One year on Christmas Day, back when I was still young, my father waited until the last presents were all gone from around the tree, and then he headed to the big bay window in our family room. He reached behind the curtain, and out came the first rifle my dad ever gave me.

It’s one of my favorite memories, and I think back on it often. It was like a scene straight out of “A Christmas Story.”

Now, several decades later, it looks like I’ll finally get the chance to do the same for my own kid, thanks to Henry Repeating Arms. This time, the gun that will come out from behind a curtain will be a shiny new Henry Golden Boy Silver Youth .22 lever-action rifle. 

Here’s the story behind that little lever gun and a family tradition my father and I have gotten to share ever since that Christmas many years ago.
 

Table of Contents

Family Traditions
Features & Photo Gallery
Specifications
Final Thoughts

Family Traditions

To start, I just have to note that this little rifle was presented to me by Henry Repeating Arms as a gift for our baby even before she was born, which is just peak Midwestern kindness from the Wisconsin-based company. There were no strings or asks attached to the gift, just an investment in the next generation of Henry shooters.

As a native Wisconsinite, I can say we take a great deal of pride in having Henry here, not least of all because the company gives back to the local community. On top of great local jobs, Henry is particularly active in the world of youth shooting, education, and charitable giving for great causes that include things like aid for pediatric cancer.
 

 
As for myself, it was a long journey into the world of firearms. I don’t come from a family of gun collectors, hunters, or shooting enthusiasts. It just wasn’t a family tradition in any way… until I got a little older. I discovered a passion for history late in grade school, and that eventually brought me into the fold of firearms collectors when I finally turned 18. 

I bought my first gun – a used but decent Zastava M48 Mauser – when I reached my 18th birthday. I spent an entire summer cutting lawns while working another summer job for some spending cash to get that gun. I was thrilled to have it, but hobby money was tight as I saved up for college. So, that is where I expected my collection to end.
 

Even though guns weren’t a passion for my parents, they were always incredibly supportive. It was that support that truly started me down the road of collecting firearms.

Related: Guns from My Dad – Father’s Day Firearms

As it would happen, the gun my father chose for that first Christmas gift was a 1943-manufacture bolt-action British Enfield No. 4 Mk 1. It came to me with all the dings and scratches you’d expect from a wartime rifle dubbed the “Last Ditch” Enfield. 
 

It’s not much of a collectible in terms of market value or rarity, as the No. 4 Enfields were cranked out in the millions during World War II. 

Still, it’s the most precious gun in my safe. 

Over the following years, I headed off to college and would return for a few weeks during Christmas breaks. It seemed like each year, sure as winter snow in Wisconsin, my dad had another vintage rifle waiting for me: a Mosin-Nagant made in 1942, a fine-looking Swiss Schmidt-Rubin K31, or a Springfield Model 1873 trapdoor rifle. 

My little sister even got involved and presented me with a Mosin-Nagant M38 carbine one year. 

My dad put in the work, too, researching and bidding on all sorts of firearms throughout the year. When I left for the Marine Corps, he kept the tradition going from afar, and we’d discuss old firearms on the market during my rare leave to go home.

That tradition continues even today, with the latest addition being an India-Pattern Brown Bess musket. 
 

Features & Photo Gallery

This mirror-polished Silver Youth rifle comes from Henry’s beloved Golden Boy line. Henry’s tagline for the little gun is apropos: “Bright Silver for a Bright Future.” The gun is beyond bright – literally, as you’ll see below – and its smooth, shiny receiver swims with the reflection of anything around it.

It’s a wonderful match for my adult-sized Henry Father’s Day lever-action rifle. I cannot wait to share some range time with both rifles and my little one.

Related: Henry Father's Day Rifle Shines – A Lever for the Ages… and Dad

Here’s a closer look at what makes this gun twinkle: good looks, quality American-made craftsmanship, and shooter-friendly features.
 

Specifications
 

Here’s a quick breakdown of the specs for this Silver Youth rifle:

Length: 33.75 inches
Barrel Length: 17 inches (octagonal)
Length of Pull: 13 inches
Twist Rate: 1:16
Weight: 6 pounds
Metal Finish: Nickel plating and blued steel
Wood: American walnut
Scopability: Drilled and tapped (mount type: GB-CSM)
Safety: 1/4-cock hammer safety
Caliber: .22 Short/Long/Long Rifle
Capacity: 12 rounds of .22 LR, 16 rounds of .22 Short
MSRP: $730, point-of-sale prices are generally lower

Related: Henry’s Golden Boy in .22 LR Is a Modern Blast from the Past
 

Final Thoughts

One of my favorite things about collecting and shooting firearms is the community and culture that come with it. My dad and I chat every year about guns he sees popping up at auction and the history behind them. It’s been a great connection point for us, even when I was living far away from home.

Collecting firearms and visiting the range have also become one of the main ways I stay connected with some of my closest friends. We meet up several times a year to go to the range or hit the hunting fields in search of hardy, black-necked Canada geese and other migratory waterfowl.

Guns can be practical tools, sure enough, but they offer so much more.

I still have a few years before I get to share this little gem with my own kiddo. I’ll be working on a decorative but secure wooden mount to display it in the meantime.