Everyone with a cowboy soul fell in love with the Henry Big Boy rifles with the classic brass receivers, hex barrels, and stunning stocks. For those that want to shoot fast, and attach things like lights, lasers, bipods and suppressors then it would take a lot of work to get a classic Henry Big Boy to do all that. For those that want the fun of the tactical capability of a more modern rifle which can allow simple attachment of accessories, deliver faster sights, side-gate and tube loading, and threaded barrel for suppressor mounting.
The Big Boy X Model delivers all the things you love plus the things we have all wanted from Henry in a more multi-function lever gun that we could knock around in the field like synthetic stocks, swivel studs, and a couple MLOK slots and picatinny rail for simple light and accessory mounting. We have kept asking for a threaded barrel for suppressor mounting and side loading to be able to top off the magazine. The Big Boy X Models include top rail mount threading holes for your choice of picatinny rail for optics mounting. The probability is high that most buyers will add a red dot, however Henry has included a Hi-Viz set of fiber optic sights which are excellent modern style sights for fast shooting.
Beyond those updates, the Big Boy X Model is a bit different from the original brass receiver Big Boy models. The X Models have round vs octagonal barrels, the receiver is steel and the loop is an intermediate size loop. Following a more typical side gate loading design, the X Models offer that feature plus can still be bulk tube loaded. Personally the tube loading is the fastest reloading option to refill the magazine tube, however the side gate does offer a quick option to to add one or two quick rounds.
The Henry Big Boy X Models are fun to shoot and offer some great practicality in the powerful, accurate, light recoiling and quieter shooting .45 Colt, .357/.38 Special, .44 Magnum/.44 Special chambering. Shooting handgun rounds from a rifle offers a refreshingly pleasant report compared to crack of extremely high pressure and velocity MSR/AR rounds. Attaching a suppressor is simple via 5/8x24 threading, however I highly recommend using tri-lug adapters as this provides quick near instant on/off attachment of a suppressor and quick access to the tube loading feature which is blocked with a suppressor attached. The near silent report of suppressed handgun rounds shot in a rifle is something that has to be experienced.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Accuracy remained what I have come to expect from Henry Rifles Big Boys which is easily 1-inch 50-yard groups.
Model Number H012MX
Action Type Lever Action
Caliber.357 Magnum/.38 Spl
Capacity7 Rounds
M.S.R. Price$1,091.00
Barrel Length17.4"
Barrel TypeRound Blued Steel, 5/8x24 Threaded Barrel
Rate of Twist1:16
Overall Length36.3"
Weight7.3 lbs
Receiver FinishBlued Steel
Rear SightFully Adj. Fiber Optic
Front SightFiber Optic
ScopeabilityDrilled and Tapped
Scope Mount TypeBB-RSM
Stock MaterialBlack Synthetic
Buttplate/PadBlack Solid Rubber Recoil Pad
Length of Pull14"
SafetyTransfer Bar
Accessories - Swivel Studs, Large Loop Lever, M-Lok
Picatinny Rail