Henry Rifle Forums

I'm kicking around the idea of adding a scope rail to my BBB. What concerns me is that attaching this piece of metal to the top of the brass receiver will scratch the brass. I don't necessarily want to make the scope a permanent attachment. How does one avoid scratching the brass?

The assortment on HenryPride.com that are made specifically for the Big Boys seem like they're no more likely to mar the top of the receiver than, say, a Skinner peep (at least by the looks of them). Aligned to the holes in the receiver and the points of contact are minimal.

There a lots of folks here who have put a scope on their brass BBs, so I'll let them chime in, too.

https://henrypride.com/collections/rifl ... ope-mounts

With my BBB .357, I put on/off a Henry picatinny rail several times.

Eye challenges. Tried a scope, n/g. Back to stock buckhorns, n/g. Tried a red dot, n/g. Finally took the rail off and went with Skinner barrel-mounted peep....that's the end of the story. Cannot remember any issues with the top of the brass receiver being bunged up in any way.

My BBB did acquire other historical "wounds" down-the-road. If you shoot a rifle, it will happen. Almost guaranteed. I just added a doozy to one of my S/A revolver wood grips a couple of days ago. Couple of distinctive, color-changing scratches on the left side. Not overly pretty, but a reminder to be aware in the future when I work on it.

Anyway, I don't know if you'll have any markings on your receiver top as you work toward selecting the best sight system for you. Trust other Henry Folk might tell you of their experiences....

PT7

PT7 wrote: I just added a doozy to one of my S/A revolver wood grips a couple of days ago. Couple of distinctive, color-changing scratches on the left side. Not overly pretty, but a reminder to be aware in the future when I work on it.


PT7

I feel your pain. My father and I have identical Henry Golden Boy rifles. The way we tell them apart at the range is that mine has this really nasty gouge in the bottom of the stock. (In reality, it's a tiny nick in the finish, not much bigger than a grain of rice, and you wouldn't find it without a deliberate search...) Sticks out like a turd in a punch bowl!


It's like these things are too beautiful for their own good. They're like musical instruments or fine pieces of furniture. If it was my Hi-Point getting banged up, I'd be like "So what?!" My Rugers? "Oh, darn...."

"But, don't scratch the Henrys!!!"

They're kind of like new cars, huh? You're just sort of paranoid until that first little ding or stone-chip or whatever, then it's like, "Well, glad that's over."

Had my first brass Henry at the range yesterday, and when I got it home, I saw what looked like little marks by the ejection port that could only have been caused by casings flying out. Did a little polishing, and they were still there (at least to my eye), but now it's "broken in," so I'll be less "white glove" about it!

To be honest, Curt, there was no pain. I'd say only a twitch of regret that I did the scratches myself, even though I had set up "protection" for the grip as I worked on the revolver.

~~~My first BBB Henry, when I lent it for a time to my son-in-law, had an "accident." A friend visiting him knocked another rifle into the BBB and made a 1" x 3" very noticeable solid scratch in the forend on the right side. A large band-aid literally would not have covered up that beauty. The rifle looked great from the left side, and shot the same.

~~~When changing stainless steel barrels on my Bond Arms derringer at an indoor range, I dropped one barrel onto the concrete floor. Wow, did that rearrange the muzzle end of the barrel! (Fortunately, no muzzle damage).

~~~I have scratches on the octagon barrel of my Henry SCG. Not sure where they came from....either rabbit hunting or at a range. I like to think they happened while I was walking the fields, while getting around hedge rows at the property lines. That was a good day.

~~~My favorite Benelli 12-ga looked like it had been in a battle. Much used, not abused, but took any number of hits. I did a lot of custom adjusts and add-ons to this shotgun, and you could say my gunsmith skills got out of control. The Benelli is the shotgun I should not have let get away from my gun cabinet. I'd take it back with every ouch it shows!!

~~~So at the moment. My Henry SCG is "broken in," as are all three of my Uberti revolvers. The NOTB Henry .357 All Weather hasn't yet even been shot. I bet it will acquire some new "designs" on it as I use it....even possibly this week when I try it out and sight it in.

Like I said....it is guaranteed. Hopefully, your pain will lessen as these guarantees come about.

Best,
PT7

CurtZHP wrote:

PT7 wrote: I just added a doozy to one of my S/A revolver wood grips a couple of days ago. Couple of distinctive, color-changing scratches on the left side. Not overly pretty, but a reminder to be aware in the future when I work on it.


PT7

I feel your pain. My father and I have identical Henry Golden Boy rifles. The way we tell them apart at the range is that mine has this really nasty gouge in the bottom of the stock. (In reality, it's a tiny nick in the finish, not much bigger than a grain of rice, and you wouldn't find it without a deliberate search...) Sticks out like a turd in a punch bowl!

It's like these things are too beautiful for their own good. They're like musical instruments or fine pieces of furniture. If it was my Hi-Point getting banged up, I'd be like "So what?!" My Rugers? "Oh, darn...."

"But, don't scratch the Henrys!!!"

If you don't want your Henry's (or anything else) to be able to tell you its story of use/history, both good and bad, tape it inside its box, place it in your safe and leave it there.

OP- a strip of electrical tape attached to the bottom of the rail will prevent any scratching.

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I've got those little cartridge dings too. I've intentionally watched as rounds ejected pivot coming out of the port and slap the side of the receiver. Since the dings are already there, I haven't put any effort into seeing if there is something that can be 'tuned' so that the case rims are released sooner so as to eject straight out to the side.

ESquared wrote:... I saw what looked like little marks by the ejection port that could only have been caused by casings flying out.

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Mounting a rail shouldn't mar the brass. But, check the underside of the rail for burrs, that might cause dings. A rail that comes loose can cause some abrasion. Use a tiny bit of blue loctite on the screws and torque the screws to spec with a torque driver. Instructions for the rail should tell you the torque setting.

CurtZHP wrote:I'm kicking around the idea of adding a scope rail to my BBB. What concerns me is that attaching this piece of metal to the top of the brass receiver will scratch the brass. I don't necessarily want to make the scope a permanent attachment. How does one avoid scratching the brass?

If you shoot a rifle, it will happen. Almost guaranteed.

Yea but it doesn't mean I have to like it!!
But I get over it quickly when it happens.
It's one of the reasons I always try to buy used guns if possible but sometimes what I want is not available used and a new one shows up unexpectedly and I go for it - such was the case with my Henry.
Looking at the pics of Esquareds new carbine reminded me of how mine looked when it was new. Actually it's still pretty clean - a couple minor beauty marks on the stock but I have managed to keep my barrel bright blue with no marks.
Then brass is getting some surface scratches but when I perform a complete teardown and cleaning I'll probably hit it with Never-Dull!

Mags wrote:.
I've got those little cartridge dings to. I've intentionally watched as rounds ejected pivot coming out of the port and slap the side of the receiver. Since the dings are already there, I haven't put any effort into seeing if there is something that can be 'tuned' so that the case rims are released sooner so as to eject straight out to the side.

ESquared wrote:... I saw what looked like little marks by the ejection port that could only have been caused by casings flying out.

I'm convinced these marks were from ejections with which I wasn't being forceful, or the bag got in the way of the lever and the casing "limped" out of the chamber.

If I do it the way it's supposed to be done, it ejects in a very consistent pattern.

What's "Never Dull"? Like Brasso or Flitz?

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Specifically use Nevr-Dull by 'Eagle One'. The other Nevr-Dull product by 'George Basch' contains ammonia and should not be used on brass.

Older previous topics to review:
"Paste Wax" http://henryrifleforums.com/viewtopic.p ... =30#p59840
"Scratches" http://henryrifleforums.com/viewtopic.p ... sds#p63298

Mistered wrote:...then brass is getting some surface scratches but when I perform a complete teardown and cleaning I'll probably hit it with Never-Dull!

What's "Never Dull"?

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I was aware to be forceful when watching the ejections. Anyway, you've got the scoop now on Nevr-Dull.

Read about Flitz starting here:
http://henryrifleforums.com/viewtopic.p ... ish#p63501
Note, a post later CT_Shooter's experience with using the wrong version of Flitz.

Brasso contains among other things ammonia and oxalic acid, chemicals I wouldn't want brass exposed to.

ESquared wrote:

Mags wrote:.
I've got those little cartridge dings to. I've intentionally watched as rounds ejected pivot coming out of the port and slap the side of the receiver. Since the dings are already there, I haven't put any effort into seeing if there is something that can be 'tuned' so that the case rims are released sooner so as to eject straight out to the side.

ESquared wrote:... I saw what looked like little marks by the ejection port that could only have been caused by casings flying out.

I'm convinced these marks were from ejections with which I wasn't being forceful, or the bag got in the way of the lever and the casing "limped" out of the chamber.

If I do it the way it's supposed to be done, it ejects in a very consistent pattern.

What's "Never Dull"? Like Brasso or Flitz?

Regarding the ding marks on the receiver of my BBB 357, they were in fact caused by cycling aluminum snap caps. Do any of the members in this thread who mentioned receiver ding marks use aluminum snap caps? Just curious.

I think I'll:
1. Be as careful as possible, but not OCD about any of it.
2. Stick with RenWax, as it's a case of "so far, so good" on my brass 45 Colt carbine.
3. Live with incidental dings as reminders of the fun I had shooting them - all of them!

Great group of threads, though, and thanks, Mags for all the MSDS research. This forum needs a good chemist, and we have one!

Always learning here.

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I have. With my Henry, they pivot out same as the brass cases slapping the side of the receiver.

Anyway, I'm with E^2 on scope mounting.

shootinthecinders wrote:Regarding the ding marks on the receiver of my BBB 357, they were in fact caused by cycling aluminum snap caps. Do any of the members in this thread who mentioned receiver ding marks use aluminum snap caps? Just curious.

ESquared wrote:I think I'll:
1. Be as careful as possible, but not OCD about any of it.
2. Stick with RenWax, as it's a case of "so far, so good" on my brass 45 Colt carbine.
3. Live with incidental dings as reminders of the fun I had shooting them - all of them!

Great group of threads, though, and thanks, Mags for all the MSDS research. This forum needs a good chemist, and we have one!

Always learning here.

Thanks Mags. I was thinking more in terms of the hardness of the case hitting the receiver: aluminum on brass vs brass on brass

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Ok gotcha. I couldn't tell you for sure if any of the 'ant' track dings were from snap caps. In thinking about it, I think not. Snap cap surfaces are all smooth, whereas spent brass case mouths have a sharp lip. It looks to me that when the case rotates out of the eject port a full 180 degrees the case mouth is what is causing the 'ant' track dings.

shootinthecinders wrote:Thanks Mags. I was thinking more in terms of the hardness of the case hitting the receiver: aluminum on brass vs brass on brass

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um, not a chemist, although I did get an A in high school chemistry.

I retired from regulatory product compliance (FCC/CE, quality and product ecology (hazardous material) regulations).

ESquared wrote:I think I'll:
1. Be as careful as possible, but not OCD about any of it.
2. Stick with RenWax, as it's a case of "so far, so good" on my brass 45 Colt carbine.
3. Live with incidental dings as reminders of the fun I had shooting them - all of them!

Great group of threads, though, and thanks, Mags for all the MSDS research. This forum needs a good chemist, and we have one!

Always learning here.