Henry does produce, hands down, some of the best-looking lever
action rifles on the market in their brass and silver models, but as a part of their
aggressive expansion into the more utilitarian side of life with newer steel
centerfires meant for everyday life in the truck, on the farm, and through the
woods. In 2016 they introduce the hard-working All-Weather H009AW in .30-30.
In profile and general dimensions, this Henry offering is
essentially the same as their blued steel counterparts, with 20” round barrel
and 5-shot magazine capacity, with the same adjustable buckhorn/bead sights.
Like the blued rifles, the All-Weathers also wear the same wrist profiles-
straight in the .30-30. The major differences lie in the first time they’ve
used hard chrome plating on all metal surfaces (except springs and sights), and
a durable industrial-grade coating on hardwood furniture.
In a tough world where a working rifle might be “rode hard and put
away wet”, this is the finish you want on it. A very strong plating permanently
bonded to the steel underneath, hard chrome doesn’t flake, chip, or peel, and
its corrosion resistance is actually stronger than some stainless steels. The
treatment they use increases surface hardness, reduces friction on moving
parts, doesn’t normally scuff or scratch, and leaves a low-gloss look that
won’t spook game.
The furniture is another departure for them; they’ve based a good
part of their reputation on their select American walnut over the years, but
here they’ve opted for a stained hardwood with a carefully-selected coating
that’s formulated to stand up to wear, tear, scratches, moisture, temperature
variations, and the angst of the various “character marks” an everyday outdoor
tool inevitably picks up during its lifetime.
If you want beauty, they’ve got it. If you want a more subdued
partner you can depend on to ride any trail with, any time, any season, and in
any weather, they do that too.
