Been wanting a .45 Colt levergun for some years now and finally ran across a good deal on a brand-new one at a local gun store. It is a Henry Big Boy in .45 Colt, with the 20" magazine. Nothing fancy, but the action is pretty smooth, especially for a new gun.

Also, my understanding is that the rifle is strong enough for the Buffalo Bore +P loads, which are Ruger and T/C loads. Being a handloader, I have just such a load (255gr cast bullet) for .45 Colt that gets fired in the Super Redhawk, and I'm looking forward to trying it in the Big Boy as well. This should be fun!

Nice!

I have a Rossi .45 LC levergun in 20” that the previous owner polished the trigger-group for cowboy action competition but subsequently didn’t shoot very much. I myself have just kept it in the safe and didn’t shoot it yet. When I get back to playing w casting and hand loading I look forward to plinking with that big lead slinger.

Dang. Pics pls!

Congrats CT ! Looks like a fun new toy.
https://www.henryusa.com/rifles/big-boy/

Happy Hunting!

Hey, that's great news. I love that round. And yes, we must have zee pics.

CDFingers

Love mine. I usually shoot it with “standard” .45 colt loads to keep it quiet, but yes, it does handle the “Ruger only” recipes as well. The

primary restriction on loads the manufacturer recommended to me was to keep the bullet weight under 260 grains or their will be feeding issues … and NO .45 colt +p+ … whatever that means.

Some of my research on the topic of loading .45 colt for my Henry is in this thread:

https://theliberalgunclub.com/phpBB3/v ... 29&t=61584


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Hey, you have a stripey dude also. Neat rifle.

CDFingers

A can and flashlight at the end of a levergun… I luv it!
Tacticool Cowboy!!!

Lever guns are just cooler than other guns, no getting around it.

I was wanting a .357 mag lever gun to go with my blackhawk and SP101 but now that I've got a Vaquero I've been looking for a levergun in .45.
But I fear it will take longer because I'm boycotting FFLs since the new deal on reporting people if they get put on a hold.
Seems like over reach. I will not play that game.
I bet someone will show up locally that's dismayed at the lack of 45 lc ammo and its price.

tonguengroover wrote: Thu Nov 03, 2022 1:46 pm I was wanting a .357 mag lever gun to go with my blackhawk and SP101 but now that I've got a Vaquero I've been looking for a levergun in .45.
But I fear it will take longer because I'm boycotting FFLs since the new deal on reporting people if they get put on a hold.
Seems like over reach. I will not play that game.
I bet someone will show up locally that's dismayed at the lack of 45 lc ammo and its price.

Yeah, you really have to reload to totally enjoy the .45LC. You could start with a single stage press, one set of dies, and a set of Lee dippers for the .45LC. One can of Unique.

CDFingers

Stopped by the big LGS in town just now on the way home to ask about that new law and they verified it. But the guy said our local law enforcement doesn't give a fig.

And there was a Henry Big Boy there in .45 LC for 900 and some change.....checking MSRP says thats like 100 ducats over. Meh Too much. lol

CDFingers wrote: Thu Nov 03, 2022 4:11 pm

tonguengroover wrote: Thu Nov 03, 2022 1:46 pm I was wanting a .357 mag lever gun to go with my blackhawk and SP101 but now that I've got a Vaquero I've been looking for a levergun in .45.
But I fear it will take longer because I'm boycotting FFLs since the new deal on reporting people if they get put on a hold.
Seems like over reach. I will not play that game.
I bet someone will show up locally that's dismayed at the lack of 45 lc ammo and its price.

Yeah, you really have to reload to totally enjoy the .45LC. You could start with a single stage press, one set of dies, and a set of Lee dippers for the .45LC. One can of Unique.

CDFingers

Plus the side benefit that Large pistol primers are easier to come by than small pistol or small pistol magnum lately. Even at .10-.12 a primer the savings on .45 colt is immense. Even with brand new, star line brass I’m loading them for about .45/round. Once the brass is “once fired,” it’s .20/round … 4-5 boxes of .45 colt can buy you the Lee challenger starting kit - of which I use the press today. The long pole In The tent is primers - but I’m finding them by being diligent.

I can’t find unique anywhere but win231 is widely available and at almost “pre-pandemic” prices it’s it’s extremely versatile: use it for .38 SPL, .45 ACP, .45 colt, 9mm, .32 ACP.

I still have 50 brand new Starline brass for the .45LC. In maybe 20 years, I've only split three or four of the hundred I use. Most of my brass have been shot five times. It's a low pressure round in a huge case with tremendous capacity. Brass lasts long with this round. Truth be told, my go-to load is 255gr LRNFP at 950 fps. Very nice with the plow handle. I think there would be huge bullet drop at 100 yards out the rifle. This load is sub sonic. Any faster would get leading, so to shoot out to 100 you probably have to go gas checked or jacketed.

CDFingers

Got an EGW scope mount for the rifle on the way and am planning to scope this bad boy with a spare Zeiss Conquest that I've got lying around. Will get some pics once that's done.

Re: .45 Colt, yep, you pretty much do have to reload to enjoy this round without ending up in the poorhouse. Got LPP's and LPPM's, got Titegroup for "mild" load and will be trying that new Accurate 11FS load for the "wild" loads (my normal powder is 2400). Turns out Accurate has a Ruger/TC section, and they list pressures. Very good stuff.

OK, figured out the scope mounting, and here are some pics. The mounting of the scope is slightly unorthodox in order to get proper eye relief. The rings are those new EGW Keystone 1" rings, of 0.850" ("low") height. The ocular just clears the Picatinny mount. The scope is a Zeiss Conquest 3-9x40 with the good ol' Duplex reticle. That reticle is good for 250 yards point-blank range, so the 100 yard range of this rifle is obviously within the scope's capabilities.

Thumbnails are clickable.

tonguengroover wrote: Thu Nov 03, 2022 1:46 pm I was wanting a .357 mag lever gun to go with my blackhawk and SP101 but now that I've got a Vaquero I've been looking for a levergun in .45.
But I fear it will take longer because I'm boycotting FFLs since the new deal on reporting people if they get put on a hold.
Seems like over reach. I will not play that game.
I bet someone will show up locally that's dismayed at the lack of 45 lc ammo and its price.

Son has one in 38/357...and that one because of ammo $...Other son had a Uberi Cattleman(?) in 45LC and yee gads, it not only was a handful to shoot..ammo was $1+ per round.

Gotta agree...if you were turned down, that would be one thing but after the 'hold' you are approved. Kinda like being audited, if it happens once, it'll happen again..

I had a Winchester Trapper in .357 but sold it because it felt like shooting a BB gun. Shot great, was fun, but, meh.

CDFingers

Well, we know where that new rule came from about reporting on the 4473. I'd say, vote accordingly.

In the meantime, this weekend, I hope to develop that new load with Accurate 11FS and see how it goes. Got 255-grain cast boolits all ready to go.

CowboyT wrote: Fri Nov 04, 2022 11:43 pm Well, we know where that new rule came from about reporting on the 4473. I'd say, vote accordingly.

In the meantime, this weekend, I hope to develop that new load with Accurate 11FS and see how it goes. Got 255-grain cast boolits all ready to go.

Even if the person you'd vote for is some maga(t), trump loving, big lie supporting GOPathetic turd?

You mean to tell me there's no Liberal that you'd vote for that is truly pro-Second Amendment? Really? That's unfortunate.

Looks like this weekend, I just might have that opportunity to develop that load. Got the powder, got the cases, got the primers, and now it's just a matter of casting some boolits. I'm looking forward to it.

Primers? Whoa--gnarly.

CDFingers

CowboyT wrote: Fri Nov 04, 2022 11:43 pm Well, we know where that new rule came from about reporting on the 4473. I'd say, vote accordingly.

In the meantime, this weekend, I hope to develop that new load with Accurate 11FS and see how it goes. Got 255-grain cast boolits all ready to go.

I agree CT, make a list of your issue priorities and vote accordingly.

I for one am not willing to sacrifice the 1st, 4th, 5th and 9th amendments to avoid any sort of regulatory friction for the 2nd. YMMV.

I kind of want a lever gun in .45 Colt, but not willing to support the Trumpinistas running Henry. So that leaves Rossi. I don't like rifles enough to pick one up yet, either way, but if Rossi gives the .45 the bastardized rail treatment I might be forced to reconsider.