At the NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Atlanta, Georgia, the 2017 Brownells Youth Shooting Sports Ambassadors had the pleasure of meeting Henry's President and owner, Anthony Imperato. I was excited about the prospect of reviewing their .410 Bore Lever-Action Shotgun. I’ve had my eye on this shotgun for a few months and was anxious to test it out. Henry sent me the 20-inch short-barrel model of the .410 Bore Shotgun with a rear-buckhorn sight and front bead post sight.
The shotgun arrived and I picked it up from my local FFL dealer. Once out of the box, the resemblance to the Marlin 336 is remarkable, but with some slight variations. The smooth-bore barrel has a cylinder-bore choke. The beautiful American walnut stock is fitted perfectly with the blued steel receiver and other metal parts. The overall length of the shotgun is 40.5 inches. The weight of the shotgun unloaded is 7.33 pounds. The gun is chambered in 2 1/2-inch .410 shotgun shells. The receiver is drilled and tapped for a scope mount. At first glance, the firearm does not appear to have a safety. However, after further inspection, the safety is located in the hammer. Henry has equipped the gun with a transfer bar safety system, preventing the gun from being fired except when the hammer is fully cocked and the trigger is pulled. The shotgun can be safely carried fully loaded with the hammer in the fired down resting position.
Once on the range, I put five shells in the tubular-fed magazine, worked the lever, closed...and the first round would not feed into the chamber. I cleared the firearm, which is very easy to do with the tubular-fed magazine. Some roll-crimped shotgun shells like slug or buckshot loads have difficulty feeding into the chamber. Henry recommends using different brands of ammunition to find what works best in the firearm. I used Herter’s Select Field rifled slug shotshells the first time I tried to fire it, but that ammo would only work about 75 percent of the time in this firearm. I have since found that Winchester Super-X slugs work better for me in this gun. Once I found the right ammunition, the gun worked flawlessly. The shotgun is versatile because of the cylinder bore choke with rifle sights. This allows it to shoot multiple different loads accurately, such as: slugs, buckshot and small game shot. I was shooting slugs out to 60 yards and making a 3-inch group, which is an excellent shot for hunting. The firearm is lightweight and easy to handle for a long day out in the field. Aesthetically, it is very pleasing to the eye and yet functional. The lever-action feature is a strong and steady component of the gun and it will last for generations. The short length makes it easy to acquire a target quickly, but it's still long enough to accurately shoot at medium ranges.
I used the gun for instructing youth shooters who are familiar with rifles, but have little experience with shotguns. The rifle sights and lever action made it much easier for them to aim accurately. Overall, this is an excellent firearm for experienced shooters. Henry is proudly made in America. Their slogan is, “Made in America, Or Not Made at All.” I am a proud supporter of Henry Firearms and what they stand for. I would highly recommend this .410 Bore Lever-Action Shotgun. I’m looking forward to continuing my use of this shotgun, not only for youth shooting education, but for personal use as well. Thank you, Henry, for your contributions to firearm education.
