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Trying to decide between Henry and Marlin lever guns

I’m firmly in the Marlin camp, I will include I have no experience with the Henry, I just love the history of the Marlin and anything that is made today that resembles it it in my mind is just someone trying to make a copy to me and it will never look right to my eye.
 
I've got a Henry All-Weather in 45-70. It's very nice. I was in the market for a Marlin (Ruger) but they were impossible to find. I've seen the Marlins available since then, often above retail list price but not always.

I'd like to get one of the Marlin Dark Series in 45-70 next. I have a Griffin Bushwhacker that just got out of jail and it needs a host. The Henry Model X would technically work too but the stock just looks like something you'd find on a cheap Savage rifle. :mad:
 
I bought my first Winchester for someone at the range for $250 and sold it for $350. Though I was a gun selling genius. Got my next Winchester from a friend that left it in a wet soft gun case after a hurricane blew the roof off of his house. The rifle was rust stuck to the fabric liner of the case and had the cross hatched lines from the weave of the fabric rusted into the gun. Several sand blasting sessions later I applied KG gun coat and it is far and above the best shooting 30/30 Ive ever owned or seen. The previous owner a good friend died of a heart attack and I gave it back to one of his kids. Another friend gave me a new Marlin that Ive never shot, and Ive got another basket case to clean up and fix that's a Winchester. I looked at a Rossi that has a nice looking gray finish in 357 that was may be nice rifle. They are fun but I just can't take them too seriously. I think I would like an older Winchester in 38-55, they bring so much money for anything close to nice so I doubt it will ever happen. They guy that gave me the Marlin, his wife bought him a jap made Winchester or Browning in one of the old obsolete calibers and I arranged to have it shipped to my FFL and drove him to sign for it and take it home. i doubt it has ever been shot, it was such a work of art and so will fit and finished I would have never shot it or even handled it without gloves.
 
afret said:
I have a .357 Henry and like it a lot so I just ordered a .22 WMR Henry since I have a lot of .22 WMR ammo to use. My next gun will be a 45-70 lever gun. I'm wondering if I should give a Marlin a try or just stick with Henry. The advantage of the Henry for me would be the option to load or unload by the mag tube. I don't think you can do that with the Marlin. How important is this ability? Thanks.
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If you reload can get little more ummph with marlin-

I like the HENRY’s myself- ya can upgrade the wood !!!
 
I have Henry's, Winchester's and Marlin's...I like all brands.

But I can say this....the 45/70 in a lever-action with "warm and spicy" 400gr loads can get tiresome after about 30-40 rounds shot from the bench!

The misery soon overcomes the joy!
 
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As a gunsmith I will tell you if you believe that 120 years from now the Henry's will still be operational you're fooling yourself. Have had many Marlins that old still operational that just needed a good cleaning then back to work. Not knocking the Henry's but the only one that ever felt right to me was the 22 lever action in the blue finish. Just saying....
 
I have a way older pre-Ruger blued steel 45-70 26" barrel, full magazine rifle I would sell. Your shoulder will thank you for that extra 8" of barrel and magazine weight; as well as the increased sight radius. Factory sights, plus a Lyman rear peep.

ISS
 
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joshb said:
I thank you for that. 2 months ago, I couldn’t find one. My hunt for one lead to the Rossi Stainless Octagonal 45 Colt, which turned out to be a fine gun. I might have enough time to grab a Ruger.
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Good deal. I was shocked to see them on clearance. My 357 like it seems extremely well finished.
 
gat said:
As a gunsmith I will tell you if you believe that 120 years from now the Henry's will still be operational you're fooling yourself. Have had many Marlins that old still operational that just needed a good cleaning then back to work. Not knocking the Henry's but the only one that ever felt right to me was the 22 lever action in the blue finish. Just saying....
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I've worked on both a little, and this is very true.
Lots of gunsmithing books bemoan the soft steel used in older cheap firearms.
Die-cast parts aren't going to stand the test of time either.
 
I'm not familiar with the Henrys but the Marlins can be cleaned from the breach by removing the lever screw and pulling the bolt. Doesn't get much easier then that!
 
25ring said:
I'm not familiar with the Henrys but the Marlins can be cleaned from the breach by removing the lever screw and pulling the bolt. Doesn't get much easier then that!
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Henrys, S+Ws, and the R95 Rossis are also like that. I put thumbscrews there so I can remove the lever and bolt without tools for cleaning.
 
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