8 Things You Did Not Know About Henry Rifles

Henry Repeating Arms owner Anthony Imperato sat down with Breitbart News and gave us a behind-the-scenes peek at what makes a Henry lever-action so special.

The discussion was wide-ranging — covering everything from torture tests of the rifles, to Imperato’s administration for veterans, to Henry’s dedication to its customers. We drew out eight solid points that sum up important facts about the Henry company. They are listed below:

• The Henry Name Began in 1860 — The Henry name goes back to 1860 when Benjamin Tyler Henry patented the first repeating rifle.
• The Henry Lever-Action Is America’s Rifle — Imperato described the 1860s firearm as “a rifle which we consider America’s unique contribution to international firearms design.” He added, “The lever action, by fact, is truly American ingenuity while most other actions — the double action revolver, semiauto pistol, bolt-action rifle — the birthplace of those actions were elsewhere. They came from Europe, as in England, Germany, Austria, etc.”
• The Henry Rifle Came to be Called Winchester in 1866 — From 1866 through nearly the entire 20th century, the Henry name sat dormant.
• Imperato Acquired Henry in 1996 — He said, “We secured title to the ownership of the Henry name in the middle of 1996” and “shipped the first guns in March of 1997.”
• Imperato Comes from a Family That Has Been in the Gun Business for 100 Years — Imperato’s grandfather owned a “police equipment gun shop” in lower Manhattan. In the late 1950s-early 1960s, Imperato’s father turned the shop into a “wholesale firearms and police equipment business and he did very well.” In the late 1960s, Imperato’s father bought Iver Johnson Arms and owned it for several years. Imperato began working in the retail and wholesale shop in the 1970s and then also at Iver Johnson.
• The Henry Motto Is: “Made in America or Not Made at All” — Henry is red, white, and blue, through and through.
• Henry Proudly Stands with U.S. Veterans and Law Enforcement — Breitbart News interviewed Imperato in Indianapolis on April 25, 2019. That very night, Henry was honoring U.S. Army Iraq War veteran Sgt. Omar Avila, who was severely wounded by an IED. Henry was also honoring three World War II veterans: Don Burwell, Al Hutchcraft, and Wetzel “Sundown” Sanders. Barron County Wisconsin Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald was honored and USMC Michael Easley was honored posthumously. Easley served two combat tours and was tragically killed by a car once he returned stateside. Imperato told Breitbart how he tires of seeing Hollywood actors get so full of themselves, for playing the role of hero when “it’s the very day Joe who did these things, these heroic things, and, a lot of times, didn’t get recognized.” Imperato added, “In particular, I have a soft spot for World War II vets, the Greatest Generation.”
• The Henry Mantra Is to Deliver Quality — Imperato said, “When someone takes out their wallet to purchase a Henry, we’re going to give them more than expected in the product and the support system. For sure, 100 percent satisfaction, hands down.”

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.