Henry Big Boy

Overview

The Henry Big Boy is a pistol-caliber, lever-action rifle made in the United States by Henry Repeating Arms. It is most recognizable for Henry's polished brass receiver paired with an octagon-profile blued-steel barrel and American walnut furniture in a traditional, Old-West style. Chambered for popular revolver cartridges — .357 Magnum/.38 Special, .44 Magnum/.44 Special, .45 Colt, .327 Federal Magnum/.32 H&R Magnum, and .41 Magnum — the Big Boy is designed so the rifle pairs naturally with a same-caliber sidearm, while the longer barrel meaningfully boosts these cartridges' performance. The current "H6" generation is offered in both a full-length rifle (20-inch barrel, 10-round magazine) and a more compact carbine (16.5-inch barrel, 7-round magazine), and most chamberings now feature a side loading gate in addition to Henry's traditional removable tubular magazine.

History & Background

Henry Repeating Arms was established in 1996 by Louis and Anthony Imperato and is named after Benjamin Tyler Henry, designer of the original lever-action Henry rifle of 1860 (a 16-shot .44-caliber rimfire repeater). The modern company is not a direct corporate descendant of the 19th-century maker, but it adopted the historic Henry name and the lever-action heritage it represents. The Big Boy line was introduced to give Henry a large-frame, centerfire lever-action chambered in traditional pistol calibers, complementing the company's earlier rimfire lever guns.

Over time the Big Boy family expanded well beyond the original brass-receiver model to include steel and blued-steel "Steel" versions, all-weather and color-case-hardened variants, and the "Big Boy X Model" with a synthetic stock, threaded barrel, and accessory rails. A significant update across the line was the addition of a side loading gate (the "Side Gate" models), which lets the shooter top off the magazine through the receiver without using the front-loading tube. Henry firearms are made in the U.S.A. and carry the company's lifetime warranty. The information below reflects the current H6 Big Boy Rifle & Carbine generation as specified by the manufacturer.

Design & Features

The Big Boy is a traditional, lever-operated repeating rifle. Key design points:

• Action: Smooth lever action feeding from a tubular magazine; a transfer-bar safety system allows the rifle to be carried with the hammer down on a loaded chamber.
• Receiver: Henry's signature receiver in polished, hardened brass (other Big Boy sub-families use blued or stainless steel); drilled and tapped for a scope base (mount type BB-RSM).
• Barrel: Octagon-profile blued steel, polished and finished with hand-filled gold rollmarks. The rifle uses a 20-inch barrel; the carbine uses a 16.5-inch barrel. Twist rate varies by chambering — for example, 1:16 for .357 Magnum, .45 Colt, and .327 Federal Magnum; 1:20 for .44 Magnum; and 1:18 for .41 Magnum.
• Loading/capacity: A removable inner tubular magazine allows safe, convenient unloading. Most chamberings add a side loading gate just below the ejection port for topping off without shouldering; the .327 Federal Magnum and .41 Magnum models are the "Classic" configuration without a loading gate. Capacity is 10 rounds in the rifle and 7 rounds in the carbine.
• Stock: Straight-grip buttstock and matching fore-end of genuine American walnut, accented with polished brass barrel bands and a brass buttplate; 14-inch length of pull.
• Sights: Fully adjustable semi-buckhorn rear sight with a reversible insert (one side has a white diamond to aid alignment, the other gives a cleaner picture) and a brass-bead front sight; receiver drilled and tapped for optics.
• Levers: Available with a standard loop or a large loop (the carbine ships with a large loop).

Technical Data

Feature	Specification
Manufacturer	Henry Repeating Arms (USA)
Model	H6 Big Boy Rifle & Carbine
Firearm type	Lever-action centerfire rifle
Action	Lever action; tubular magazine; transfer-bar safety
Caliber / Gauge	.357 Magnum/.38 Spl, .44 Magnum/.44 Spl, .45 Colt, .327 Fed. Magnum/.32 H&R Magnum, .41 Magnum
Capacity	10 rounds (20-in rifle) or 7 rounds (16.5-in carbine)
Barrel length	Rifle 20 in (508 mm); Carbine 16.5 in (419 mm) — octagon blued steel
Overall length	Rifle 38.5 in (978 mm); Carbine 35 in (889 mm)
Weight	Rifle 8.68 lb (3.94 kg); Carbine 7.76 lb (3.52 kg)
Stock / Frame	American walnut straight-grip stock; polished hardened brass receiver; brass buttplate
Sights	Fully adjustable semi-buckhorn rear with diamond insert; brass-bead front; drilled and tapped for scope
Year introduced	Henry Repeating Arms founded 1996; Big Boy line introduced in the years following (current H6 generation)

Variants

Within the current H6 Big Boy Rifle & Carbine line and the broader Big Boy family, configurations include:

• Big Boy Rifle (Brass) — 20-in octagon barrel, 10-round magazine, polished brass receiver; available with standard or large loop, with a side loading gate on most chamberings.
• Big Boy Carbine (Brass) — 16.5-in octagon barrel, 7-round magazine, large loop lever; more compact for tighter spaces and thick cover.
• Big Boy Classic (.327 Fed. Magnum and .41 Magnum) — brass-receiver models offered without a side loading gate.
• Big Boy Steel / Steel Carbine — blued-steel-receiver versions of the same platform (broader Big Boy family).
• Big Boy X Model — modernized version with a synthetic stock, threaded barrel, M-LOK accessory slots, and a side loading gate (broader Big Boy family).
• Big Boy Revolver — a companion same-caliber handgun marketed by Henry to pair with the rifle.

Calibers / Chamberings

The H6 Big Boy is offered in the following revolver chamberings: .357 Magnum (also fires .38 Special), .44 Magnum (also fires .44 Special), .45 Colt, .327 Federal Magnum (also fires .32 H&R Magnum), and .41 Magnum.

Intended Use

The Big Boy is well suited to short- to medium-range hunting, plinking and target shooting, and Cowboy Action Shooting, and it serves as a handy property/defense rifle. Henry lists the rifle's best uses as target, hunting, and collecting; the .41 Magnum and .44 Magnum chamberings in particular are capable for larger game at moderate ranges, while the .357/.38 and .45 Colt options are popular for recreation, small to medium game, and pairing with a matching revolver.