The Henry Repeating Arms lever action gun was late to the Civil War. The U.S. Army never adopted the rifle. But it did see action via soldiers’ personal purchase. Unfortunately, that was the conflict where soldiers invented trench warfare. Ever try cocking a lever gun from a prone position with bullets whizzing above your head? Even more unfortunate (depending on your perspective): Native Americans used Henrys to eliminate General George C. Custer and his troops at the Battle of Little Big Horn. Still, point taken. If it’s good enough for the military it’s good enough for civilians, what with our non-infringeable right to keep and bear arms and all. A concept the editors of RECOIL magazine missed. Big style. [NB: We never met a modern Henry we didn’t like.]

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35 COMMENTS

  2. I was a Civil War history nut(if you’ve seen the first few minutes of “The Outlaw Josey Wales’ you’ve seen the part of rural west-central Missouri I grew up in) at about the same time I was a junior-high gun-geek. Sorry, I just thought (and still think) that among repeaters of the era the Spencer had it all over the Henry despite a smaller magazine and lacking self-cocking. But among modern Henrys – I’ve shot a friend’s Henry AR-7 a few times and it is much better than the Charter Arms version I had stuffed under the pickup seat for several years. I just wish that Henry would re-introduce (or finally introduce, since only 25 of the things were made) Stoner’s original AR-5. The Air Force tested this bolt-action .22 Hornet version of the AR-7 in the ’50s, but Congress refused to fund production for some reason. I’ve never even seen a picture of one, but a 3-pound floating Hornet stowed inside its own stock sounds like a nifty little thing to have in the bug-out bag.

  3. A friend just bought the Henry Lever Action .22 Magnum from Wholesale Sports and keeps talking about it.

    I’m interested in either the .22 Pump Action Octagon barrel or the .22 Lever Action Octagon. The .30/30 blued with round barrel is nice too. Then there is the .17 HMR Varmint Express.

  4. Doesn’t the term “for sport” refer to killing for fun? So what would “sporting purpose” mean with that perspective?

    People don’t like to mention the real reason firearms are necessary and ultimately can’t be taken away. That is, bad people organizing into large groups and removing others freedom and lives.

  6. the henry repeater was the state of the art in it’s day. and if it was good enough for woodrow call, it’s good enough for me.

  7. “Unfortunately, that was the conflict where soldiers invented trench warfare. Ever try cocking a lever gun from a prone position with bullets whizzing above your head?”

    Unsure about this observation. Are you saying this was a poor design for warfare (trench or otherwise)? Or, it would be easier to reload a muzzleloader in the prone position with bullets whizzing by your head?

  8. Those are beautiful guns. My only question is this: If you were to scope one, how would you get a cheek weld? With the exception of the Varmint Express and Acu-Bolt, the stocks are all clearly angled for use with iron sights. Do you get one of those lace on cheek pads?

  9. Ever try cocking a lever gun from a prone position with bullets whizzing above your head?

    Probably still easier than reloading a muzzle-loader..

  11. “Ever try cocking a lever gun from a prone position with bullets whizzing above your head?”

    Hypothesis: It sure beat the heck out of reloading an 1861 Springfield whilst standing with bullet whizzing everywhere.

  12. Look for brand new remake of the Henry 1860 at SHOT 2013 and later release in June 2013. Hopefully TTAG will review the new Henry.

  13. The Kentucky rifle used in our Revolutionary war to great effect was a ‘Civilian’ sporting arm. It was adapted and used by the military because of it’s greater accuracy as a sniper weapon. So did the framers of our constitution feel that the Kentucky rifle should now be available only to the military? I think not.

    • The Kentucky Long Rifle (actually originated in Pennsylvania) was a “sporting” rifile. The colonial militia’s brought their long rifles to the fight because that’s what many of them had. The KLR was not a good military weapon because it took too long to load and was not bayonet ready. It was good sniper rifle but it was one and done in a battle line.

      • True, it was NOT a ‘military’ weapon based upon the tactics of the time. But my point was to address the issue of ‘civilialins’ not being able to own the same or equilivent arms as our military. The Winchester model 70 and the Remington Model 700 do not have bayonet lugs either.

  14. I’ve been seeing quite a number of Henry ads on the tube of late, which is both surprising and welcome. Oddly enough they seem to want civilians to buy them. They even have a pretty nifty .45-70. Hmmm…

  15. oh the horror, its a “shoulder thing that goes up” from the 19th century! even though i never bought recoil mag, (i thought it looksed like a COD fanboy rag) and it would seen i was correct.

  17. “Ever try cocking a lever gun from a prone position with bullets whizzing above your head?”

    Really? Ever try reloading a muzzleloading Springfield–while standing up to get the poweder to fall down this 56″ long rifle–while 500 grain Mini balls are flying around all over the place? And with a rate of fire of 2-3 rounds per minute? I’ll take the lever action, TYVM.

  19. I would think that based on the objections raised by Recoil, the M1 Carbine should also be considered unfit for civvie use.

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