might be a bit worn… not a good test. I have 2 Uberti Henry’s and 1866 … all engraved. I like Uberti since they copy the internal workings exactly like originals… will probably last longer in the long run.
.45 CS is ideal for making BP loads for use in old BP only revolvers that will not be mistaken as easily for .45 Colt cartridges loaded with smokeless.
this is one of the best henry revjuv i have seen tums upp
I’ve read a bunch of the comments here and am struck by a few things:
1. Sure are a lot of Henry Repeating Arms haters here. That’s puzzling. Henry is a well-run company that makes high quality rifles right here in New Jersey and Wisconsin. Why hate on them? If you’re not interested in their products, don’t buy them.
2. Why the puzzlement about why someone would spend $1,700 on a lever gun? Guys at the range are always bragging about having $2,000 in their latest AR “build.” No one seems to think it’s weird to sink that kind of money into a collection of parts. The Henry Original is a beautiful, beautiful rifle. Karl correctly notes that they will be heirlooms for many buyers.
3. Lever rifles are as American as baseball, hot dogs, apple pie... it’s sad that they seem so foreign to so many who have commented here.
this is going to be my first rifle. beautiful guns.
We also wonder if you can make a good comparison with the winchester 1866 and the Uberti brand ?
My Henry BBS Lever action rifle shot about 12” high and 12” to the right out of the box. Pretty disappointing. I was unable to zero it with the factory sights and had to replace them. I also noticed that almost all of the internal parts are MIM. The trigger and hammer are also MIM and I’m pretty sure the lever is MIM too. I’m not too concerned about that, in fact I think that’s what gives the Henry rifles a smooth cycling feel out of the box.
Now for comparison my Remington made Marlin 1894 cowboy, which by many internet authorities, was supposed to be garbage, was zeroed at the factory and required no adjustments, and shoots groups half the size of any Henry I’ve shot at both 50 and 100 yds.
Now I will say that the Henry has nicer wood for sure, metal finish is a bit better than the Marlin. The Marlin took some deburring and polishing of the internal action parts to give it a slick feel which the Henry didn’t need, which I assume is because of the smoother finish of the MIM parts in the Henry.
My Marlin 336 which I think was made in 2017 came zeroed out of the box as well. Accuracy is better than my Winchester 94. Fit and finish is way better than I expected but the checkering on the wood is really poor. The Walnut on my 336 is beautiful. The polishing/blueing on the receiver and barrel is better than most Henry's I've looked at except the Henry Original. I would like to find a color case hardened Big Boy in 44 Mag. Hopefully these models have a better receiver polish than the plain steel ones which have a dull matt finish.
How smooth is running the outa the box Herny comparee to a broke in Uberti?
You could do another video with these two rifles using black powder reloads and see which one jams up first. Either way I enjoyed this comparison, thanks for posting!
I have cycled .45 colt, .45 Smith and Wesson, .455 Webley in my Uberti 1873 but have not tried shooting the later two.
Do you have any experience with the "short throw" kits for these guns?
Yes, future video coming.
@@shootinbruin3614 If anyone posts a link this comment will likely get flagged as spam and hidden. Best if you just google it for yourself.
I really cannot fathom spending $1,500 on a rifle, then having to work on the sights, literally having to "file a significant amount" off the front sight.
I sure am thankful that my interests fall more under utilitarian and /or common(ish) milsurps.
Hope you're not one of those Mosin weirdos
@@AZTLANSOLDIER13 lol, I must admit I do enjoy shooting a mosin, but no I admit they are pretty terrible, largely because so often they are very difficult to sight in as well. At least they are 1/5 of the price at least.
But no, ar-15 platform or m1garand is more where my interests are.
Henry's shoot well but I think I'd take the Italian gun. Try to accurize it some but the machining and case hardening. To me speaks better for the manufacturer and price
I actually prefer the dull patina on the Uberti. I'm not even sure if the Henry is actually brass! I know their rimfire Goldenboy uses some kind of "brasslite" receiver.
I like the dull look too.
Great video and reviews, thanks Karl!
Have you done one of these on the 1866, 1873, 1886, 1892 and 1894? I feel like people would be interested in seeing various reproductions compared.
Just wondering what the accuracy would be like with the Italian rifle shooting 45 Colt and not special loads. I would think the longer Colt load would probably be more accurate with a lot less free bore than the special load.
very nice coverage..im very confussed on which 1 to get???mainly i will use it 4 target practicing..up here in central or....your wisdom is appr.
You can buy 3 Italian made rifles for what one American made rife costs. The Henry is near $3,000. Id rather have one in 44-40.
Outstanding video! Very helpful for an upcoming purchase.
Got to appreciate that Kübelwagen right there
Thanks for sharing.
Any thoughts on the best reproduction 1866 Winchester on the maker today? Specifically one in .357 Magnum or .38 Special for use as a cowboy action gun and, as Karl likes to say, for historicity.
I have shot lever action for more then 20 years in bulseye 50m standing iron sights give me a Huberti anyday compared to a Henry or a winchester , also shoot 90s model marlin 336 in 3030 lot better then the recent 336 in quality.
Which one is more faithful to the original? I usually notice the Italians are more faithful. Is that the case here? Also, I notice that henry tends to buff the barrel edges smooth and the brass is too shiny. I prefer the Italian rifles for authenticity. i just don't care for their European Walnut.
Euro walnut is not bad for what its going on. Personally, i think curly maple or curly birch is the best looking wood stock.
If you still have the Uberti and Winchester 73, is it possible to get a comparison between those two???
The caseharden Uberti hammer and lever is accurate to the original Winchester. The blued is not. Ain't it?
The Uberti is further machined afterward and out of a larger piece to avoid warping issues during the casting process. I'm not sure why the henry looks to be MIM'ed but they could have done the same thing Uberti did for theirs instead of the frankly ugly option they went with. Injection molding is cheaper but for $2.5k there is no excuse.
Wish you had done some close-ups of the opened-up receivers.
I own a few Henry rifles and NONE needed ANY zeroing.
They are, quite simply, the finest lever gun on Earth.
I buy nothing else now.
Great Review.....love my Henry !!! have fun shooting :)
Looks like Mule Ears in the background at the opening scene over the hood of your Thing? Did you do this in Big Bend Texas?
i love these guys ......they have imagination....he is talking having the two western rifles on a WEHRMACHT S KÜBELWAGEN . FROM VOLKSWAGEN ....!! crazy man ..!!!!!
I was hoping you would mention if those toggle links were interchangeable between the 2 manufacturers
They are not.
Karl,
Great video! What do you think is the main cause of the accuracy difference that you encountered in this video?
Thanks!
Are you using your car as a backstop in case you miss the steel plates?
Any chance you guys could do a mud test for a Winchester 1894 or a Marlin 1895? Or even a more modern Henry or Marlin 336?
Also, the American one looks way nicer