Classic lever-action styling with a modern twist — meet the Henry Lever Action Supreme
by Jeremy Knepp
“Starting with a blank sheet of paper and all the cutting-edge manufacturing machinery one could wish for, our world-class design engineers set out to rewrite the script for this time-honored action.”- Henry Rifle Company
Henry Repeating Arms has come to the market again with a captivating new firearm design. In 2024, Henry unveiled a new concept in lever actions. We saw it, and we wanted it. Then it disappeared for a year — not seen again until SHOT Show 2025. This was the moment every writer wanted a Henry. What is this mysterious rifle?
Let me introduce you to the Henry Lever Action Supreme.
What is it?
The simple answer is a love child between a Henry Long Ranger and an AR-15. Both utilize an AR-style bolt head and AR-15 magazine. Both are engineered with an aluminum receiver. What is it not? A full semi-automatic with a 30-round magazine. Henry has created the perfect match of old-school technology with a new school feel.
The Henry Lever Action Supreme
As stated, in 2025, Henry finally released the Henry Lever Action Supreme for sale. It’s been getting great press, and I’m not going to disagree. I enjoy lever guns, and Henry hit the nail on the head, hearkening back to the notion of the 1860 Henry rifle to which the Confederates wisely remarked, “Damn Yankees can load it on Sunday and shoot all week.”
There have been several iterations of this concept of an AR-inspired lever gun. I’ve seen many, but in my opinion, they looked bulky and ugly. Some things I’ve read said the ergonomics were weird and some didn’t function properly. The Lever Action Supreme fixed the feel issues and function issues. Not to mention, it is a beautiful rifle. Modern nostalgia is what I’m calling it.
Using the same bolt design from the Henry Long Ranger, this rifle employs a seven lug rotating bolt head with an AR-style extractor. Rocking the lever down and back easily strips away a loaded round from the AR-15 style magazine. Using this style magazine opens a plethora of load count options, from as few as a standard ten-round magazine to the two-hundred-round double drum if you desire.
Rifle Specifications
The Lever Action Supreme is offered in two chamberings: 223 Remington and 300 Blackout (tested). The 223 Remington comes with a 1:8 twist 18-inch blued free-floated steel barrel. The 300 Blackout uses a 1:7 twist 16.5-inch barrel, which I can confidently say stabilizes the heaviest of .30-caliber bullets. The receiver is made of aluminum with a hard anodized black coating. To help with accuracy, the Supreme comes standard with a fully adjustable rear trapezoidal blade and a front sight blade. For glass users, it is drilled and tapped for Weaver 36B scope bases.
Per Henry’s standard, American Walnut, beautifully stained and clearcoated, comprises the stock and forearm. The length of pull is set at fourteen inches. Henry opted for a tang safety that operates smoothly from all shooting positions. New to the lever action rifle game, Henry designed and put in place an adjustable match grade trigger. My sample came adjusted at its lowest setting of 2 lbs., 4 oz. to 2 lbs., 11 oz., verified using a Wheeler digital trigger pull gauge.
How Does it Shoot?
I am a genuine fan of this rifle, and it is by far my favorite “fun gun.” I have an AR-15, yet I prefer the Henry. The Lever Supreme is light to wield with or without an optic. The action is fantastically smooth in operation. The trigger is not match-grade, but it is better than even the Long Ranger. I put the trigger in the adjustable Accu-Trigger type family currently out there. It’s a bit creepy but has a predictable break — call it a Plexiglass break versus a glass break.
A 0 MOA rail from EGW (part# 47120) allows the use of Picatinny-style rings. I started out using the Burris RT-3 prism red dot. This made for a quick-shooting, accurate rifle at ranges from 25 to 300 yards. I was able to walk this rifle out to 300 yards just playing at my local range using subsonic 190-grn. Sierra MatchKing loads. Practical? Yes, to 200 yards. Out to 300 yards? No, but it was fun getting there. I even managed to get hits at 500 yards using supersonic loadings and the 190-grn. subsonic load.
MDT provided an Oryx bipod in olive green (#106773-ODG). This bipod offers great adjustability. I opted for the sling swivel stud option. Working wood posts and barricades, the Oryx bipod offered a solid platform that I could push into, creating stability. Working from the bench also offered a stable shooting platform. This setup would work great for the rancher or farmer needing a way to stabilize a rifle on a fence post or a gate.
At the Range
My setup for the range was a modified Caldwell Rock BR front rest and Protektor rear bag. All targets were shot from a bench at 100 yards in three, 3-shot groups per target. This time, all chronograph work would be done with the new Athlon Rangecraft Velocity Pro chronograph. For greater accuracy, I mounted the new Burris Fullfield 3-12x56mm riflescope. Screwing on Silencer Central’s Banish 30 made shooing supersonic and subsonic a hearing pleasure.
Athlon’s Rangecraft chronograph is a game changer for subsonic rifles. I have used my Lab Radar in the past, but it does not work well with subsonic rounds. The Rangecraft is a set-and-forget chronograph. I’m extremely excited about this new piece of tech.
Factory-loaded ammunition offerings came from Black Hills and Hornady. I also brewed up some handloaded ammunition. Hodgdon provided CFE Blackout and Lil’Gun powder. Using Berger 230 Match VLD, 190 Sierra MatchKings, and 115 Match provided some interesting results. The best group of the day was delivered by the Hornady Blackout V-Max 110 at .594 inches; the best group average of the day was .875 inches. The best supersonic group of the day came in slightly smaller with my 115-grn. Berger Target loading at .528 inches.
Switching to subsonic loadings by Hornady, Black Hills, and my own handloads proved interesting as well. The one and only load of CFE BLK that shot well with the 230-grn. Berger VLD Match produced a group of 1.011 inches, which was a test load. But it proves the Henry Supreme can handle big bullets. The best three 3-shot group of the day for subsonic came from my handloaded 190-grn. Sierra MatchKing. This is a fun little load I put together on a whim, and it shoots really well out of this rifle. With this load, I was able to walk up the range to 500 yards. It produced a .945-inch group with an average of 1.2077 inches for the day.
Hornady’s 190-grn. Sub-X came in second place with a group average of 1.962 inches. Black Hills 198-grn. Dual Purpose came in at an average of 2.142 inches. I did manage one sub-two-inch group with the 198-grn. Dual Performance that came in at .974 inches. Not sure why the first two groups were so large, but such is life and ammo testing.
Hornady 110 V-Max
- Avg. Vel.: 2439 fps: SD 34.4 fps: ES 116.5 fps; avg. group 0.875 in.
Berger 115 Match
(20.3- grn. Hodgdon Lil’Gun, Rem 7 ½ BR primer, 2.055-in. OAL)
- Avg. Vel. 2297 fps; SD 54.5 fps; ES 172.9 fps; avg. group 0.916 in.
Black Hills 125 Tipped MatchKing
- Avg. Vel. 2187 fps; SD 14.7 fps; ES 44.3 fps; avg. group 1.342 in.
Hornady 125 HP
- Avg. Vel. 2220.3 fps; SD 14.9 fps; ES 52.2 fps; avg. group 1.801 in.
Test Load- 1 group
(Berger 230 VLD Match, 11.5-grn. Hodgdon CFE BLK, Fed 205 primer, 2.250-in. OAL)
- Avg. Vel. 1032 fps, SD 15.2 fps, ES 35.8 fps, avg. group 1.011 in.
Sierra 190 MatchKing
(8.0-grn. Hodgdon Lil’Gun, Fed 205 primer, 2.045-in. OAL)
- Avg. Vel. 1096 fps; SD 14.6 fps; ES 47.6 fps; avg. group 1.207 in.
Hornady 190 Sub-X
- Avg. Vel. 1101 fps; SD 20.9 fps; ES 61.4 fps; avg. group 1.962 in.
Black Hills 198 Dual Performance
- Avg. Vel. 1186 fps; SD 14.1 fps; ES 46.3 fps; avg. group 2.142 in.
Final Thoughts
Henry started with their first repeater in 1860, revolutionizing repeatable, accurate fire. One hundred and sixty-five years later, they are still innovating the lever gun. The Henry Lever Action Supreme is a manufacturing marvel that I feel sets a new standard to follow. Smooth, lightweight, and easy loading makes this a fun little rifle to keep in your truck or on your tractor.
What’s next for this rifle series? I have no idea, but I would like to see this in some of the ARC cartridges and a Grendel. Can I put in a request for a 458 SOCOM? That would be some kind of awesome!
- TESTED: Henry Lever Action Supreme - February 2, 2026
- FIELD TEST: Savage Axis 2 - July 25, 2025
- TESTED: CVA Cascade Varmint Hunter - February 24, 2025
