Henry Announces Six New Big Boy Color Case Hardened Rifles

Henry makes reliable, affordable lever guns that lots of shooters rely on for hunting, home defense and just plain fun. My favorite has always been the Big Boy Steel in .357. They offer five different chamberings in two barrel lengths; a 20-inch rifle and a 16.5-inch carbine. Now they’re adding something for those who want a little more panache.

Just ahead of SHOT, Henry’s just rolled out new Color Case Hardened versions of these guns. Like the Big Boy Steel, the Big Boy Color Case Hardened lever guns will be available in 20-inch or 16.5 inch versions, but these will have Henry’s more desirable octagonal barrels. And they’ll be chambered in your choice of 44 Magnum/.44 Special, .45 Colt, and .357 Magnum/.38 Special. Here’s their press release . . .

Spurred on by the popularity of the .30-30 and .45-70 Color Case Hardened lever action rifles introduced in 2016 Henry is adding six more guns with the same finish for 2018. Color case hardening is a time-honored technique that results in harder surface areas of the treated steel, and the waves of deep color make it easily recognizable.

The receiver and forend cap both get this color case hardening treatment, while the barrel, lever, and trigger have a blued finish. The top of the receiver is drilled and tapped for use with optics, and the rifle comes standard with fully adjustable semi-buckhorn rear sighs and a brass bead front sight. The barrel is Henry’s iconic octagonal blued steel barrel, and it is available in either a full-length 20-inch rifle version or a 16.5-inch carbine version.

Besides the reduced overall length, weight and capacity the carbine version features one other difference with the large loop lever installed from the factory. Shooters value the aesthetics of the large loop lever, but it also plays a more practical role in cold weather when a smaller lever might not fit gloved fingers comfortably.

The straight grip American Walnut stocks come pre-drilled with swivel studs for use with a sling, and the wood is deeply checkered to get a more confident grip on the gun. The Big Boy Color Case Hardened rifles and carbines are available in .44 Magnum/.44 Special, .45 Colt, and .357 Magnum/.38 Special. These caliber options make this model a strong pairing with a centerfire revolver of the same caliber.

The tube magazine under the barrel can hold ten rounds of ammunition in the rifle version, or seven rounds in the carbine version. All variations of the Big Boy Color Case Hardened models share an MSRP of $1,045. For more information visit: https://www.henryusa.com/rifles/big-boy-color-case-hardened/