Henry Golden Boy
Caliber: .22 S/L/LR
- 10-Round Capacity: More shots than standard rimfire revolvers.
- Versatile Action: Traditional DA/SA "Gunfighter" style.
- Premium Materials: Polished brass and American Walnut.
- Warranty: Covered by Henry's Lifetime Warranty.
Henry Golden Boy
Caliber: .22 S/L/LR
- Adjustable Sights: Ships with 3 interchangeable front blades.
- Rimfire Flexibility: Safely fires .22 Short, Long, and LR.
- Easy Maintenance: Quick-takedown cylinder system.
- Made in USA: Authentic Henry craftsmanship.
MY IMPRESSIONS
Henry never disappoints me when it comes to good looks. The Golden Boy .22 revolver is available with Gunfighter or Birdshead grip styles, both sporting the bright brass finish of the famous Henry lever rifles. The front, backstraps, and trigger guard shine like gold. The walnut grips stand out with an earthy tone that contrasts with the metallic finish.
The Golden Boy is a traditional-style double/single-action 10-shot revolver. I like the Gunfighter grip style, which is a bit larger and gives me more control in aiming. This is helpful in double-action shooting when I need more power to squeeze the trigger. For precise shooting, single action is the way to go. Although the single-action pull is over 3 pounds, it feels lighter and is more precise.
The Golden Boy sights are primitive by today’s standards but authentic. The rear sight, a simple notch in the frame’s top strap, aligns with the blade front. One of my favorite features of the revolver is the included three interchangeable front sight blades, which allow me to adjust elevation to suit my eyesight and target distance.
More Features
My next favorite feature of the Golden Boy is the 10-shot cylinder capacity. Who said that every revolver must be a six-shooter? Having an extra four rounds of .22 rimfire without adding much size or weight is a great bonus. The cylinder release is located on the pistol’s left side and is thumb-activated to allow the cylinder to move left for reloading or ejection. The ejector is effective in dumping spent cartridges quickly away from the frame for reloading.
My least favorite characteristic is the pistol’s heavy double-action squeeze. Too heavy to measure on my Lyman trigger gauge, it requires a firm grip to fire the gun. It can be mastered with practice, and it is the quickest way to get off a fast series of shots when drawn. With a trigger pull under 4 pounds on both stock configurations, firing the gun in single-action mode is much easier. Most of my precise shooting is done this way.
Other good features of the Golden Boy are its thick round barrel and medium overall size. The barrel allows the pistol to balance well, which helps with accuracy. This handgun size will fit into most revolver holsters without adding undue weight or bulges. There are no mechanical cross-bolt or other hidden safeties, as the hammer-down position is all that is needed to make the gun safe.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Weight: 2 pounds, 6 ounces
- Barrel Length: 4 inches
- Overall Length: 9 inches
- Action: Double/single action revolver
- Trigger: Single action – 3 pounds, 8 ounces; double action too heavy to measure
- Sights: Rear fixed notch, front interchangeable blade (3 included)
- Capacity: 10
- Caliber: .22 Short/Long/Long Rifle
- Stock: Walnut
SHOOTING TIME
Appropriately, Remington Golden Bullet hollow-point high-velocity bulk pack rounds served as my test ammunition, bringing the best in hitting power and accuracy on steel plates and root beer jugs at our Area 52 testing range.
The Henry Golden Boy revolvers feel good in my hand. The Gunfighter grip fills my hand a bit better, but the Birdshead also balances well with its unique grip. The wood grips are polished smoothly, with a nice thumb recess to improve control.
Loading is simple. Push the cylinder latch forward while forcing the cylinder left and out of the frame. Insert 10 Short, Long, or LR rimfire cartridges and close the cylinder. The lockup is positive and feels strong, and indexing of the cylinder to barrel is straight. No bullet shaving was encountered in testing.
My initial shots were in single-action mode with targets at around 10 yards. Despite the primitive sights, I hit the 2-liter soda jugs easily. The double-action squeeze is much heavier, but I could still hit jugs and group well on steel.
The best shooting feature of the Henry .22 rimfire revolvers is the fun factor. This is low-cost blasting at its best and more challenging than rifle shooting. My only limitation is counting to 10 to remind myself to reload.
Accuracy from 10-15 yards was good, with the Golden Boy hitting steel reliably and laying all the root beer jugs to rest. My offhand 10-shot group at 10 yards measured 4 inches on a paper target, which is quite respectable for the pistol's simple sights. No jams or malfunctions occurred in this test.
