Industry Watch
The Rimfire Report: The Henry Magnum Express Review
The Rimfire Report: The Henry Magnum Express Review
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✍️By ZRIntel Editorial Team📍USA
Hello and welcome back to another edition of The Rimfire Report. In this series, we cover a lot of rimfire guns that are trying to be the jack of all trades. 22LR, in particular, as a cartridge lends itself well to this kind of job, as it's just lethal enough to be useful for small game hunting while also being an affordable target practice, training, and plinking round for most people. On the other hand, the .22 Magnum is much more purpose-built, ideally finding itself in the hands of a skilled varmint hunter or a landowner looking to remove a few pests from their property. Likewise, the Henry Lever Action .22 Magnum Express is a purpose-built firearm - meant to be a precise, quick, and lightweight .22 Magnum platform with small game hunting as its goal. Today, well look at this great offering in the Henry Rimfire Lever Action to see where the value in this $600 magnum rimfire lies. The Magnum Express lives up to its name. Designed specifically for those looking to bag small animals such as squirrels, groundhogs, prairie dogs, rabbits, and even the occasional beaver, the .22 Mag is a true powerhouse. The Lever Action Magnum Express is here to let you squeak out every foot-pound of it. Construction, reliability, and features are paramount in any firearm. Like all Henry rifles, the Magnum Express is made in the USA, and the construction quality has always been top-notch. The rifle feels solid and well-balanced. The American Walnut stock and forend are beautifully done, and though its not the highest grade of Walnut Ive seen on a lever gun, it still catches the morning sun brilliantly. The blued steel finish complements the wood and is fairly corrosion resistant, though care must be taken to avoid rust should it be left exposed to moisture overnight. After my initial range trips with the Magnum Express, I experienced solid ignition on all 250 rounds fired, with great accuracy on all but one type of ammo. The lever throw is both light and mechanically satisfying without being overly stiff. The first range session showed a light action that loosened up just enough for smooth operation without feeling sloppy or loose. An optics-ready feature on this rifle is an excellent touch for its intended use. For my review, I paired the Henry Magnum Express with the Maven CRS.1 3-12x40 SFP scopean ideal match for accurate varmint hunting. However, it is worth noting that the Magnum Express lacks two common features found in many rifles: a threaded barrel and iron sights. For those needing a threaded barrel, Henry offers the 24 Frontier Model with a threaded barrel option. The standard Classic Lever Action is also available for those who prefer traditional sights instead of a Picatinny rail, yet it compromises some accuracy potential for longer distances. Many in the shooter community have voiced opinions that integrating a threaded barrel could enhance the Magnum Express models appeal significantly. The built-in cheek riser on the stock is commendable for enhancing comfort while shooting, along with the rubberized buttpad. Comfort in a rifle cant be overstated; it allows shooters to concentrate fully on optimal performance. The 11-round tube magazine is another noteworthy feature, providing substantial capacity seen in few other lever-action rifles. The trigger breaks at around 4lbs and is a single-stage design, ensuring no takeup or creep which is beneficial for quick follow-up shots. In testing accuracy, I have demonstrated how the Henry Magnum Express reacts differently with various types of ammunition. Canvas data suggests some brands perform better than others; for instance, the CCI Maxi-Mag 40 grain emerged as the winner among the tests performed, while the 46 grain SHP did not yield the same results, indicating the rifles potential to perform inconsistently depending on the ammunition used. While cold and wet conditions during testing might have contributed to some variability, it became clear that the heavier bullet weight did not suit the bayonet and twist rate of the barrel well. The Henry Magnum Express .22LR holds onto the romance of lever action but trims away the sentimentality to deliver a solid precision rifle built for both comfort shooting and varmint control. As the focus of modern rifles often trends towards semi-autos, this lever-action continues to prove itself as a worthy contender. The experience of handling and shooting what feels like a timeless design adds an irreplaceable value and often leads to appreciation in those who prefer simplicity in operation. Shooters who understand this rarity in todays market may find solace in the familiar feel and historic lineage that this rifle brings to the range. As always, your thoughts, comments, and experiences are welcome and encouraged. Thank you for reading The Rimfire Report, and well see you all again next week.