Henry is embracing the suppressor boom with a new series of tactical modern lever guns and a beefed-up Mare’s Leg-style platform with a threaded barrel. We laid hands on the HUSH and the Bear’s Leg at NRAAM in Atlanta and were impressed.
 

HUSH Series

As the name implies, the HUSH, or Henry Ultimate Suppressor Host, series is designed to be the perfect lever gun suppressor host. With suppressors exploding in popularity, Henry saw a growing demand for modernized, suppressor-ready lever guns.

“Once you get a suppressor, you never go back,” Henry’s product director George Thompson said. “So, we’re embracing that trend.”
 

Related: Henry Unveils Special Products Division, Shows Insane Prototypes

If shooting suppressed has a drawback, it’s the added length and weight on the end of the barrel, which can throw off the delicate balance of a lever gun. Henry’s Special Products Division tackled the problem by using a BSF match-grade carbon-fiber barrel and TAPCO skeletonized aluminum forend to lighten the front half of the gun. This lighter front end makes up for the added weight of the suppressor.
 

“So, what that means is this gun, with a can on it, feels exactly like a wood-stocked, steel-barreled classic lever gun does, which is awesome,” Thompson explained. “It’s got that same center of gravity, same balance point, and it’s a match-grade barrel, so you have massively improved accuracy potential as well.”

The HUSH series is offered in five calibers: .44 Mag, .357 Mag/.38 SPL, .45 LC, .30-30, and .45-70 Gov’t, with the various models weighing between 6.4 and 7 pounds. Shooting the HUSH in .38 SPL “is like whisper quiet. You can hear the hammer fall on that thing,” Thompson noted.

MSRP on the HUSH is $1,999, and Henry plans to start shipping the guns in early May.
 

Bear’s Leg

You’ve heard of a Mare’s Leg, that chopped-down, lever-rifle-meets-handgun popularized by actor Steve McQueen back in the 1950s – but the Bear’s Leg is a brawnier version with a threaded barrel and muzzle brake.
 

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The firearm is an answer to demand for short lever guns, Thompson explained, and makes it easier for customers to SBR a Henry. With the Bear’s Leg, owning a short-barreled rifle is as simple as buying the gun in pistol configuration, completing the paperwork/paying the tax, and adding your choice of stock – no modifications to the barrel required.

The gun will be offered in .45-70 Gov’t and .30-30 Win to start, and Thompson expects to launch 60-90 days post-NRAAM.