Henry Rifle Forums

The Weaver 63 B base always used by the marlins works fine on my Big Boy Steel 357 with just some filing on the front base screw and you need to allow room for the head of the screw to seat in the base .Light weight and low profile does the trick

That's what I did to try out a red dot I had. Was going to replace it with the Henry base if I decided to stick with the red dot. The weaver is still on it. I went that route initially to get the scope quickly as it was available around the corner. No waiting on one to arrive from Henry.

Did you elongate the front screw hole in the base? If so how did you get the screw head to fit?

Fran

Hi, Fran. I just noticed this is your first post, so welcome to the conversation from CT. You'll enjoy the folks here. I'm sure you'll get the answer to your question soon enough.

Welcome, Fran, from the Show-Me-State.
What Henry(s) are you bringing along with you?

I don't own a Henry but am considering the Big Boy 45LC or the Big Boy Steel 45LC mainly for deer hunting in southern Michigan.

Fran49829 wrote:Did you elongate the front screw hole in the base? If so how did you get the screw head to fit?

Fran

Yes, I carefully used a small round file, tried to keep it on the same angle as the chamfer. I took off a little and then tried it, then took off a little more until I was there. That screw doesn't have as much strength as the other two, but it works.

Thank you

Did the weaver 63B base allow you to still use the iron sights with the scope removed?

Fran49829 wrote:Did the weaver 63B base allow you to still use the iron sights with the scope removed?

Yes, it does. I was thinking not, but just went and pulled the scope, plenty of clearance.

Thanks. I really want a Big Boy, but am thinking a BB Steel would be better for me as it is lighter and the scope can be removed and still use the iron sights. When I tried them out at the store the BB Steel did not have as smooth an action as the Brass BB. It also took more effort to close the lever. I suppose I could remove some of the spring to make it close easier. I am now leaning towards a 44 mag as there are more ammo types for hunting.

Fran

I have the Big Boy Steel in .357. I much prefer the weight and balance of the Steel vs the brass models. For me the .357 is perfect. Low recoil, cheap to reload for. I can even use the same ammo as my Model 10 Smith. The only down side is that it is not as suitable for hunting as the larger calibers. Most use of it is at the range, though.