Henry Big Boy Steel 357: Less Bling...Same Zing

A range review with the Henry Big Boy Steel 357. ----
If you want to smell good, have a soft, healthy beard, and support this channel, please click on this link and buy some of the great beard care products from WEATHERBEARD: bit.ly/3wvHFUG
I will receive a percentage of the proceeds to help offset the costs of producing content such as this video. If you use code PREACHER357 at checkout you will receive a 10% discount on these excellent beard care products.

[@WornoutRNPARAMEDIC]

I had a .357mag lever action rifle one time. Wish I haddn't traded it away. Guess I can say the same about every gun I ever traded off. It was really accurate. I was not hard to shoot at all. Had a little kick to it but not much. Very accurate. Thanks Preacher 357. Good to see this one.

[@Cap5332]

The longer (OAL) the better on those .38s to get them to feed and function. The '92 actions are usually more forgiving than the '94 actions. Love the lever guns. Thanks for sharing Preacher357.

[@lagoonrd4173]

Solid review thank you sir

[@Preacher357]

Thank you for watching.

[@optician53]

I have a model 01 and the Big Boy brass 357/38, pre-side gate, I bought last summer. I've owned the little .22 for 4 years, and it is near flawless, not as much for the BB, at least until I did a little digging and made a couple of modifications. Lay the rifle on it's side, lever open, and place a 38 spl between the tip of the ejector and the front of the breach near the chamber. You'll see it barely clears the tip of the ejector. And a 357 has no clear path. Next with lever fully open, place a round on the lifter, and try chambering a round with the rifle tilted upwards. More than not, the cartridge coming up on the lifter gets snagged under the tip of the ejector, because the cartridge is not restrained and can easily fall backwards. There is a shoulder stop, but is too far back, and won't stop it from sliding back and jamming under the ejector tip. So I after my ejector spring broke, maybe my bad from first breakdown, Henry sent 2 whole ejector assy with springs, plus 2 spares. So as an experiment, I cut one down so the tip was half the length to tiny stop on the pin, as the original ejector. I just did a straight edge cut with a little dremel tool. I also took one of the little grinder wheels that matched the radius of a .357 shell, and did a scoop, that more or less matches the shell. So it's like a little paddle with radius to match the shell. It has made a huge difference in the way it cycles. Very few hangups. I'm also about 2 months into reloading. Mostly 38 specials. 125 grain Berry's copper plated, and Extreme Bullets 158 grain. OAL for the 125 grain is 1.435, and 1.470 for the 158 grain. They run beautifully at those lengths. Only did a few 357, which also ran good at typical 158 grain OALs. Both 38 special cartridges using minimum loads (4.5-.4.75 grains) with Accurate #2 I would note, it's possible Henry has made improvements to the design with the new side gate models. I saw a recent review where the guy was pointing it at about 45 degrees when cycled. I cringed, because with the free floating cartridge on the lifter, no way will my BB do that, even with the modifications. But it did cycle very clean. Very happy with the gun now, and even more so at have solved the issue on my own. I almost sent the gun back to Henry, but I'm too damn stubborn, and even though I'm far from a firearms expert, I had to solve the problem myself ... :-)

[@frankroberts1325]

Preacher, i have a Henry .357 like yours, but mine has the big loop lever, i havent shot it alot, but really enjoy it. ive had Wichesters in the past and i think my Henry is a very good investment, Thanks for the vidro on this fine firearm.

[@georgeplimpton9429]

I have the same rifle, but with the large loop, AND side loading gate. If it holds 11- 38 spl. it's 20 inch. That's what I have. I ONLY shoot 38 spl because it's cheaper. I had to send it back for repair, though, after about 8 shots, it wouldn't eject the spent casing, and of course the next round got caught up with the empty shell that didn't exit. But, I sent it to them, and they sent it back ready to go in about a week. That was awesome. When I had to send a Taurus back, it took four months to get it back. But now that my Henry is repaired, it works great. I replaced the rear site with the peep site, but not the expensive ones that go in the pre-drilled holes on top, I got the kind that slides in the slot for the buckhorn site. My eye site's not that great, so the circle is A LOT easier for me to pick up. Otherwise, the original site was just fine, I didn't replace it because of a problem with the gun, just a problem with my eyes.

[@raybo34]

Nice review. I am wanting a 357 lever action.

[@hleigh842]

I load a 158 gn fmj projectile into a 38 sp brass case at 357 COL to fool my Henry into thinking it is a 357 round. I buy 158 gn round nose, flat point fmj projectiles from RMR and I load to +p using HP38. Also, I use a taper crimp instead of a roll crimp. I really like shooting these in my Henry 357 lever gun. Trying different bullet shapes indicates that the shape can have a pronounced effect on how the rifle cycles. Nice shooting sir.

[@alj.granda8252]

Henry recommends using only 158 gr in 38 special. Ive never had a feeding issue using quality manufactured 158 gr special or any magnums. Thanks for the video!

[@vernsquash8883]

Bought mine new just a few years before the side-loading gate was introduced. Never had a jam or failure to fire in either .38-spl or .357 reloads. The Hornady XTP 158-gr. bullet over 15-gr. of H-110 is a formidable cartridge through a 20" barrel. Love the simplicity, reliability, ease of maintenance, accuracy, and handling. I don't regret not having the side-gate, though it does allow for a quicker reload if needed. If it had one, I would rarely use it. Henry no doubt improved the "cheese grater" design like the less expensive Rossi, however people still struggle getting 7 into the loading gate without a glitch. The only time either my Henry or Rossi has failed to cycle is when someone cycles the lever too slow or not with enough ummmfff.

[@Preacher357]

Mine has never cycled as well as my Marlins. It isn't a big deal since it is just a range toy, but it is a little annoying at times.

[@denniskennedy3311]

I was going to get one like that but they were out of them so I got the brass it does have the loading gate I'm good with it

[@Preacher357]

I would much prefer having the loading gate myself, but it is what it is.

[@edwardbaeza8858]

Boy you the gift of gab my friend....

[@Preacher357]

My mama used to say that I started talking at 10 months old...and haven't shut up since. 🤣🤣🤣

[@walth5336]

I know this is older now, but I find that you need to use 158 grain 38 special if you are using smaller ones

[@Preacher357]

158 grain is all that I load in 38 Special.

[@Timothy1987]

Do you like the round barrel?? I'm torn between the octagon and this one.. I'm getting one in 45 Colt once I make my mind up on barrel

[@Preacher357]

Round or Octagonal/Hexagonal doesn't make much difference to me. I am fine with just a standard round. I do like octagonal barrels though. It is a nice touch on some guns.

[@GunStoreViking]

Get your eye doctor to write you a prescription for a pair of range glasses. They can set the focal point at a distance the helps you see the front sight. If your Doc won't do that. Get a new Doc.

[@bonghungk7544]

That’s a nice rifle can it shoot steel case ammo? Is the barrel chrome? You’ve mentioned you reload so I guess you pick back up those brass casing? Have you ever reloaded steel cases?

[@Preacher357]

I doubt seriously if Henry chrome lines any of their barrels. That is usually something you only see with semi-auto/auto rifles in higher velocity cartridges, such as AR platforms. I would imagine that it would shoot steel case, but it probably would not cycle it as well as brass. Steel does not have the natural lubricity that brass does. I do not reload steel cases, and generally steel cases are not considered reloadable. I know there are guys out there that will though, as well as aluminum cases. While it is technically possible to resize steel and aluminum, it is much harder on the presses and dies to do so and the those cases are much more prone to splitting in the process. They are just simply not ideal for reloading and I see no reason to utilize them in that capacity. Brass cases tend to be fairly plentiful, so why mess with steel if you don't have to.

[@bonghungk7544]

@@Preacher357 thanks for your reply. Looked like a fun time shooting.

[@Preacher357]

@@bonghungk7544 Absolutely. I love lever guns, but it is pretty much a fun time any time I am shooting.

[@bonghungk7544]

@@Preacher357 right on! You’re a lucky man. You’ve got a private shooting range and excuse the pun therefore you call the shots on your land.

[@Preacher357]

@@bonghungk7544 I won't argue with that. I have been extremely fortunate and blessed in this life. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@williammount6496]

Jams only happen when you're on camera

[@Preacher357]

There may be truth to that. When I am on camera I get distracted with talking and probably don't rack the lever as forcefully as I should.

[@denniskennedy3311]

Some one left a comment that his broke shooting 180 grain it's hard for me to believe

[@Preacher357]

Anything can happen with any mechanical device. It might have broken while he was shooting 180 grain, but that doesn't mean that the weight of the bullet had anything to do with it. It might have just been a defective part in the gun that happened to break at that time. You never know. It was a sample size of one, just like most videos on KZbin including my own, which does not offer much certainty regarding the ok overall quality of the product.

[@clydehoppers6375]

Henry did not copy Marlin , they didn't get started until 1870.

[@Preacher357]

Henry Repeating Arms was not founded until 1996. The Henry rifles we have today are in no way related to the original Henry rifle, which was actually manufactured by Oliver Winchester prior to founding Winchester Repeating Arms. The Henry centerfire rifles today are patterned directly after the Marlin 336 action.

[@cliffwebb1443]

That's a 20" barrel. The model x has a 17.5" barrel and the carbines are 16".

[@reptileguy8458]

Just purchased this exact same rifle yesterday. Haven't fired it yet. Question for you preacher? Mine and yours DO NOT have the octagon barrel which is fine but is there any advantage in having the octagon barrel? Or is it mostly for looks to the throwback of the old Henry rifle?

[@Preacher357]

Not really. It is mostly a cosmetic feature. It does add extra weight which can help with recoil and the balance of the rifle in some situations. However, with a pistol caliber like 357, any benefit will be minimal. Octagonal barrels are just cool, and that's about it.