Estimated studying time: 12 minutes
The lever-action rifle has seen a resurgence lately. Classics have been re-envisioned with tactical furnishings, threaded barrels, and crimson dot optics. With few exceptions, they’ve remained the identical of their core design. Enter the Lever Motion Supreme Rifle from Henry Repeating Arms. Drawing from over twenty-five years of producing their intensive line of lever-action rifles, Henry’s engineers put within the time to create what could also be some of the superior lever-action designs to come back to the market.
First Impressions
Weighing simply over 6.5 kilos and 38” lengthy, the Supreme Rifle is nicely balanced. The 18” barrel on the .223 Remington/5.56 NATO mannequin I’m testing is lengthy sufficient to provide stable velocities, but quick sufficient to be fast dealing with in shut quarters. The .300BLK model options a good shorter total size, due to its 16″ barrel.
The Rear Finish
A thick rubber recoil pad and sling stud adorn the tail finish of the satin-finished American walnut buttstock. The inventory is an ergonomically-tapered design that swells into the curved pistol grip. The grip itself options deep-cut diamond checkering, providing substantial buy in any climate. Henry’s signature cowboy emblem is engraved into the bottom of the grip.
Forend Particulars
The ten-inch lengthy walnut forend options the identical deep checkering because the buttstock, in addition to a sling stud on the entrance. Set far sufficient again from the nostril of the curved forend, this sling swivel has simply sufficient area on all sides to correctly assist a Harris-style bipod. The forend is bolted to a supporting stud which extends from the receiver and supplies the substantial rigidity wanted to take pictures at distance.
The free-floated barrel includes a six-groove, 1 in 8” twist, and is threaded for the muzzle machine of your selection. Mounted to the barrel is a set of Henry’s patent-pending iron sights. A stark departure from buckhorns and beads, the entrance sight is a pointy triangular form, whereas the rear notch is extra trapezoidal. The rear sight is absolutely adjustable for windage and elevation with an included hex key, and is grooved to cut back glare. I discovered these irons supplied an exceptionally clear sight image and exact aiming level. Changes have been simple, and, regardless of being suppressor top, I had no subject in any respect clearing the target bell of my optic.
A Distinctive Receiver
The receiver and motion of this rifle are what set it aside from different lever gun designs. Essentially the most seen change is using removable AR-style magazines. A ten-round Magpul PMAG and a five-round limiter are included within the field, however any AR-15 journal that matches the caliber of the Supreme Rifle can be utilized. The patent-pending journal launch is ambidextrous and checkered for ease of use. Contained in the journal nicely is a raised pin to carry the follower simply low sufficient to stop the bolt from locking open when the rifle is empty.
One other seen distinction is the dearth of an exterior hammer. The hammer is housed utterly contained in the receiver, retaining it protected against filth and particles, and eliminating the necessity to work round scope eyepieces. The place you’ll usually discover the exterior hammer is an ambidextrous tang security. As I’m used to manually cocking the hammer on my different lever weapons, sliding the security off was a straightforward transition, and the raised notches within the change guarantee optimistic grip in any situation.
The match-grade single-stage set off itself is completely of Henry’s design, and could be adjusted with the identical hex key because the iron sights. It’s marketed as a 4lb set off with a 1lb vary of adjustment. Out of the field, mine was dialed in proper at 3lbs, and had a complete vary from 2.5 to three.5lbs. The set off break was very constant, and its extensive, curved form distributes finger stress, retaining set off fatigue to a minimal. A bonus: Henry mentions of their person handbook that this rifle is designed to face up to excessive volumes of dry hearth with out danger of harm.
The receiver is difficult anodized aluminum and made from two elements. One half holds the barrel and forend, whereas the opposite accommodates the firing meeting, the lever mechanism, and the buttstock. The 2 elements interlock and are held in place by two punch pins, which make subject stripping and cleansing a easy course of.
The motion’s lockup is achieved by way of using a seven-lug AR-15 bolt, which locks right into a barrel extension, additionally borrowed from the AR platform. Bolt rotation is achieved due to a cam pin within the compact bolt provider, and the free-floating AR-type firing pin rides within the middle of the bolt, retained by a cotter pin. The underside of the provider is tapered to permit it to easily cycle over a loaded journal.
The sq. edges of the provider experience on information rails machined into the receiver. A collection of metal linkages connecting the provider to the lever permits most motion with minimal effort, making this, with out query, THE smoothest lever motion I’ve ever operated. A detent within the inventory secures the large-loop lever in place, and an built-in security ensures the rifle is not going to hearth until the lever is closed all the way in which and the bolt is absolutely into battery.
Set Up for Lengthy Vary
With a fast affirmation of zero on the iron sights, the rifle is able to exit of the field, however I wished to maximise the rifle’s capabilities. I began by mounting Henry’s Picatinny rail scope base to the 4 threaded metal inserts within the receiver. The Picatinny slots are grooved down the center to permit using the iron sights with out eradicating the rail. I selected 30mm Warne Hyperlite medium-height rings to safe my optic to the rail. Warne’s proprietary MagnaFusion alloy makes these rings lighter than comparably sized aluminum rings. I additionally mounted a Warne Vapor bubble stage for capturing prolonged ranges.
My optic of selection for this rifle was a Vortex Viper HD 3-15×44. This second focal airplane optic provides crisp readability barely a step under the Razor HD line. The capped windage turret prevents undesirable changes, whereas the locking elevation turret permits me to rapidly dial for distance. The 3x low finish of the magnification nonetheless permits for shut and fast pictures, whereas the 15x higher finish provides me the readability I want to achieve out to .223-capable distances with ease. At solely 22.5 ounces, this optic provides a heavy-hitting, however light-weight package deal. Due to high quality coatings on the very low dispersion glass, the Viper HD provides distinctive picture high quality with little or no aberration.
I mounted my SilencerCo Omega 300 to the threaded muzzle utilizing SiCo’s ½”-28 titanium direct thread mount with their .224-cal titanium entrance cap, which stored total size and weight as little as it might be with this will. Regardless of the added size and weight, the rifle nonetheless feels very nimble within the hand and balances nicely.
On the Vary
Myself and my buddy Bruce drove out to a long-range capturing facility that would supply the last word take a look at of the Supreme Rifle. After a break-in of the barrel and an affordable time to chill, I zeroed my optic at 100 yards. I started testing accuracy and velocities. See the next desk for these outcomes.
Reaching Out
Shortly after releasing the Supreme Rifle, Henry printed a video on social media capturing the .223 Supreme Rifle out to 800 yards. Not many lever weapons have been made for that form of distance, and I wished to push it even additional with this one. The climate was good with low wind and overcast skies. With my buddy on the spotter and my information entered into the ballistic calculator, I started stretching the rifle out to distance.
I loaded the 53-gr VMax, which got here screaming out of the barrel at 3,111fps. Beginning at four hundred and forty yards, I engaged a C-Zone IPSC Silhouette, adopted by an 8-inch circle plate beside it. Happy with my impacts, I ranged my subsequent set of targets at 675 yards. Right here, I confirmed wind and elevation on a full-size IPSC Silhouette, then panned over to the life-sized coyote goal on the similar distance. The shot broke, intently adopted by Bruce’s “HIT!”, confirming impression on the right track. At 675 yards, I used to be nicely into the transonic portion of flight, and the stubby VMax bullet was starting to destabilize. After a few misses and some extra hits on the coyote at this vary, I used to be actually pushing my limits with this bullet.
I opted for the Berger 73-grain BT Goal spherical, which holds higher stability by way of transonic and into subsonic flight. Utilizing my Kestrel to verify my DOPE, I then engaged one other life-size coyote, this time at 862 yards. My first shot, the bullet splashed within the berm to the best of the metal. After a fast windage correction and one other shot, Bruce confirmed I used to be on the right track. At this level, I had exceeded the printed video, however I wished to see if I may attain at the least 1,000 yards.
The subsequent targets have been a full-sized IPSC and an 18” gong at 1,045 yards. I dialed in my elevation and added only a bit extra to my earlier engagement’s wind maintain. Name it luck if you’ll, however the first shot I fired at that distance impacted metal. I took a number of pictures, scoring a adequate variety of hits, with just a few misses solely needing minor windage changes to get again on the right track. Whereas the bullet was dropping at a fairly substantial angle at that time, it was fairly thrilling to achieve that form of distance with a lever-action rifle. In Bruce’s phrases, “Watching the metallic plates wiggle at that distance was very spectacular.”
READ MORE HERE: Smith & Wesson Mannequin 1854 Stealth Hunter Evaluate
Remaining Ideas
With a reputation like Lever Motion Supreme Rifle, my expectations have been set very excessive, particularly with an MSRP of $1,299. Pulling from their 25+ 12 months historical past of lever weapons completed nicely, Henry made this one even higher. Fastidiously designed ergonomics give this rifle the fast and straightforward dealing with of conventional lever weapons, whereas the up to date and reengineered internals make it one of many smoothest working, most forward-thinking lever actions ever constructed. On the time I’m writing this text, Henry provides the Supreme in both .223/5.56 or .300BLK. Whereas discussing the rifle at size with a number of the staff at Henry and what the potential this rifle may maintain for various calibers and configurations, they assured me, “That is solely the start of the long run for Henry Repeating Arms.”
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As a contract author for GunsAmerica, Ben is ready to mix his love for firearms, looking, and images collectively. Initially from the Midwest, Ben grew up within the open air and in the previous couple of years, has grown professionally by way of many aspects of the outside/firearms trade.
Exterior of capturing and looking, he’s additionally an skilled wildlife and aviation photographer. Presently residing within the Pacific Northwest, Ben enjoys spending time on the vary for each his work as a gun author and for enjoyable as a dabblingcompetitive shooter. A big a part of looking season annually is spent chasing upland birds andwaterfowl looking together with his spouse, son, and a pack of chook canine.
Expertise:
– Outside & Firearms Tv videographer/subject producer
– Advertising/Manufacturing at a precision rifle producer
– Author/Photographer for a number of outside media publications
– Avid Hunter of Upland and Huge Sport species
