gun review feature
The factory-made Henry Law Enforcement Tribute includes a carved wood stock.
tion rifl es as well. A wood and glass display case further enhances the presentation of these great-looking lever action rifl es. I’ve always liked lever action rifl es. I’m
partial to Marlins and have owned a .22 caliber Model 39 for well over two decades. When the Henry Goldenboy fi rst came out, I wanted one badly. But, I couldn’t ratio- nalize owning two lever actions chambered for the .22 long rifl e cartridge. T en Henry released a version of the Goldenboy cham- bered for the .17 Hornady Magnum Rim- fi re. My needed rationale materialized and my quandary was solved! I purchased a new Henry in .17 HMR and found its action to be light and smooth as the lever traverses its trajectory. T e classic gold bead front sight and semi-buckhorn rear sight line up as naturally today as they did well over 140 years ago. T e Goldenboy loads by fi rst untwisting the tubular magazine under the barrel and pulling it forward. Cartridges are dropped in the opening while holding the rifl e upside down with its muzzle pointed up at an angle. Each round slips down the magazine tube, which holds 16 .22lr, 12 .22 Magnum, or .17 HMR cartridges. T e 20-inch octagon barrel is deeply blued and matched well to its walnut stock. T e rifl e feels well balanced when hefted, despite its somewhat heavy barrel (due to its tiny .17-caliber rim fi re bore) lending to the lever action’s 6.75-pound weight. Large loop levers and scope mounts are available as accessories. I mounted a high-power var- mint scope on my .17 HMR version and was able to keep 10 shots inside a quarter at 100 yards as long as the wind wasn’t too
26 The Police Marksman Summer 2015
Henry Goldenboy
The motto “To Protect and Serve” is carved into the Law Enforcement Tribute gun’s forearm.
The Henry Law Enforcement Tribute lever action .22 is fi nely engraved with several police motifs.
Adding your last name to the brass butt plate creates a family heirloom.
brisk (the bullets only weigh 17 grains each). Speaking of quarters, my daughter Lauren had a blast shooting the Henry with coins taped to the center bullseye of a paper tar- get. T e .17 HMR bullets punch through a coin like it was made of paper, leaving a very clean hole. I brought my Henry to an outdoor range during a practice day and ev- eryone was lined up to shoot a hole through the coins they had in their pocket. Henry lever action rifl es are known for
jam-free operation and mine has been an ex- emplary example. T e Goldenboy in all of its variations is a strikingly handsome rifl e that any fi rearms owner would enjoy. It’s a shame
the tradition of placing a rifl e over the fi re- place mantle is frowned upon these days. T e Henry is too striking and too much fun to shoot to secure it away in a safe. It will need to come out for range time often. As a tribute to a fellow police offi cer re-
tiring from a specialized position or at the culmination of a long career, the Henry Goldenboy Law Enforcement Tribute or with a custom engraved receiver would be a tribute most certainly appreciated. Not only would the Henry be appreciated, but taken out and fi red as well. You can’t do that with a clock or a shadow box. PM
Steve Tracy has over two and a half decades experience as a police offi cer and fi rearms instructor. He is also a tactical rifl e, use of force, less-lethal, and scenario based training police instructor He can be reached at
steventracy@hendonpub.com.
Post your comments on this story by visiting
www.policemarksman.com
www.policemarksman.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76