Henry Repeating Arms

Henry Repeating Arms builds the smoothest lever-action rifles you can buy today. Anthony Imperato founded the company in 1996 in Brooklyn, New York, and they've grown into the largest lever-action manufacturer in America by doing one thing really well -- making traditional rifles that actually work.

When Marlin got sold to Ruger and quality went to hell, Henry stepped up and became the go-to source for new lever guns.

They're not the original Henry from the Civil War days, but they've earned their own reputation. The company operates under "Made in America, Or Not Made At All" -- and they actually mean it. Three facilities between New Jersey and Wisconsin, everything machined and assembled here. They test-fire every single rifle before it ships.

The original Henry rifle company from the 1860s became Winchester after Benjamin Tyler Henry's patents ran out. Anthony Imperato revived the Henry name in 1996 as a completely new company with no corporate connection to the original.

• •The Henry name's journey from Civil War era to modern manufacturing

Some folks get bent out of shape about this. Fair enough -- but Henry has earned its reputation over 25+ years of building quality rifles and backing them up with solid customer service. The proof is in the shooting, not the paperwork.

Henry sticks to lever actions and does them right. Three main categories cover every use case.

The H001 Classic in .22 LR runs about $350 and might be the ideal first rifle. Brass receiver, American walnut stock, tube magazine holds 15 rounds. The action breaks in smooth as glass after a few hundred rounds.

The Golden Boy bumps the price to $500 but gives you upgraded brass and wood. Same reliable guts, prettier exterior. Both load from the front of the magazine tube -- old school but it works.

Here's where Henry really shines. The Big Boy in .357 Magnum lets you shoot cheap .38 Special for practice and step up to .357 Magnum for deer hunting. Same magazine, same rifle. Pair it with a .357 Magnum revolver and you've got the classic cowboy setup that worked in 1876 and still works today.

Steel receivers run $700-800, brass versions hit $850-1000. The Big Boy X adds tactical features -- threaded barrel, Picatinny rail, side loading gate -- for about $900. All of them feed from tube magazines that hold 10 rounds.

The .44 Magnum and .45 Colt versions work the same way. Pick your poison based on what revolver you carry.

Henry's Long Ranger series breaks from tradition with detachable box magazines. This lets you safely load pointed bullets in calibers like .308 Winchester and 6.5 Creedmoor. Price hits $1000-1200, but you get modern ballistics in a lever-action package.

For traditional brush hunting, their .30-30 and .45-70 models with side loading gates run $900-1100. These are your classic woods rifles for shots under 150 yards.

Henry's biggest early complaint was front-loading magazines only. You had to remove the tube, dump out all your cartridges, and reload from scratch. Pain in the ass.

• •How Henry evolved from front-loading limitations to modern side-loading convenience

They listened and added side loading gates to most centerfire models. Now you can top off through the receiver like a proper lever gun. Took them a few years to get there, but they fixed the problem.

Henry uses a mix of CNC machining and hand fitting. The brass receivers are cast rather than machined from billet -- keeps costs reasonable while maintaining that classic look. Steel receivers get conventional machining.

Every rifle gets test-fired before shipping. Actions are consistently smooth, fit and finish beats anything else in the price range.

The brass scratches easily but it's purely cosmetic. American walnut stocks across the lineup. No plastic furniture or cost-cutting shortcuts on the wood.

With Marlin now under Ruger's ownership and still rebuilding their reputation, Henry became the default choice for lever guns. They didn't plan it that way, but they're the only major manufacturer shipping quality lever actions in volume.

With Marlin now under Ruger's ownership and still rebuilding their reputation, Henry became the default choice for lever guns. They didn't plan it that way, but they're the only major manufacturer shipping quality lever actions in volume.

The H001 Classic gets recommended constantly as a first rifle. Smooth action, manageable recoil, built to last. Gun shops stock them because they sell and customers come back happy.

Hunters who want lever guns buy Henry because the alternatives are scarce. Used Marlins command premium prices, and new production is still ramping up under Ruger.

• •Brass frames show every fingerprint and scratch
• •Looks gorgeous in store, shows wear quickly in field
• •Steel receivers avoid this problem

Some rimfire models use zinc and plastic components to hit price points. They work fine but feel cheaper than the all-steel competition.

Special editions come out constantly. Military tributes, state commemoratives, wildlife themes. Good for business but may dilute collectible value long-term.

The front-loading magazine on rimfire models still annoys some shooters, though it's historically accurate to the original design.

Henry makes the smoothest production lever actions available today. Period. When I hand someone an H001 Classic, they always comment on how buttery the action feels compared to other .22 LR rifles in the same price range.

The company's customer service backs up their lifetime warranty without hassle. They answer phones, fix problems, and stand behind their products. That matters more than corporate heritage or historical pedigree.

Actions speak louder than ancestry. Henry has earned their reputation through 25 years of building quality rifles and treating customers right.

Yes, they appropriated the Henry name from a company that died 150+ years ago. But they've earned their reputation through 25 years of building quality rifles and treating customers right. If you want a lever-action rifle today, Henry offers the widest selection, smoothest actions, and most reliable availability. The alternatives are limited and getting scarcer. Buy with confidence.