In today’s age of stainless steel and advanced ceramic coatings, the sight of blued steel and natural walnut is a combination that can transport even the most modern-minded marksman to a bygone era. The older I get, the more I find myself drawn to those firearms that hearken back to that age. The brand new, classically-styled Golden Boy Revolver from Henry Repeating Arms recently caught my eye, and I knew I had to get my hands on one.
Vintage Looks
Classic styling, blued steel, high-polish brass, and walnut furniture are all trademark features that Henry integrates into their firearms. Aesthetically, most of the firearms could be 100+ years old, but functionally, they’re as modern as can be. When most people hear Henry Repeating Arms, lever-action rifles are probably what come to mind. Their butter-smooth action and crisp trigger, paired with impeccable balance and exceptional accuracy, make them a dream for plinkers and a nightmare for critters.
New for Henry
Henry dipped their toes into the handgun production with the release of their Big Boy Revolver in early 2023. Chambered in the capable .357 Magnum, the Big Boy Revolver was a double-action, six-shot revolver that looked like it came from the late nineteenth century. Two years later, along came the Golden Boy Revolver. Almost identical to its magnum cousin, the Golden Boy Revolver externally mirrors the Big Boy, but is chambered in .22 Short, Long, and Long Rifle(S/L/LR) rimfire cartridges, and sports a robust ten-shot capacity.
Overall, the frame could be considered medium-sized, as the front-to-back length is 9.5”, and the height sits right at 5.25” on the model I received. Offered in two grip styles, you can choose between the more square-shaped Gunfighter grip, which maximizes control, or the lower profile, rounded Birdshead grip, which maximizes concealment. I elected to go with the Gunfighter grip, as my hands are rather large. The overall weight varies, depending on grip choice, with the Birdshead grip version weighing 36 ounces, and the hand-filling Gunfighter grip version tipping the scales at 37 ounces.
Overview
Starting at the front, the Golden Boy Revolver features a four-inch, round blued steel barrel with a 1:16” twist rate. In the box are two front sights in addition to the one already installed from the factory. The three sights vary in height and can be easily interchanged, depending on your ammo and zero needs. On the rear is a traditional low-profile, fixed notch sight. Snugged to the underside of the barrel is the ejector rod, which connects through the ten-shot cylinder to the star-like extractor. The cylinder itself features ten flutes and can be quickly removed for easy cleaning due to the integrated crane release button in the trigger guard. On the main frame is the cylinder release, which features an aggressively stepped texture, ensuring solid purchase when pressing the button to open and reload the cylinder.
Triggered
The hammer features a grooved spur, making it easy to pull the hammer back when operating the revolver in single-action. The hammer itself utilizes a captured coil spring to fire reliably, and utilizes a transfer-bar safety mechanism to ensure the gun can be carried at its full ten-round capacity. The curved trigger is very smooth and pulls straight back. My trigger pull gauge maxes out at eight pounds, and that wasn’t quite enough to fire in double action, but in single action, it produced a consistently crisp 4.5-pound break. If I had to guess, I would say the double-action pull is probably in the 10-ish pound range. In double action, it feels more like a consistent rolling break than a hard wall with a drop off to the shot, making the gun easy enough to shoot.
Get a Grip
The oil-finished walnut grips fill the hand and pair beautifully with the blued frame and cylinder. The combo is both functional and attractive. A laser-engraved Henry cowboy logo marks the heel of each grip. If smooth walnut isn’t your style, Henry sells replacements. Options include checkered walnut, cocobolo, and gray laminate, all available on their website.
Brass Accents
The crowning aesthetic jewel of these revolvers is by far the brass backstrap. This mirror-polished accent wraps from behind the hammer, all the way around the grip, and ends at the trigger guard. Standing as a contrast to the Walnut and blued steel frame, this sets the Golden Boy Revolver in a class with the Golden Boy lever-action rimfire rifle, one of Henry’s flagship models. It is one of the reasons the revolver first caught my eye. When designing and manufacturing these revolvers, Henry went the extra mile and extended the steel frame down into the grip where the hammer spring and grip screws mount. This helps to guarantee reliability by ensuring the softer brass is not compromised with heavy use.
At the Range
The Golden Boy Revolver impressed me straight out of the box. At the range, it impressed me even more. I ran SK, CCI, Federal, and Winchester .22LR ammunition, cylinder after cylinder, into my targets. Paper targets were set at 12.5, 25, and 50 yards.
Shooting at 12.5 yards, a ten-shot group measured 0.938 inches. At 25 yards, groups averaged 3 inches and hit about two inches high. At 50 yards, groups averaged 7.5 inches and landed roughly back on center. I used an eight-inch sticky target at that distance to make it easier to see with iron sights.
Some fliers were my fault and opened up the groups. Still, for a four-inch barrel on a .22LR handgun, those ten-shot groups were more than acceptable. After all, this revolver will be used mainly for plinking and up-close critter control.
Ol’ Reliable
Rimfire handguns are some of my favorites to shoot. Still, they haven’t always worked properly without a can of CLP on hand. The Golden Boy Revolver changed that. I did not have a single malfunction during either of my range trips. Single action or double action, slow fire or rapid fire, it fired every time. I put hundreds of rounds through it without issue. Even though it was dirty, the firing mechanism never hung up. The single-action trigger weight measured 4.5 lbs, a bit higher than expected. Still, the clean break made it a non-issue. The revolver’s hefty weight soaked up the minimal .22 LR recoil. That let me get rounds back on target quickly. The wide trigger shoe, with softened edges, nearly eliminated trigger fatigue. The spacious trigger guard made it easy to operate, even while wearing gloves.
Other Uses & Looking Forward
Identical in size, shape, and components to its .357mag Big Boy Revolver, the Golden Boy revolver makes for the perfect trainer to complement its big bore cousin. While not listed on Henry’s website yet, the instruction manual also lists a .22 WMR offering, which will be a nice middle-of-the-road caliber to complete the set once it becomes available.
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Final Thoughts
If it sounds like I’m gushing over this revolver, you’re not wrong, I am. It has been a pleasure to shoot, review, and (to be blunt) drool over. Classic Old West aesthetics and ergonomics, combined with modern hand-fit internal components, make for a revolver that shoots as well as it looks. The satin-finished blued steel’s contrast with oiled walnut and mirror-polished brass makes the gun a showpiece, while very good accuracy and impeccable reliability make it quite pleasant to shoot. It pairs perfectly with their Golden Boy rimfire rifles, but stands just as well on its own. With a retail price tag of $928.00, it’s not cheap, but it’s not meant to be. It’s designed to be a 100% USA-made, heirloom-quality handgun that can be passed through generations. On that, Henry has more than delivered.
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