“Made in America, Or not made at all” has been the Henry Repeating Arms motto for 30 years now. Today, Henry continues to expand its lineup to meet the ever-evolving needs and interests of customers. With that interest in mind, Henry went back to the drawing board and developed the Lever Action Supreme Rifle (LASR). This rifle is available in .223 Remington and .300 Blackout and hit the market in early 2025.
Recently I was able to get the Henry Supreme in hand in 300 Blackout for a field review and hopefully a bit of hunting.
Henry Supreme Overview
An innovative internal hammer action with external magazine is at the heart of the LASR. The Henry Supreme’s receiver is machined from aluminum which helps to keep weight to a minimum. A patent-pending quad bar linkage mechanism results in an extremely smooth and easy-to-operate action. The action sidesteps many features most associated with lever actions including the external hammer and long one-piece bolt. In its place a M16-style bolt is used.
Basics of the LASR
Historically bolt actions with tubular magazines could create a hazard. Under the inertia of recoil, a pointed spitzer-style bullet could act as a firing pin thereby creating a possible detonation inside the magazine tube. Not good! Henry avoided that risk with the use of a box magazine. Instead of manufacturing their own design, they simply adopted one of the most common magazines available—the detachable Magpul PMAG.
The Supremes bolt, features multiple locking lugs that interface with an AR-style barrel extension and rides within a chrome-plated bolt carrier. Upon cycling the action, the spring-loaded extractor and plunger-type ejector purges the fired case through a generous ejection port. A new cartridge is then fed from the top of the detachable 10 round PMAG (20 and 30 round PMAG’s can also be used) upon the bolt’s return to the forward position. The M4-style feed ramp system combines the reliability of the M16/AR platform with the time proven operation of a lever action.
There is no external hammer on the LASR. Standard lever actions can be somewhat tricky for the un-initiated—should the hammer be cocked and what about the safety? The LASR’s manual safety is located on the tang where it can be easily manipulated on or off by the shooter. Pushing the safety forward with the thumb makes the rifle ready to “fire”. Pulling the safety back places the rifle in “safe” mode.
Barrel and Stock
Henry’s LASR is comes standard with a 16.5-inch blued steel barrel. This short length allows the rifle to still be relatively compact even with a suppressor attached. The barrel is threaded 5/8-24 and capped with a knurled steel thread protector. The barrel is free-floated forward of the receiver and the walnut forend is sufficiently rigid that it won’t contact the barrel when the rifle is rested. This free-floating system assists to enhance accuracy potential.
Henry utilizes a two-piece stock shaped from American walnut on the Supreme. Both the stock’s pistol grip and forend are finely checkered, providing a positive gripping surface. Standard sling swivel studs come installed as does a 1-inch soft recoil pad.
The cocking lever of the LASR uses an oversized loop which allows room for gloves. I had no problems fitting gloved fingers into the loop when cycling the action. The ambidextrous paddle-style magazine release is located just forward of the trigger guard and pushing it forward releases the magazine. A single-stage trigger on the Henry is user-adjustable using an included hex wrench. The .300 Blackout trigger broke cleanly at about 3.5 pounds, perfect for any hunting scenario.
Henry LASR Sights
Henry equipped the LASR with an excellent set of iron sights. The front sight is a rigid steel blade that narrows to a fine aiming point. The fully adjustable rear sight uses a trapezoidal notch on its serrated blade and the sights are sufficiently high enough to be used with a suppressor mounted. For those wishing to utilize a scope, the receiver’s flat top is drilled and tapped being compatible with the Weaver 63B scope mount. A picatinny style rail can also be used.
Henry Lever Action Supreme Rifle Specifications
- Type: Lever-action centerfire repeater
- Calibers: .223 Rem/5.56 Nato, .300 BLK (tested)
- Barrel: 16,5”, 1:7” twist, free floated, threaded 5/8×24
- Weight: 6.4 pounds
- Overall Length: 36.65”
- Capacity: 10+1
- Stock: American walnut
- Finish: Blued
- Sights: Fully adjustable trapezoidal irons, drilled and tapped for scope mounting
- Safety: Two-position tang
- Trigger: Single-stage, 3.5 pounds (adjustable)
- Manufacturer: Henry Repeating Arms
On the Range-Ammo Tested
Using an Evolution Gun Works (EGW) picatinny base and Weaver rings, I mounted an older Redfield Accu-Range 2-7x33mm (made by Leupold) scope to the LASR. This compact scope was a good match for the size and overall capability of this rifle and would be ideal for close to mid-range hunting distances.
I tested a variety of .300 BLK ammo in both subsonic and supersonic configurations to evaluate the LASR’s accuracy. The results below indicate accuracy is of no problem once you find the right ammo for the LASR and recoil is non-existent. As you will soon read, I wouldn’t hesitate to use this rifle for hunting medium-sized game be it suppressed or not.
Ammo Tested
Hornady 135 gr FTX
Federal Fusion 150 gr Bonded SP
Group Sizes With Each Load
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Group Size 100 yds (unless noted) |
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.433” subsonic (50 yds, suppressed) |
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Suppressing a Lever Gun
In the end it turns out, this Henry lever action is an ideal suppressor host. The LASR’s barrel measures .700” at the muzzle, which provides plenty of solid shoulder for attaching a suppressor. Ultimately, I mounted a SilencerCo Scythe TI (Titanium) suppressor, a lightweight and somewhat compact unit that performed wonderfully on the range.
On occasion subsonic ammunition can be finicky with a semi-automatic since there are minimal gases to cycle the action. However, with a lever action, this is a non-issue. Additionally, because the action not cycling on its own as in the case of a semi-auto, the lever gun is even quieter. As with all lever guns, a cartridge can be quietly eased into the chamber at your command and be ready to fire. Finally, the ability to swap between subsonic and supersonic rounds without concern for reliability is certainly a bonus.
Hunting with the Henry LASR
Based on the above ballistics data and accuracy results I elected to use the Hornady 135 gr FTX for a whitetail hunt in West Texas. Although the Hornady 190 gr Sub-X round provided excellent accuracy, my initial testing of ammo did not involve suppressing the LASR. Unfortunately, I did not have the .30 caliber suppressor in hand during the early stages for testing nor for my Texas hunt. I preferred to stay with a cartridge providing higher velocity and energy when it came to hunting even medium sized big game.
Most whitetail hunting in the brush and canyon country of West Texas involves sitting a blind or stand. Game is rarely over 100 yards with the occasional shot out to 175 yards. An ideal zone for the LASR in .300 Blackout. I zeroed the Redfield scope at about 2.5” high at 100 yards giving me an “on target” hold easily out to 150 yards.
My intention was to find an older mature buck. I wanted something I’d consider a “management deer,” i.e. a main frame 7-9 point that looked to be on the downhill side of life. As it turns out this task is not so easy at it sounds. I watched feed and watering areas from blinds and high ridges for several days before finding a buck in the West Texas desert canyons. During this time, I observed numerous young 4 to 8 point and several 10-point mature bucks.
A Near Perfect Match
Finally on the morning of day three, a buck came in to watering area that fit all the parameters. Mature deer, 7-point main frame, grey face, and looking like he had seen better days. I know the buck was no further than 100 yards based on several brushy mesquites I had already ranged. Placing the crosshairs of the Redfield directly on the shoulder facing me I pressed the trigger.
The bucked jumped and I could see he was well hit. He went only about 20 yards and was down. The Hornady 135gr FTX in .300 Blackout did its job well. I must admit the suppressor would have been nice even when shooting the supersonic ammo and would have made the wearing of ear protection unnecessary.
Upon approaching the buck, I gave pause to admire and respect the animal. I observed that he was a perfect choice to take. Older with his front teeth worn nearly to the gumline. He had lived a good life.
Final Thoughts
There is little doubt the lever-action carbine has proven itself to outdoorsman for well over a century. The Henry Lever Action Supreme provides modern features that keep it viable in today’s world where suppressors and lever guns are experiencing a huge uptick in popularity.
I enjoyed the LASR and am looking forward to another field excursion that will include hunting with the suppressor. Afterall, whitetail make excellent jerky and summer sausage.
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