Rifle Brand · Henry
Henry rifles: brand guide for hunters
Researched by James · Updated September 26, 2026 · Editorial policy
On this page
Founding, ownership and the 2025 Wisconsin manufacturing consolidation come from Henry's own newsroom and Wikipedia's Henry Repeating Arms entry. Current model pricing comes from Henry's own site; warranty details come from independent reporting on Henry's lifetime guarantee. Full methodology & editorial policy →
I hunt with airguns, not centerfire rifles, but Henry is one of the few remaining brands that builds only lever actions and only in the U.S., which made it worth a closer look.
Quick facts
| Founded | 1996, by Anthony Imperato and his father Louis Imperato, in Brooklyn, New York |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Rice Lake, Wisconsin (as of the 2025 consolidation; previously Bayonne, New Jersey from 2008-2021) |
| Where made | 100% in the USA, at Henry's Rice Lake and Ladysmith, Wisconsin facilities |
| Parent company / owner | Privately held; no public parent. Anthony Imperato remains Founder and CEO |
| Known for | Building only lever-action rifles, from rimfire to .45-70 big-bore, all made in America |
| Typical price range | About $590-$825 (rimfire) to $1,129-$1,430+ (centerfire and big-bore) MSRP |
| Warranty | A lifetime guarantee, transferable to later owners, covering most defects and many accidental-damage repairs |
Current lineup for hunters
| Model | Type | Calibers | Typical price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Boy | Lever-action, rimfire | .17 HMR, .22 S/L/LR, .22 WMR | About $670-$825 MSRP | Small game, plinking, a first lever gun |
| .30-30 Classic / X Model | Lever-action, tube magazine | .30-30 Winchester | About $1,129-$1,335 MSRP | Traditional whitetail deer hunting |
| Big Boy | Lever-action, pistol-caliber | .357 Mag/.38 Spl, .44 Mag/.44 Spl, .45 Colt | About $1,195-$1,270 MSRP | Short-range hunting and home-ground plinking |
| Long Ranger | Lever-action, detachable box magazine | .223 Rem, .243 Win, .308 Win, 6.5 Creedmoor | About $1,330-$1,500 MSRP | A lever gun with flatter-shooting, spitzer-capable cartridges |
| All-Weather / Big Boy .45-70 | Lever-action, big-bore | .45-70 Government | About $1,129-$1,430 MSRP | Big-bore hunting and close-range stopping power |
Like Marlin's and Winchester's tube-magazine guns, most Henry lever actions are limited to round-nose or flat-point bullets; the Long Ranger's detachable magazine is the exception. See bolt vs lever vs semi-auto for hunting for the trade-offs of the format generally.
Best Henry picks for hunting
- .30-30 X Model or Classic — the standard deer-hunting choice, priced with Marlin's and Winchester's equivalents; see best deer hunting calibers for how .30-30 stacks up.
- Long Ranger in 6.5 Creedmoor or .308 Win — for hunters who want a lever gun that can use modern spitzer ammunition at longer range.
- All-Weather .45-70 — for big-bore hunting or backup protection where weather resistance matters as much as power.
Pros and cons
Good fit
- Buyers who specifically want a 100% American-made lever gun
- Anyone who values a transferable lifetime guarantee over a 1-year warranty
- Hunters who want a lever action but also want modern spitzer-bullet ballistics (Long Ranger)
Look elsewhere
- Anyone who wants a bolt-action or semi-auto — Henry doesn't build either
- Budget buyers; even Henry's rimfire lever guns cost more than a comparable bolt-action .22
How Henry compares
Against Marlin, both build classic American tube-magazine lever guns in .30-30 and .45-70 at similar price points, and the choice often comes down to warranty philosophy — Henry's transferable lifetime guarantee versus Ruger's standard service policy for Marlin. Against Winchester's Model 94, Henry keeps all its manufacturing in-house in the U.S., where Winchester's lever guns are built under license by Miroku in Japan. Against Browning's BLR, Henry's tube-magazine guns are more traditional in feel, while the BLR's detachable magazine is closer to Henry's own Long Ranger in capability.
Verdict
Henry is a strong, honest choice if a lever action is what you want: American-made across the board, a genuinely generous warranty, and a lineup wide enough to cover rimfire plinking through big-bore hunting. It's simply not an option if you want a bolt-action or semi-auto rifle.
If a Henry would be a step up from your first gun ever, pellet gun vs PCP: which should you buy first covers that earlier decision, and how to teach someone to shoot safely covers safety fundamentals that carry over to any lever gun.
FAQ
Is Henry a good rifle brand?
Yes. Henry builds only lever-action rifles, all manufactured in the U.S., and backs them with an unusually generous lifetime guarantee that transfers to later owners, not just the original buyer. Its lineup runs from rimfire plinkers to serious .45-70 big-bore hunting rifles.
Where are Henry rifles made?
In the United States. Henry announced in March 2025 that it would consolidate 100% of its manufacturing in Rice Lake and Ladysmith, Wisconsin, moving all remaining operations out of its former Bayonne, New Jersey facility. Its slogan is literally "Made in America, Or Not Made At All."
Who owns Henry Repeating Arms?
It's privately held. Anthony Imperato, who co-founded the company with his father Louis Imperato in 1996, remains Founder and CEO. There's no public parent corporation.
Is Henry related to the original Henry rifle from the Civil War era?
Not directly. The modern company takes its name from Benjamin Tyler Henry, who designed the original 1860 Henry rifle, but Henry Repeating Arms itself was founded in 1996 in Brooklyn, New York, and has no corporate lineage back to the 19th-century New Haven Arms Company.
What is the best Henry rifle for hunting?
The Big Boy or All-Weather in .45-70 Government for big-bore hunting, or a .30-30 lever gun like the Henry X Model or Classic for standard whitetail deer hunting in brush country. Henry also sells detachable-magazine Long Ranger models in .243 Win, .308 Win and 6.5 Creedmoor for hunters who want a lever gun with a flatter-shooting cartridge.
How much does a Henry rifle cost?
Rimfire lever actions (Golden Boy) run about $670-$825. Centerfire .30-30 lever guns run about $1,129-$1,335. Pistol-caliber Big Boy rifles run about $1,195-$1,270, and .45-70 big-bore models run about $1,129-$1,430, all current MSRP from Henry's own site.
What is Henry's warranty?
A lifetime guarantee that covers the rifle for as long as it's owned, by the original buyer or anyone who owns it later, including many accidental-damage repairs on request. It's one of the more generous policies in the industry.
Does Henry make bolt-action or semi-auto rifles?
No. Henry's entire catalog is lever-action, from rimfire plinkers to detachable-magazine centerfire hunting rifles to big-bore .45-70 guns — it doesn't build bolt-actions or semi-autos.
Sources
- Henry Repeating Arms — Henry Commits 100% of Its Operations to the State of Wisconsin (2025 consolidation)
- Wikipedia — Henry Repeating Arms (founding, Imperato family, name origin, ownership)
- Henry Repeating Arms — current rifle model families and MSRP
- Ammoland — Henry Repeating Arms Lifetime Guarantee explained