Henry Repeating Arms makes some of the best rifles available. Here's why.
Henry Repeating Arms may not be the most well-known firearm company around, but they deserve all the accolades they've ever received.
Let's give them some more, and fill you in on why they're such a great brand, company, and gun.
After checking out one of their Big Boy Henry Rifles in 44 Magnum for evaluation and review, it's clear this is a frontrunner for the "best long rifle" category.
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From HenryUSA.com:
Henry Repeating Arms takes its name from Benjamin Tyler Henry, the inventor who patented the first repeating rifle in 1860, known as the Henry rifle. There is no affiliation or lineage to Benjamin Tyler Henry or to the New Haven Arms Company, who sold the original Henry rifle from 1862 to 1864. Anthony Imperato secured the trademark to the Henry name in 1996.
Here's why we think Henry Repeating Arms are the absolute best around.
1. Made in the U.S.A
There's a video on Henry's website that shows a guy throwing out everything in his house that is imported. There's not much left when he's done.
Henry Repeating Arms is headquartered in Bayonne, New Jersey and has manufacturing facilities in Rice Lake, Wisconsin. You can be proud that your Henry rifle was "Made in America, or not made at all."
2. Deadly Accurate
Joe Riekers
Straight out of the box, this Henry rifle was loaded with 44 Magnum ammunition. This target with 3-inch bullseye was set at 100-yards. With some leaning support, all of the shots landed within the bullseye using this long gun.
3. Smooth
Again, right out of the box, this action is silky smooth and lightning fast. It is Single Action Shooting Society-approved for competition. You can literally operate the action with one finger. The 44 Magnum Big Boy was quick and slick, like a well-oiled machine.
4. Easy to Clean
Just remove one screw from the lever and you can clean your Henry rifle from the breach. The bolt is easily removed for cleaning too.
Send a few squirts of a product like Gun Scrubber into the action and you're done. After a hundred rounds of 44 Magnum, the Big Boy was clean again in under 10 minutes.
5. Low Recoil
The heavy octagon barrel, weight forward balance and wide buttstock all mitigate recoil even with full power 44 Magnum loads in this Big Boy Henry rifle.
6. Simple Safety
Henry rifles do not feature a manual or half cock safety. These safety mechanisms are not really necessary on a lever action rifle that is handled carefully. Henry does use a trigger tab safety that requires the lever and action to be fully closed for the trigger to be pulled.
Henry also incorporates a firing pin block safety that prevents the hammer from hitting the firing pin unless the trigger is fully depressed. I don't know how the principals at Henry got past the lawyers on this one, but is makes for a rifle with very clean lines, simplistic operation and a common sense approach. The 44 Magnum we tested was a great example of this great design.
7. Retains Value
Most Henry Repeating Arms rifles are not that old, still in production, nor are they extremely rare. An original Henry rifle can be worth a lot. However, for a newly manufactured rifle, they do hold their value very well in the market.
Many people collect Henry Repeating Arms rifles, and most owners tend to hold on to them as they are rarely found on the used market. In fact, an All-Weather model specializes in long-lasting durability thanks to its corrosion-resistant finish.
Henry is turning out orders as fast as they can, but there is still some backlog, and most dealers will have you waiting a short while for your rifle to arrive.
Used prices tend to be very close to the new price with the only exception being those used rifles with excessive cosmetic damage that may be priced accordingly.
8. Selection
Henry offers rimfire rifles in 17, 22 and 22 Magnum caliber as well as centerfire rifles in 357, 44, 45, 30-30 and 45-70 caliber. There are lever actions, pump actions, semi-automatics and bolt actions available. There's even a Mare's Leg (legally a pistol but a kind of hybrid lever-action pistol/rifle).
You can have a black receiver, or a brass or silver-colored one. There are youth models of the most popular rifles available. Some models are tribute rifles, such as the American Farmer or Firefighter series.
Henry rifles come in a large selection of configurations, and they're releasing new ones all the time.
9. Versatility
Henry Repeating Arms has a variety of rifles in a variety of calibers, especially important during an ammo shortage like we're experiencing now. Whether you want .45 Colt or .357 Magnum, or something else, odds are Henry makes a firearm for it.
The accuracy, reliability and durability of the rifles make them suitable for any shooters.
Whether you are plinking or target shooting, hunting or cowboy action shooting, defending your homestead or knocking down steel, Henry has a rifle to suit your needs. The versatility is enhanced by a number of useful accessories that are available directly from Henry like scope mounts, sights, large loop levers, sling swivels and gun cases.
The 44 Magnum Big Boy we tested would be sufficient for any of the tasks mentioned and could be personalized with a scope, large lever or sling swivels.
10. The Best Customer Service and Support
If you send an e-mail to Henry, you are likely to get a response from the President of the company, Anthony Imperato. He likes to read the e-mail personally and most often responds to them. If you call Henry you will talk to a human without a lot of "button pressing" before your concern is heard.
This company makes a serious commitment to customer satisfaction. If your Henry rifle has any issues at all, they will typically send you a return label and box, make whatever repair of adjustment that is necessary and get your Henry rifle back to you very quickly.
The 44 Magnum Henry Big Boy rifle we tested did not experience any problems at all and we're confident Henry will take care of anything that may ever come up, although a problem is unlikely. Seriously, check out HenryUSA.com and see for yourself.
Bottom line, Henry is the kind of gun company all others should strive to be. Most won't ever reach this level, which is why Henry Rifles are the best.
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