Lever-action

A big chunk of the Henry portfolio is in rimfire and pistol caliber rifles and carbines. It was only within the last handful of years that Henry started to make some full powered rifles, which they call the “Large Caliber Rifles”. These rifles, like pretty much all of the Henry offerings, are down right handsome. We are talking classic styled rifles with Walnut stocks, deep rich bluing on the steel and of course the traditional Henry brass frame. They are sexy looking long guns that make it hard not to treat as safe queens. But these are rifles that can be a great field, truck or saddle guns. Henry now has the perfect compromise with the All-Weather Lever Actions that are available in 30-30 and 45-70.

Ever since the .500 Smith & Wesson Magnum came on the scene in 2003, there have been a bunch of folks trying to figure out how to cram the cartridge into a rifle—especially a lever-action rifle. It’s an American obsession ever since the cowboy days: A guy “needs” to have a lever-action rifle chambered for his handgun cartridge.

While Hollywood gave screen stars Winchester rifles, many real-life heroes carried Marlin rifles. According to the company’s website, Annie Oakley, Captain Hardy, and William “Buffalo Bill” Cody all used Marlin rifles. And, today’s 1895GBL carries on the tradition of providing great lever-actions to consumers.

The 1860 Henry, a paradigm-shifting lever action that first appeared in the Civil War era and influenced firearm design well into the future. But, originals of this firearm can be rare and expensive. So what about those of us who would like to own one for themselves, one that we can actually shoot?

To put it simply, Henry Rifles look cool. Maybe it is a Country-Boy-Hipster-Thing, but brass framed lever guns have that certain something that not only appeals to my gun loving side, but also to my functional art side. This is a slick looking rifle that, most importantly, is a hell of a shooter.

I don’t generally believe in love at first sight, so I’ll call this “lust with potential.” Gun folks are always on the hunt for that perfect gun, the one that has all the features and advantages without making any compromises. This is one of those guns.

Shooting a squirrel with a .45-70 doesn’t leave much meat on the bone. Don’t ask me how I know this. Let’s just say that the .22 is more suited for this application. And Henry’s Small Game Carbine is the perfect choice for magnum rimfire.

The Henry Repeating Arms Company has listened to customer suggestions and issues and has now addressed a few problem areas on their .45-70 and .30-30 rifles. We’re back on the range with the new guns to update our original review. So what’s new?

The original Henry may well be lost to history, but you can still shoot a Henry Original. And this monster lever-action is an experience. This historic firearm was once a monumental leap forward in firearms technology. How does it stack up today?