Henry Repeating Arms Pump: A Top-Selling Pump-Action Rifle

Henry Repeating Arms is legendary for producing high-quality lever-action rifles in a variety of chamberings and configurations, as well as supporting worthwhile causes with limited editions. Its Pump-Action Octagonal .22 LR Rifle deserves a lot more recognition than it gets, although the numbers indicate it has not escaped the attention of knowledgeable enthusiasts.

The Henry Pump-Action Octagonal .22 LR took third-place honors in GunBroker.com’s pump-action category for overall sales in 2019. It claimed second in 2018, third in 2017 and is a perennial contender for top billing. When American Rifleman tested the rimfire in 2010 the precision in manufacturing and attention to detail was obvious. The story concludes, “…this is a well-made rifle with excellent function and accuracy at an especially attractive price.”

With a current MSRP of $589 for the .22 Short, L and LR-digesting version and $632 for the .22 WMR model, there’s no denying part of the popularity is value, but there’s a lot more. With a 20- or 20.5-inch octagon blued steel barrel, respectively, both models have a classic and distinctive look. Combined with American walnut furniture the look is timeless.

The barrels have a 1:16 inch rifling twist and both versions weigh in at 6 pounds. Length of pull is 14 inches and the external hammer has a 1/4 cock safety. The firearms use a tubular magazine with capacities that run from 12 rounds in the magnum model, or 16 to 21 in the other, depending on the cartridge.

As for reliability, as our original review noted, “The gun functioned flawlessly, and all loads fed through the action with zero failures or malfunctions. Even when the magazine was filled with mixed cartridges from different manufacturers, the Henry would feed and function perfectly.”