Hands On with the New Henry American Eagle Rifle

Henry Arms’ new American Eagle rifle puts a patriotic twist on their very successful Golden Boy Silver platform.

By T. Logan Metesh | Published Feb 8, 2019 11:03 PM

Gun Reviews

The good folks at Henry Arms were kind enough to send one of their new American Eagle lever action rifles in .22LR with its distinctive furniture that is designed to mimic the look of ivory so we could oogle it a bit. Henry guns have a certain beauty to them, especially models like the Silver Boy with it’s mirror-like receiver, and the American Eagle takes that platform to a new level.

henry arms american eagle rifle — A full view of the Henry Arms American Eagle rifle. *Henry Arms*

Here’s what the company says about their new lever gun:

“The rifle portrays the unique nature of our national bird of prey with a wood finish not found on any of our other offerings, closely mimicking the look of ivory. The complex process starts with our treasured American walnut that gets layers of primers and ivory color that are sanded down between applications to highlight the wood grain and achieve a natural look.

The ivory-colored wood is then deeply engraved. The buttstock features aggressive checkering at the wrist that flows into a leafy vine surround to highlight the head of our American bald eagle and the words, “AMERICAN EAGLE,” engraved in script. The rifle’s forearm is also deeply checkered surrounding our company’s name with flowing scrollwork throughout.

After the engraving the wood is finished with a fixative to protect the stocks and keep the color where it belongs.”

henry american eagle rifle — In addition to its handsome engraving, the American Eagle rifle also has deep checkering on the grip and the forend. *T. Logan Metesh*

Stock photos of the gun that you see online don’t do it any justice. Wood engraving is something that Henry has long since perfected and offered in a variety of scenes for special occasions, occupations, etc. That is carried over onto the new American Eagle rifle. The images, checkering, and text are all perfectly crisp and detailed, making them visual works of art in their own right.

The ivory-inspired wood is also quite different in person than in photos, which don’t adequately portray the intricacy and depth that it provides to the walnut stock. The unique color and process really does highlight and enhance the walnut’s natural figure.

henry eagle american rifle stock — The reverse side of the stock is engraved with the head of an eagle and “American Eagle” in script. *T. Logan Metesh*

Perhaps the best part of this gun is that it is compatible with the personalized nickel receiver covers, allowing you to add an extra bit of personal patriotism to an already patriotic-to-the-core rifle from a proudly American company.

If you’re looking for a striking heirloom rifle that stands out from everything else on the gun rack and can be passed down for generations but is plenty tough enough to actually use for hunting or protection, you could do a lot worse when it comes to a non-custom gun.

It’s a pretty rifle, and like most Henrys, it shoots pretty too. Here’s hoping Henry offers this furniture option for more models.