Henry Repeating Arms got its start in 1996 with the Golden Boy .22 lever-action rifle. A few years later, the company introduced the Mini Bolt Youth, a single-shot, .22 LR bolt action that was scaled for younger shooters. For nearly a quarter century now, the Mini Bolt has been a go-to rifle for introducing a youth to firearms marksmanship and safety. New for 2025, the company is making updates to the design with the Mini Bolt Youth G2.
The G2 Mini Bolt maintains the dimensions of its predecessor, with an overall length of 30.25”, a 16.25” barrel, and a length of pull of 11.5”. It weighs 3.25 lbs. The G2 Mini Bolt’s main improvement is an integrated loading ramp that makes it easier to load cartridges into the chamber. Now the user can simply drop a cartridge onto the feed ramp instead of having to insert it into the chamber.
The Mini Bolt’s synthetic stock is checkered on both the pistol grip and the fore-end and is available with a black or Muddy Girl pink camo finish. The barrel and receiver are made of stainless steel and given a matte finish. Sights consists of an open notch rear and post front, both with fiber-optic inserts. Scopes or electronic optics can be mounted to the Mini Bolt with the use of a cantilever scope mount that Henry sells separately (MSRP $29).
Like the original, the G2 Mini Bolt has two safety systems. First, a manual thumb safety is mounted on the receiver. Second, the firing pin must be manually cocked before each shot, just like the classic .22 single-shot bolt-actions of a century ago. Henry is serious about youth getting a safe start with firearms, and the company has a web page dedicated to safety videos and resources. The company supports many youth marksmanship, safety and hunting educational organizations, and the Mini Bolt is the official youth rifle of the USA Shooting Team. The Henry Mini Bolt G2 has an MSRP of $335 for either stock color. For more information, see the company's website.
