Now a .22 RF Revolver as a Companion to the .22 Lever-Gun
My first double-action revolver was based on a medium frame. The cylinder circumference was spot on for six .38 Special chambers, but it looked a bit over-much for six .22 Long Rifle (LR) chambers. Such is not the case with the new Henry Golden Boy revolver. It too is based on the same platform as its older .357 Magnum sibling, but its cylinder easily accommodates 10 .22 rimfire (RF) chambers.
Another New Revolver from Henry
Like the Big Boy revolver that was named after the Big Boy lever action rifle; the Golden Boy bears moniker of the Golden Boy .22 rimfire lever-gun. This rifle has a brass receiver which is represented by the brass grip frame on the Golden Boy handgun. Other matching features include the polished blue finish on the barrel, frame and cylinder, plus smooth American walnut two-piece stocks. You have your choice of birdshead or “Gunfighter” square butt grips. The main difference between the two revolvers is the Golden Boys 10-shot cylinder chambered in .22 rimfire. Notable is on the right side of the 4” barrel it’s stamped “Cal .22 S/L/LR” to cover all the .22 rimfire cartridges.
Two grip frame options are available on the Golden Boy; the birdshead round-butt (top) or the “Gunfighter” square-butt. Factory Image
The Golden Boy shares several features with the Big Boy. First is the heavy barrel, with an interchangeable front sight. Three sights of different heights are provided for elevation adjustment. Then, an exposed, heavy-duty ejector rod. The rear sight is a fixed, square-notch. The new Henry has medium-size frame, with a traditional double-action/single-action mechanism, transfer bar internal safety, and a push-forward cylinder release latch. The trigger smooth-faced is 0.25” in width and the exposed hammer has wide serrations for good thumb purchase when cocking.
There are flutes between the 10 chambers of the cylinder and chambers are recessed at the rear to enclose the outer portion of the case-head. A small latch is located inside the front of the trigger guard, near the frame. When the cylinder is swung open, pushing inward on this latch releases the cylinder/crane assembly to be pulled forward off the frame. This simplifies cleaning the cylinder and perhaps HRA will offer an interchangeable .22 WMR (Magnum) cylinder at some point. The brass grip frame and trigger guard are a single unit, that attaches to the frame with a screw in the upper backstrap of the grip-frame, and with a lip that fits into the frame just to the rear and beneath the crane or yolk.
A rich, polished blue finish is standard on the Golden Boy; note the orange arrow – it points to the crane release latch, which allows the cylinder to be easily removed
A fixed rear sight in the top-strap is mated with interchangeable blade front sight; three front sights are provided for elevation adjustment
Ammo and Leather
I decided only to use.22 Long Rifle (LR) cartridges in this evaluation and ended up with a good mix of five different brands. First was the new CCI Uppercut .22 cartridges. The box label says the bullet is a 32-gr. JHP, with a velocity of 950 FPS, “Designed for Semi-Auto Pistols – Optimized for 2.5” to 4” barrels.” Next was the Federal Premium PUNCH load; designed for personal defense, its 29-gr. flat-nose bullet is nickel-plated. Factory specs show a velocity of 1070 FPS out of a 2-inch barrel. My third load was some Brazilian-made Monarch .22 ammunition. It has a 40-gr. solid-point bullet and appears to be a standard velocity load. Next was Norma’s TAC-22; another 40-gr. solid-point, standard velocity load that’s made to offer reliable function and consistent velocity. Finally, there’s Remington’s 22 Thunderbolt rounds; they have a 40-gr. solid-point bullet and are a high-velocity load.
Five different brands of .22 LR cartridges were used in the Golden Boy T&E; the CCI and Federal loads are for defense use, the rest are target and plinking ammo
To my way of thinking, the Golden Boy revolver is a perfect companion for the outdoorsman; I selected a holster that would provide protection and easy access. The choice was Galco’s Big Iron holster with the optional belt-drop attachment. Made of premium steerhide with a smooth leather lining, it has a short safety flap, a glove-friendly finger tab, and a leg thong to boot. The belt drop lowers the holster so that heavy outerwear won’t interfere with your draw. The belt drop accommodates belts up to 1.75” wide. An added item was a QuickStrip from Tuff Products. It’s a neoprene strip that holds ten .22 rimfire cartridges vertically, with a tab to grasp with your thumb and forefinger. It carries flat in your pocket and sure beats loading with loose cartridges.
Range Day
First task at the range was to set up my Garmin Xero C1 Pro chronograph and get some velocity readings on the .22 LR test cartridges. Next, was some bench rest paper punching to test the Golden Boys accuracy potential. Multi-bullseye paper targets were sent down to the 15-yard line. I used my Ransom Multi Cal. Steady Rest, and proceeded to shoot three 5-shot groups, single action, with each of the test loads. First up was the CCI Uppercut. I always had good performance with CCI .22 RF ammunition, but this cartridge didn’t do well in the Golden Boy. There were key holing and poor groups that I couldn’t attribute to the gun. My best group was made using the Monarch cartridges; it measured 1.35”; except for the CCI load, none of the better groups were larger than 1.78.” The overage average for 45 shots was 2.05” and all the performance data can be found in the accompanying table.
Three 5-shot groups were fired with each .22 LR test cartridge; all shooting was single action, from a bench rest at a distance of 15 yards
The tightest group at 1.35” was produced using the Monarch loads with 40 gr. solid-point bullets at standard velocity
To do some double action shooting and try out the Tuff Products QuickStrip, I sent a large Shoot-N-C bullseye target down to 21 feet. The Golden Boy .22 and QuickStrip was loaded with a mix of the test cartridges. Using an isosceles stance and two-handed hold, I shot all 10 rounds, reloaded with the QuickStrip and fired 10 more. This was repeated a third time for a total of 30 shots. I held the front sight 6’oclock of the targets red aiming circle, and kept my shots in the 10 and X-ring, making a palm-sized cluster of holes. When you’re outdoors there’s always the chance of encountering a venomous snake at close quarters. With this in mind, I loaded up the Henry wheelgun with two CCI .22 LR shot cartridges. The shells blue plastic capsules contain 31 gr. of #12 shot. I sent a reduced-size venomous snake target down 6 feet, using my strong hand only, fired two shots quickly, double action. Much of the shot went off to the right, of Mr. Snake, but enough hit to be effective.
Loading and reloading during the double-action shooting phase of the T&E was done using a QuickStrip from Tuff Products; two cartridges are loaded at a time
Here, you can see the poisonous snake target shot with the CCI Shotshell cartridges, and the bullseye target used for the rapid-fire DA shooting
Findings
The SA trigger pull on the Golden Boy was a crisp and acceptable 4 lbs. 8.1 oz. average, but the DA pull was long and stiff. My electronic scale showed it “off the chart,” but I’d guesstimate it was at least 12 lbs. It should improve with time and lots more shooting. The sights shot about two inches to the right and some three inches low at 15 yards, using a center hold. I didn’t swap-out the front sight, but adjusted my point of aim to get the point of impact I wanted. The sights were easy to see on a light background, but that front sight gets lost on a dark target or in dim light. I’d love to see Henry offer a version with a gold bead front sight and adjustable rear sight.
The Golden Boy is in my opinion a very handsome revolver with its rich blue finish, polished brass, and walnut. My medium-sized hand goes well the ergonomics of the grip-frame and stocks, plus I find it has good balance and “pointability.” The Galco Big Iron holster carries the Golden Boy well, and at home I did a little drawing with the half-flap snapped and found it provided fast access to the revolver. I found the best way to use the QuickStrip, was to load two rounds at a time, then after loading 6 rounds, flip the strip around to load the final 4. The Henry Golden Boy makes a great companion to my Golden Boy .22 lever-gun, and HRA won’t have to send me a return shipping label!
HRA Golden Boy Specifications
MECHANISM: Traditional DA/SA revolver
CALIBER: .22 S/L/LR
CAPACITY: 10 cartridges
BARREL: 4”
OA LENGTH: 9”
EMPTY WEIGHT: 37 oz.
SIGHTS: Fixed rear, interchangeable ramp front
FINISH: Polished blue, polished brass
STOCKS: Smooth American walnut w/ HRA logo
MSRP: $928.00
Henry Golden Boy .22 LR Performance
| Cartridge | Ave. Velocity | Best Group | Average Group |
| CCI Uppercut 32 gr. JHP | 1068 FPS | 2.75” | 3.12” |
| Federal Punch 29 gr. Flat-Point | 1229 FPS | 1.42” | 1.96” |
| Monarch 40 gr. Solid-Point | 893 FPS | 1.35” | 1.53” |
| Norma TAC-22 40 gr. Solid-Pt. | 857 FPS | 1.78” | 1.86” |
| Remington Thunderbolt 40 gr. Solid-Point | 993 FPS | 1.54” | 1.77” |
NOTE: Bullet weight measured in grains, velocity in feet per second 10 ft. from the muzzle by a Garmin Xero C1 Pro chronograph, and accuracy in inches for three 5-shot groups at 10 yards.
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