The Law Enforcement Tribute Rifle: A Review

Way back in 1860, a gentleman named Benjamin Tyler Henry is credited with inventing The Henry Rifle: The first repeating, lever-action rifle.  The Civil War was on-going and such a firearm was a huge advantage over muzzle-loading or breech-loading rifles of any kind.  Originally chambered for the .44 caliber rimfire metallic cartridge, the rifle grew in demand not only for the military but for civilian purchases as well. (I have to admit that when I read “.44 caliber” and “rimfire” in the same sentence it took me aback.  How different is that thought today?)

Here we are over 150+ years later and Henry Repeating Arms is still in business producing notable lever action rifles.  Now, you should be advised that this won’t be a typical review of a rifle. There won’t be any tests of accuracy, reliability, etc.  This is a write up on a Tribute Rifle.  That means it’s a collectible item and I’m not about to ruin its value by putting ammo through it.  Will it chamber and fire ammo? Yes.  Would doing such ruin the collector’s value of it? Yes.  I was nervous just removing this rifle from its packaging but it was well worth to hold and handle a weapon designed in tribute to our law enforcement profession.

The Law Enforcement Tribute Rifle is a lever action rifle chambered in .22lr.  It is one of the ten tribute rifles Henry Repeating Arms makes. The list includes:

• Military Service Tribute Edition
• American Farmer Tribute Edition
• Law Enforcement Tribute Edition
• Coal Minor Tribute Edition
• Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Tribute Edition
• Firefighter Tribute Edition
• Golden Boy American Railroad Tribute Edition
• EMS Tribute Edition
• Truckers Tribute Edition
• The American Oilman Tribute Edition

All of these tribute edition rifles have a few things in common.  They are all lever action rifles.  They all have elegant wood stocks and forends with tubular magazines in line with and under the barrels (like all lever action rifles).  All but one (the American Oilman) have an image, logo, wording or some mix thereof on the shoulder stock, specific to the profession or people being honored with the edition.  Each receiver is engraved appropriately to the profession being honored and they are almost a mix of nickel with a gold inlay. (The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial and the Truckers editions both have a plain engraved nickel received although it’s optional with the Truckers edition.)

The specifications for the Law Enforcement Tribute Edition are:

• Model Number:         H004LE
• Action Type:              Lever Action
• Caliber:                      .22 S/L/LR (short, long, long rifle)
• Capacity:                   16 rds of .22LR / 21 rds of .22S
• Length:                      38.5” overall
• Barrel Length:           20”
• Weight:                      6.75#
• Stock:                         American Walnut
• Sights:                        Fully adjustable semi-buckhorn rear with reversible white diamond insert and brass beaded front sight.
• Finish:                                    Nickel receiver, brassite barrel band, brass buttplate and blued lever and barrel.
• MSRP:                       $1020

Now, the reason I was compelled to remove the rifle from its packaging was for a close inspection.  After all, this is a tribute edition and collectible rifle.  I needed to ascertain the quality with which it had been created.  It was quite snuggly packaged in its box with a felt sock wrap covering the receiver.  I was careful in removing the packing paper and then surprised at the snug fit of the felt sock over the receiver.

Before removing the felt sock I examined the barrel’s crown and was impressed by the smooth blued finish with an unblemished smooth surface across and no sign of nick or ding at the outer edges or end of the barrel’s exit.

The blued octagonal barrel itself was also examined.  The blueing was quite smooth and even. I couldn’t see any changes in depth of finish or variation in reflectivity.  The under barrel lug supporting the end of the magazine tube was snug fit with no gap even visible.  There was no felt wobble or looseness in the magazine tube.

The matting of the barrel band to the walnut wood and the blued barrel was just as smooth and tight.  I could see no manufacturing or machining marks and there was no movement in the band or its fit to the stocks and barrel. The wording, “To protect and serve” is prominently placed on the wood forend.

The receiver is a beautiful piece of work with a conglomeration of images and words that mark the rifle as clearly an honor to the law enforcement profession.  Not wanting to honor just police (usually wearing badges) or just sheriffs (usually wearing stars), the receiver sports a common inverted teardrop / oval badge with a five-point star centered within it.  The common eight-point hat with a a pair of handcuffs is also featured on the right side of the receiver.  On the left side of the receiver are a waving American flag and an image of St. Michael – patron saint of law enforcement.

On the right side there is the wording, engraved in a ribbon image, “In tribute to those in the line of duty.”  On the left side, with St. Michael, are the words, “To protect and serve.”

The shoulder stock is extremely well fit to the receiver and the back/top edge of the lever itself sits perfectly parallel to the bottom edge of the receiver/stock line.  On the stock is an emblem with an eagle’s head surrounded by the wording, “God Bless America’s Finest.”  The buttplate, as noted above, is brass and is fitted tightly to the buttstock.  Not just wrapped around and pinned in, the stock is actually milled out to allow for a flush surface on the top and bottom where the outside flat face of the buttplate is smooth to the surface of the buttstock.

As a law enforcement professional with over 30 years in the field, I feel this is an exceptional tribute for all of us.  While I was at first disappointed that it’s chambered for .22 caliber cartridges, I realized that if it were chambered for a more effective round (say, like the .38 Special or .357 Magnum), I’d be a LOT more tempted to actually load it.  Once loaded it almost HAS to be fired and since this is a collectible tribute edition rifle, it’s chambered in .22 for obviously good reasons.

You can learn more about this rifle, and Henry Repeating Arms’ other tribute rifles on their website.  This tribute edition rifle would make a good display piece properly secured on some mantle hooks or mounted and hung behind an officer’s desk.  Check it out and stay safe!