#wheelgunwednesday

When I first saw the revolvers of Henry Repeating Arms, I was at once impressed and disappointed. The grip frame/recoil hump reminds one of the Colt Model 1877 – the Lightning and Thunderer revolvers. Early efforts at a “double action” (trigger-cocking) design, they are known as the “first successful” guns of the sort. At that, they were known to be cantankerous and slow to unload and load. 

Those guns didn’t feature the swing-out cylinder. 

The Henry is wonderfully polished and finished. The odd-grip frame aside, the H016GD Henry Golden Boy Revolver 22 LR is unlike those guns of old. The “Gunfighter” treatment is the square-butt version of the new Henry gun. The “Birdshead” round butt is the other. Meant to evoke memories of the frontier, like the Henry lever action carbines (of which I’m a fan), the company stuck to a classic look while incorporating upgraded elements – a swing out cylinder with a thumb latch, a nice polish on the blue steel and brass, walnut stocks, a transfer bar action and a latch to remove the cylinder to facilitate cleaning. 

It’s a plinker. If the sights were better, it’d be a field gun – but the fine finish will lead many to keep the Golden Boy Revolver in the safe when they’re not shooting it. 

The Golden Boy Revolver is a 10-shot 22. Below, the sample has the “Gunfighter” – or square butt – grip frame.

The sample is the four-inch barrel version with square butt stocks. The gun is built around a 10-round cylinder. The barrel is marked “22S/L/LR.”

We got a break in the weather between blizzards, thunderstorms, wind storms with a gusty, sunny, warm March day. I used Winchester Super-X 40 gr. and Winchester-Western bulk packed 36-grain plated HP on that first range trip. 

With 22s of any sort, you’ll find they tend to have favorites in the ammunition department. Perhaps the H016GD would have liked something else better. At that, the gun provided an enjoyable range trip. 

Accuracy was casual, partly due to sights, trigger, subjective “feel” and age of the shooter. The sights are tiny, not adjustable, but the gun is provided with a pair of spare front sights. One is taller than the “M” front sight factory-installed and the other shorter. 

That’s a thoughtful touch. 

The cylinder can be removed by swinging it open, then activating a latch on the front of the trigger guard. 

As it’s a ten-round 22, it had the expected short cylinder travel of the “many-rounds 22” revolver. The gun is weighty, as expected by its (largely) steel construction. The DA pull is stout but manageable. The single action is short, appropriately firm with a clean let-off. It’s clear that the sear has plenty of engagement. Further taking the worry out of being close, the gun features a transfer bar “safety.” This just means that the hammer can’t reach the firing pin if you were to remove the transfer bar. 

Pulling the trigger presses the transfer bar up in line with the hammer. When the trigger has completed its travel, the hammer hits the transfer bar which … transfers the hammer’s energy to the frame-mounted firing pin. Releasing the trigger drops the transfer bar out of battery. 

The Golden Boy is more configured for double-action shooting. Below, the ca. 38 ounce 22 revolver has nearly no recoil.

The recoil and noise from the beefy revolver are minimal. The use of the cylinder latch is reflexive.

It’s clear from the design of the exaggerated grip frame and recoil “hump” that the gun was designed around double-action shooting. It’s easily enough thumb-cocked but the sights aren’t conducive to precision bullseye. 

Weighing around 38 ounces, empty, there’s enough weight to keep the gun stable at point while being light enough not to wear you out.

As a gun to introduce youths to revolver shooting, this has a real advantage with those tiny sights. You’ll learn to accommodate them and really look at them or you’ll get nowhere. The action, while not match-fine, is smooth, with no grit, stacking, fits-and-starts; it’s clean. 

If you rise to the challenge of shooting it, you’ll become a better shot. It’s why we have beginner’s guns. Besides, the gun’s classic appearance and the appeal of the 22 cartridge are a great combination. 

— Rich Grassi