The Henry Big Boy X has the most capabilities of any factory lever-action chambered in .357 Mag, with its threaded barrel, the ability to mount multiple devices on the fore-end, and mount optic on the receiver. It is reasonably accurate for a .357 Mag, and was 100% reliable.
Henry Repeating Arms Big Boy X (.357 Mag/.38 Special)
The Big Boy X-Model is packed with a high-performance feature set and plenty of room to add even more. The durable synthetic furniture is equipped with integrated mounting points for a sling, a solid rubber recoil pad, and both Picatinny and M-Lok accessory slots to aid in mounting the tools you need for the task at hand. The carbine-length barrel is topped off with highly visible fiber optic sights, fore and aft, and the muzzle end is threaded (5/8×24 thread pitch) to accept a suppressor or other muzzle device. A screw-on thread protector ensures your muzzle threads stay in top shape.
Featuring Hi-viz fiber optic sights, a side loading gate, a threaded barrel, and a synthetic stock with M-LOK compatible fore-end, the new Henry X Series guns retain the classic lines of a lever-action with modern capabilities. The small section of rail at the foremost 6 o’clock position of the fore-end doesn’t get in the way at all, and neither do the small M-LOK slots at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions. Henry recognized that most shooters would be mounting a light/laser, bipod, and not much else. Even the integrated sling attachment points are snag-free.
At 36.3″ with a 14″ length of pull and coming in at 7.3lbs unloaded, the Big Boy X is nicely compact. The barrels are 17.4″ long, have a twist rate of 1:20, and come threaded 5/8×24 for muzzle devices. I would have preferred a 16″ barrel for pistol calibers, but 17.4″ is not too unwieldily.
Henry USA was kind enough to send us one of their “Big Boy X Series” rifles chambered in .357 Magnum. These rifles check off many things on potential customer’s wishlists: Chambered in heavy hitting pistol calibers (.44mag, .45 colt, .357mag); pistol grip stock; medium loop lever; King’s (side loading) gate; synthetic stock; and most importantly: Threaded! It should be noted that the Big Boy X models are the first models from Henry chambered in pistol calibers to feature a pistol grip stock and/or a King’s gate. The Big Boy X Model utilizes a 7-round removable tube magazine for convenient unloading, and the addition of a side loading gate allows that magazine to be kept topped off without needing to remove the tube or suppressor.
Overall, fit and finish was very good. The receiver finish itself is more of a matte, while the barrel and magazine tube are semi-gloss. The synthetic fore-end has a tiny bit of flex to it. The one weak spot I found in my initial inspection of the rifle was that the trigger pull was a rather stout 8.5lbs. All other Henry rifles and shotguns I have fired in the past have come in between 3.8-5.5lb trigger pulls, so I was a bit surprised at this. The action itself was very smooth and lock-up was very precise.
The .38 Special ammo produced just a little more felt recoil than a .22 magnum, much lighter than even a .410 load from a similar style firearm. The .357 Magnum loads had a little bit of a thump to them, especially when compared to other defensive options such as 12 gauge. As I left the range I considered one of the most often overlooked advantages of the lever action for self-defense, and that is the fact that they are chambered in some very hard-hitting cartridges. The Big Boy X is also available in .357 Mag/.38 Special, .45 Colt and the massive .44 Rem. Mag.—neither of which have ever been criticized for lack of stopping power. This platform should sit even higher on your list if you live in a restrictive state, as quite often legislation that applies to semi-automatics do not apply to manual action styles like these.
The Henry X Series rifles give the levergun community something to be thankful for. They check off many items on the wishlist of a levergun shooter, and are also excellent and powerful. With the added versatility of their M-LOK fore-end, these threaded guns represent an excellent choice for a modern levergun.
Objectively, the Henry Big Boy X has the most capabilities of any factory lever-action chambered in .357 Mag, with its threaded barrel, the ability to mount multiple devices on the fore-end, and mount optic on the receiver. It is reasonably accurate for a .357 Mag, and was 100% reliable. Subjectively, I find the Henry Big Boy X, as well as the whole X series in general, to be the very best option for a modern lever-action. It checks all the right boxes without ruining the classic lines of a levergun.
Overall the Henry Big Boy X is going to open you up to more possible shooting activities than a shortened shotgun, which means more trips to the range. Well done, Henry USA.
Want one of your own? The MSRP is $1000, but you can expect to find it for less at your local dealer.
- Model Number: H012MX
- Barrel Length: 17.4″
- Barrel Type: Round Blued Steel
- Rate of Twist: 1:20
- Overall Length: 36.3″
- Weight: 7.3 lbs.
- Receiver Finish: Blued Steel
- Rear Sight: Fully Adj. Fiber Optic
- Front Sight: Fiber Optic
- Scopeability: Drilled and Tapped
- Scope Mount Type: BB-RSM
- Stock Material: Black Synthetic
- Buttplate/Pad: Black Solid Rubber Recoil Pad
- Length of Pull: 14″
- Safety: Transfer Bar
- Best Uses: Target/Hunting/Large Game
- Embellishments/Extras: Swivel Studs, Large Loop Lever, M-Lok, Picatinny Rail, 5/8×24 Threaded Barrel, Fiber Optic Sights
- MSRP: $1000.00
