Henry Big Boy Revolver [Hands-On Review]

Henry has been in the firearms manufacturing business for a long time — their first patent was in 1860! Over the years, they’ve made beautiful lever-action guns with high-quality materials.

In 2023, this all-American company took a different direction and created something new…the Henry Big Boy Revolver.

Though Henry is known for quality lever actions, can this gunmaker jump into the revolver realm without issue? That was the question we set out to answer.

Henry set us up with a Big Boy Revolver, so we took this wheel gun to the range to put it to the test. In this review, we’ll cover the Henry Big Boy Revolver’s features, range performance, and what niche it fills in your gun cabinet.

So mount up and keep reading!

How We Tested the Henry Big Boy Revolver

For this review, I tested the Big Boy Revolver with iron sights, shooting 6-round groups at 10 yards. I used 300 rounds of ammunition, including Federal American Eagle 158gr .357 Magnum JSP and Federal American Eagle 158gr .38 Special LRN as practice ammo and Remington 158gr .38 Special +P HTP for defensive ammo.

We also tested the trigger on the Big Boy revolver with a Lyman Digital Trigger gauge to get an accurate assessment of the actual trigger pull weight.

Henry Big Boy Revolver Specs & Features

Specs

• Caliber: .357/.38
• Action: Double-action
• Capacity: 6
• Length: 9.5”
• Barrel Length: 4”
• Width: 1.6”
• Height: 5.6”
• Weight: 35 oz.
• Comes with: Cardboard box, gun lock, additional height sights, owner’s manual

Features

• Birdshead or Gunfighter grip
• Transfer bar safety
• Quick-release cylinder

Background

Henry Repeating Arms has kept the Old West alive for years with their marvelous lever-action rifles. These beautiful pieces evoke nostalgia for a long-lost era while also being accurate and reliable firearms.

Henry has made many different lever-action rifles, but they’ve never delved into the revolver world, which is often dominated by heavies like Colt, Ruger, and Smith & Wesson.

The Big Boy Revolver aims to change that, tip-toeing into the world of wheel guns.

Who Is the Henry Big Boy Revolver For?

The Big Boy revolver will appeal to revolver lovers and collectors who enjoy Henry Repeating Arms. Like their other firearms, this wheel gun has a top-notch fit and finish while also remaining functional.

The Big Boy revolver could be used for plinking, hunting, and defensive purposes. These roles are supported by a wide range of ammunition between two different calibers.

Ergonomics: Fit & Feel

To begin with, the Big Boy is heavy compared to many handguns. This isn’t a surprise, considering it is made of steel, brass, and Walnut.

Regardless, the balance feels normal, with a slight tip toward the front sight. I tested the gunfighter grip, and it filled my hand well, making it feel very ergonomic.

The grip feels very good in the hand, filling my palm at the base and narrowing at the top. Beveled shoulders at the top enable the thumb to work the hammer just a bit easier.

The overall fit and finish are at the level of refinement I’m accustomed to from Henry. The blued steel, American Walnut, and brass are all hallmarks of the brand, and they blend well on the Big Boy.

For example, the brass trigger guard is one piece that encircles the trigger, then flows seamlessly to the front strap, around the bottom of the grip, and up the backstrap. All exterior surfaces are smooth, from the wood to the brass and steel.

The frame, cylinder, and barrel all feel thick and strong, capable of handling the potent .357 Magnum rounds. A tiny bit of material was removed from the bottom of the barrel to make room for the ejector rod plunger.

Interestingly, the ejector rod, used to remove casings from the cylinder, is not shrouded like those found on modern revolvers. This is clearly a conscious choice by Henry, and I suspect it is intended to give the revolver an older look since the design was popular in the late 1800s.

Sights on the Big Boy revolver consist of a fairly standard blade up front with a small notch in the back of the top strap. Henry included a shorter and taller blade for fine-tuning, though a medium-height blade comes installed on the gun and can be swapped out with a screwdriver.

These sights feel period-correct, and without the right lighting conditions and contrast, they can be very challenging to use.

I’ll cover this more in the shooting portion below.

Controls

For a revolver’s controls, I’ll discuss the trigger, hammer, cylinder release, and ejector rod. With a double-action gun, there are two ways to operate this trigger.

I don’t shoot revolvers that often, so it is always a bit of a shock to feel such a long and heavy trigger pull. Thankfully, it was very smooth, and I found a bit of a wall I could rest at on the way through before breaking the shot.

Single-action was far lighter and manipulating the hammer was a breeze. It’s fairly strong (my wife couldn’t manage it) but smooth and pulls back nicely to lock in place.

Both single and double-action had one thing in common: the break was very crisp. Tested on the Lyman Digital Trigger Gauge, double averaged 8 lbs. 4.2 oz. while single averaged 2 lbs. 14 oz.

Strictly as an observation, the cylinder on the Big Boy rotates counterclockwise. Many (but not all) do, and this is important to note if you’re hurrying during a partial reload.

The cylinder release is located on the left side of the frame and features a staggered staircase design that grabs onto the thumb well. Pushing it forward releases the cylinder, which must then be pushed out from the frame.

The crane swung the cylinder out smoothly with a push from the right side. With a bit of pressure, the cylinder went back in and locked into place with a solid click.

How Does the Henry Big Boy Revolver Shoot?

As I mentioned earlier, I do not shoot revolvers that often. I own several and enjoy them, but my preferences lean toward the modern advancements of defensive arms.

That said, I have a bit of a romantic appreciation for wheel guns.

By comparison with even a standard Glock G17, this revolver is heavy, has a heavy and long trigger pull, and the sights are pretty unforgiving. At least, this was my initial impression.

Once I had about 50 rounds of .357 through the Big Boy revolver, I began to get back into the groove. The weight was appreciated, especially when firing the magnum cartridges.

I started shooting one-handed, pulled the hammer back, and locked it into place. Next, I would line up my sights on steel targets and break the trigger, firing the shot.

The recoil impulse fell straight back into the palm of my hand, though there was a bit of muzzle flip, too. Breaking myself in with the .357 made the transition to .38 feel super easy.

While there was a bit of muzzle flip with the .38, it was far tamer and did not create the same punchy feeling in my palm with each shot. Notably, there was far more smoke with the .38 rounds which felt more like the Westerns I’d grown up watching.

I switched to double-action and again thought about all the fundamental skills that go into every shot. Holding a steady sight picture while pulling through a long trigger is more challenging.

My respect for the gunslingers of old was profound during these initial tests. However, it ramped up steeply when I began shooting groups for accuracy.

The sky was overcast with a thick cloud cover providing only defused sunlight. As I lined up the blade with the narrow notch in the rear over the white target, I realized I had very little contrast at all.

Front blade, rear notch, and white target all blended together as I cocked back the hammer and fired three 6-shot groups from 10 yards. The results were a mixed bag.

Starting with Federal .38, I placed six shots in a roughly 1.5-inch group. Encouraged, I switched to Federal .357 and spread out to just over 3 inches. The Remington .38 HST started well at roughly 1.5 inches, but I dropped one, resulting in a 3-inch group.

Thankfully, unloading worked very well. Each time, I pointed the muzzle to the sky, pushed the cylinder out with my left hand, and worked the plunger on the ejector rod.

This would push the rims of the casings out and clear them so they’d fall. Occasionally, a casing would swell and hang up, though repeated jabbing of the plunger eventually freed them.

As a final note, like most things in life, I got better with practice. Eventually, I was ringing steel regularly in both single-action and double-action.

Why is the Henry Big Boy Revolver Unique?

Henry is a company known for rifles — the Big Boy Revolver is a departure. It’s not often a company jumps from lever guns to handguns.

As noted above, it comes with either a bird’s head grip for better concealability, or a gunfighter grip for better control.

By The Numbers

Reliability 5/5

This revolver fired and ejected all 300 rounds with zero malfunctions.

Ergonomics 4/5

The Big Boy revolver fit my hand well, though may be more challenging for smaller hands. I appreciated the easy to reach controls.

Accuracy 3/5

The sights on the Big Boy revolver were a bit challenging to use over certain targets, where contrast didn’t create the best sight picture.

Customization 2/5

Being a relatively new firearm, there is little aftermarket support for the Big Boy revolver. Henry offers some leather holsters and factory replacement grips though.

Value 3/5

The MSRP listed on Henry’s website is $928 for both versions of the pistol, though pricing online is significantly lower, in the $750 range. This is competitive with other modern revolvers that have similar characteristics.

Overall 3/5

Upgrades for the Henry Revolver

A good speed loader will make your revolver reloads that much quicker.

ShellShock Ear Pro does a great job of taming the sound of gunfire and is comfortable enough to wear all day!

Regardless of what you’re shooting, eye pro is a must. We use ShellShock for our testing and highly recommend them!

Meet the Experts

At the helm of this review was Pew Pew Tactical Content Producer Sean Curtis. Sean has been shooting since childhood but really began to delve into guns more during his law enforcement career. He spent over two decades in law enforcement, where he became a POST-certified handgun instructor and NLEFIA Red Dot Instructor and received CLEFIA Advanced Firearms Instructor Training and AR-15 armorer training. He has since attended a variety of training, including Tactical Performance Center Handgun Mastery & Carbine Mastery, and earned USCCA rifle instructor certification. Aside from training and prior to joining the Pew Pew Tactical team full-time, Sean wrote for several gun publications evaluating and testing guns and gear and has written hundreds of articles.

This review was edited by Editor-in-Chief Jacki Billings, who runs Pew Pew Tactical’s experienced team of reviewers. Jacki is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, ACES: Society for Editing, and the Professional Outdoor Media Association and has her bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications. She has worked as a media professional for close to 20 years, specializing in gun media for almost 10 years, and has worked as an editor for five years. She uses her extensive professional journalism and editing experience to set testing protocols and editorial standards.

Final Verdict on the Henry Big Boy Revolver

Henry’s new revolver is a cool addition to a lineup of long guns known for their quality.

The Big Boy doesn’t disappoint in reliability or refinement and could serve as a fun plinker or home defender that should last long enough to become an heirloom.

That said, it does lose some points in the accuracy department — simply because of the style of sights. A lack of customization makes this a further problem.

Whether your just a fan of Henry, or you like the idea of a modern-made revolver with all the trappings of the Old West, the Big Boy revolver might just be for you.

Are you hankerin’ for a Big Boy revolver? Let us know in the comments below. For more six-gun action, be sure to check out The Best Revolvers: Tested & Rated!