[northhike]

I am considering adding a .22 lever action to my .22 collection. I have looked at the Henry, but it seems really small....like a youth gun. I have not held or seen the Marlin 39a in person, but I am a big Marlin fan. Recommendations on either of these two?

[c3shooter]

The Henry is a good rifle. The 39A is a GREAT rifle. Honest, machined steel, walnut. My grandchildren are shooting the 39A that my Mom bought my Dad before I was born. Acurate, reliable, solid. Pricy? Yes. Heavy? Uh-huh. Last longer than you will? Yep.

[M14sRock]

I have a post war 39A carbine, and a new model 39AS. I think they are the best overall .22's avail.

[HOSSFLY]

Originally Posted by northhike

I am considering adding a .22 lever action to my .22 collection. I have looked at the Henry, but it seems really small....like a youth gun. I have not held or seen the Marlin 39a in person, but I am a big Marlin fan. Recommendations on either of these two?

You most likely WERE looking at a Henry youth rifle-
Take a look at the Golden Boy
Winchester 9422 are fine but overpriced IMO
If you have the funds go Marlin

[Hawg]

My Golden Boy if I remember right without getting it out and measuring has a 14 1/4" pull. I had a Marlin 39A and wish I had it back but I wouldn't give up my Henry for it.

[rifleman55]

The Henry is a great rifle, as is the Marlin, but also give the Browning lever action rifle a good look. They are very accurate and have about the nicest bluing and wood of any rifle produced.

Any of the three will be an excellent rifle.

If you can get to a gunshop that carries all three, check each out for the way they feel and fit.
The one that fits the best, you will most likely shoot the best.

John K

[etaoin]

After some intense research, I picked up a Henry Golden Boy .22LR this past weekend. I knew that both the Henry and the Marlin 39A have stellar reputations. I had a chance to compare both side-by-side, new. A couple things I didn't like about the Marlin -- the action was rough and the trigger pull was sloppy. Also, this dorky rebounding hammer thing doesn't make any sense and when you pull the trigger, you can feel the rebounding. I didn't like it. The Golden Boy, on the other hand was absolutely beautiful. The action is smooth as butter and the trigger pull was short and crisp. Yes, people will say the 39A is better because the action is all steel, but that doesn't necessarily float my boat. Smoothness, looks and how it came to the shoulder are what drove me -- without a doubt -- to the Henry Golden Boy. YMMV.

[BlackWidow]

You'll love that Henry. I got the H001T Frontier Model a few years ago. It just feels perfect in my hands and is a great shooter, too.

[Catfish]

Don`t know where you seen a Marlin 39 that was rough or a Henery that was smooth. Nothing wrong with a Henery, but the Marlin is a much better gun. I have had guys tell me how good their Henery shoot, but have never seen one out shoot a Marlin, ever.

[etaoin]

Originally Posted by Catfish

Don`t know where you seen a Marlin 39 that was rough or a Henery that was smooth. Nothing wrong with a Henery, but the Marlin is a much better gun. I have had guys tell me how good their Henery shoot, but have never seen one out shoot a Marlin, ever.

My hands-on experience with both guns was at the local Gander Mountain and at a local gun show. In all, I handled three Marlin 39A's and three Henry Golden Boys. In all three cases, the guns were new manufacture and in all three cases the Marlin was noticeably rougher cocking than the Henry. And the trigger pull on all three examples was what I described. Hey, that's just three out of thousands, but as I said, YMMV -- Your Mileage May Vary.

Now, I wouldn't doubt that older models of the 39A might be silky smooth, but I didn't see any of those.