Field Tested: Henry Lever-Action Fancy Stock Sets

Henry Repeating Arms proudly bears the motto of “Made in America, or Not Made At All.” As it pertains to its extensive line up of lever-action rifles, the company's second, unwritten motto could be "Polymer Stocks Need Not Apply." President and owner Anthony Imperato insists these guns leave the factory with skillfully crafted and properly fitted American walnut furniture. It's hard to argue with this policy considering how good the rifles look and feel at the shooting range and in the field.

I've worked with a variety of Henry lever guns and have yet to find a reason to complain about the factory stocks. Some have had a plainer grain than others but the quality has always been top notch. However, some customers have been asking for more eye-catching stocks to dress up their already handsome rifles. Near the end of 2017, the company answered this demand with the new Fancy Stock Sets for certain models including the H001T, H004,H006 Series, H009B and H010B.

Shown here is the polished brass receiver Henry Big Boy .357 Mag. (H006M), which is an ideal candidate for this upgrade. The Fancy Stock Sets are completely shaped, drilled and finished at the factory for drop-in installation. No gunsmithing or woodworking required. Although the quality and grade of the wood is the same for every set, the grain patterns will be unique.

The shoulder stock arrives with a polished brass buttplate in place so there's no need to remove the plate from the factory stock. Just remove the appropriate support screws, slide out the old stocks, slide in the new stocks, replace the screws and the gun is ready to go. I didn't run into any problems installing the stocks so the process only took about 20-minutes. The photos don't do the fancy walnut justice. The new stocks transformed this handy pistol-caliber carbine into a family heirloom.

Typical of the company's world-class customer service, the stocks arrived with a complementary return shipping label, just in case I wasn't satisfied with the grain. Henry will swap out the Fancy Stock Sets or provide a refund if the set is returned in as-new (uninstalled, unblemished) condition within 30 days. MSRP: $250