PHOTO CREDITS: JORDAN BELL
A few days before the National Rifle Association 2023 Annual Meeting, I received a most unusual press release from Henry Repeating Arms (HRA); they would be unveiling a new sixgun at the NRAAM called the Big Boy Revolver. After the debut of the Homesteader 9mm semi-automatic carbine at the 2023 SHOT Show, this was the second surprise in a row from Henry. Suffice to say, as soon as I arrived at the NRAAM Exhibit Hall, my first stop was the HRA booth.
A Retro Masterpiece
I’d already seen photos of the six-shooter that came with the press release, but there’s nothing like looking over a new gun in person. The Big Boy Revolver comes in two versions, a square-butt model with what they term a “Gunfighter” grip and a round-butt model with a “Birdshead” grip. Henry Rep. Dan Clayton-Luce let me examine both revolvers and briefed me on their operation. These are typical double action (DA) revolvers and can also be manually cocked and fired single action (SA). The Big Boy is chambered in .357 Magnum and will also accept .38 Special cartridges in its 6-shot cylinder. A thumb-latch on the left side of the receiver is pushed forward to allow the cylinder to be swung out for loading. The cylinder locks at the breech-face of the frame and there’s a ball and detent lock on the crane that locks into the frame. Cylinder rotation is counter-clockwise and it has an exposed, but heavy-duty ejector rod. At the front of and inside the trigger guard is a small latch, pressing in on the latch with the cylinder swung out, allows the removal of the cylinder and crane unit for cleaning. I asked Dan to send me the square-butt version to test.
The HRA Big Boy Revolver screams “Retro” and has the appearance of an amalgamation of revolvers from the 19th and 20th Centuries. With its heavy 4” barrel that’s relieved at the bottom for the ejector rod head, plus, the exposed ejector rod, it resembles a heavy barrel Colt Official Police revolver. The cylinder and DA mechanism are definitely Smith & Wesson influenced. Then the rear portion of the frame where the hammer is located, looks much like the Model 1878 Colt, especially the Birdshead version of the Big Boy. These features and the blue finish give off a “service gun” look that would have been a natural for a cop’s holster-gun from 1900-1990. To me the brass grip-frame and trigger guard, plus the smooth American walnut grip panels, are a throwback to percussion revolvers like the Colt 1851 Navy; a favorite of Wild Bill Hickok.
Like many service-type revolvers from yesteryear, the HRA Big Boy Revolver has a fixed rear sight, consisting of a square notch cut into the top-strap of the frame. An unusual feature is the ramp-style front sight. It is held in place with a screw and the gun comes with three front sights of different heights so that the user can put on the front sight that provides the best point of aim – point of impact with the ammunition being used. The frame of the Big Boy is considered medium sized and the weight at 35 oz. compares favorably with that of a S&W Model 10 or Colt Official Police six-shooters. The cylinder is very close in size to the K-frame Smith and I found that an HKS Speedloader for the K-frame works best; you can use an L-frame speedloader, but it’s not optimal.
Gearing Up to Go Shoot
I wanted to shoot the Big Boy Revolver with both .38 Special and .357 Magnum factory ammunition, so I chose five different loads. In .38 Special, I used Black Hills and Remington cartridges; both had 125 gr. JHP bullets and the Remington was +P rated. My .357 Magnum loads were a 158 gr. JHP from Black Hills, a 142 gr. FMJ bullet loaded by Fiocchi and another Remington 125 gr. JHP cartridge.
For some practical leather, while at the NRAAM, I stopped by the Galco booth and company rep. Mike Barnham showed me their new Big Iron holster. The one on display looked like it would fit the Henry Big Boy Revolver, so we took the holster over to the Henry booth and tried it out. Perfect fit. I asked Mike to send me one. This holster is also “retro” and harkens back to the half-flap holsters once used by the U.S. military. This one is premium steerhide, tan in color, with a smooth lining inside. The “short flap” is secured with a snap that has a polymer tab that makes it “glove friendly.” You can also get a Belt Drop that replaces the polymer belt loop on the back of the holster and lowers the rig to gunfighter level. BTW it also has a leather thong you can tie around your leg just like Clint Eastwood. I mated this holster with Doc Barranti’s Barranti Spare, a brown leather, open top pouch that fits the HKS Speedloader. I was all set to burn some powder.
Rocking the Range
My first order of business was to take some velocity measurements using my Oehler Model 35P chronograph. You can see the results in the accompanying performance table. Interestingly, the Remington ammo had the factory-listed velocity on the cartridge box and both the .38 +P and .357 Magnums shot faster out of the Henry revolver. I did an accuracy potential evaluation shooting single action, from the bench, using a sandbag rest, and at a distance of 20 yards. Three 5-shot groups were fired with each load and I was surprised that the tightest 5-shot cluster at 1.22” was with the Remington .357 Magnum rounds. Group averages ran from 1.53” – 2.60.” I did not replace the front sight during the testing. Windage was just fine, but with the 125 gr. bullet loads, I held at the top of the oval-shaped bullseye target to get center hits. The SA trigger pull weight was around 4.5 Lbs. and crisp.
To do some double action shooting I put up a reduced-size “bad guy” silhouette target and engaged it at 3 and 7 yards with the Black Hills .38 Special 125 gr. JHP load. At close range, I shot strong hand only, using a point-shoulder stance, looking over the sights. I fired six shots then reloaded using my HKS speedloader. I then backed up to 21 feet and did the same thing, but this time, used an isosceles stance and the revolvers sights. This exercise was repeated a second time and then I took a look at the target. The “bad guy” was thoroughly ventilated in the “boiler room” and was no doubt down for the count. I found the DA trigger pull somewhat heavy, but smooth and although the cylinder release latch is ugly, it didn’t bite my thumb during recoil like other revolver brands.
The Nitty-Gritty
When the Henry Big Boy Revolver made the scene on Facebook, “keyboard commandos” gave it quite a dose of derision. IMHO anyone making a new revolver in this “Era of the Autoloader” is to be congratulated. Some liked the looks, others did not, and some thought the MSRP of $928 was too high. Hey folks, a S&W Model 10 has an MSRP of $869, pretty close eh? After my day at the range with the Big Boy I came away impressed.
My biggest trepidation was the grips/frame. I figured with these service-style “skimpy” wood grips and exposed brass backstrap, my hand would take a beating. All though the chronographing, then the bullseye shooting, and the practical shooting, I practically gritted my teeth in expectation, it was for naught. I’m not sure if it’s ergonomic magic or what, but the expected painful recoil, especially with the Magnum loads, just didn’t happen. The gun fit very well in my medium-sized mitt and even in fast DA mode, the sixgun was controllable. The left-side grip panel at the top is relieved for speedloader use and I had no trouble using the HKS speedloader and ejection of empty cases was positive. I would like to see serrations on the front sight to reduce light reflection and to me the 4” barrel model would greatly benefit with a fully adjustable rear sight. The Galco holster and Barranti speedloader pouch worked out well and it was a day at the range well spent.
For more information on products check out:
Henry Repeating Arms www.henryusa.com
Galco Holster www.galcogunleather.com
Barranti Leather Co. www.barrantileather.com
HKS Speedloaders www.hksspeedloaders.com
MECHANISM: Traditional DA/SA revolver
CALIBER: .357 Magnum/.38 Special
CAPACITY: 6 cartridges
BARREL: 4.0”
OA LENGTH: 9.5”
EMPTY WEIGHT: 35 oz.
SIGHTS: Fixed notch rear, ramp front (3 interchangeable sizes)
FINISH: Polished blue w/ brass grip frame-trigger guard
STOCKS: Smooth American walnut
MSRP: $928.00
HRA Big Boy Revolver Performance
| Cartridge | Ave. Velocity | Best Group | Ave. Group |
| Black Hills .357 Magnum Factory New 158 gr. JHP | 1151 FPS | 1.87” | 1.96” |
| Black Hills .38 Special Blue Box 125 gr. JHP | 868 FPS | 1.59” | 2.33” |
| Fiocchi Range Dynamics .357 Magnum 142 gr. FMJTC | 1156 FPS | 2.32” | 2.60” |
| Remington Golden Saber .38 Special +P 125 gr. BJHP | 977 FPS | 1.53” | 1.85” |
| Remington Golden Saber .357 Magnum 125 gr. BJHP | 1241 FPS | 1.22” | 1.53” |
NOTE: Bullet weight measured in grains, velocity in feet per second 10 ft. from the muzzle by an Oehler Model 35P chronograph, and accuracy in inches for three 5-shot groups at 60 feet.
About the Author
William Bell has been a shooter for over 50 years. He was self-taught and received his first formal instruction as an Army ROTC cadet. Later, he was a member of the Combat Pistol Team with his MP Battalion in the Kentucky Army National Guard. After getting a BS degree in Criminal Justice, he embarked on a 38-year law enforcement career, that encompassed work as a small town cop, deputy sheriff, Border Patrol Agent and U.S. Customs Officer. During that time, he shot on a PPC team, was involved in IPSC competition, and served as a collateral-duty firearms instruction for 17 years. Bell retired in 2014. While a rookie Border Patrolman, he had his first gun article published in 1983. He began writing for COMBAT HANDGUNS magazine in 1988 and up to the present, has written several hundred articles for various publications. He also maintains a Facebook page called THE FIRING PEN and contributes to Linked-In and Instagram.
