How To Clean Henry Lever Action 22

Keeping it Pretty

Everyone knows the importance of cleaning and oiling the inside of the barrel and functioning areas of your firearm. Unfortunately, some ignore the outside areas, or do it incorrectly. This definitely holds true on the Henry Golden and Silver series of rifles.

First off, something that can be done to all firearms is to give all the metal areas a good treatment of a protecting product. There are a few on the market, but I use Gun Protect, and it comes in a spray or cloth wipes. It also has modules that can be put inside gun safes and cases that will be an ongoing protection for a full year.

To apply Gun Protect, I wipe all metal surfaces by spraying a small amount of the product on the wipe, which can be used alone when wanting a quick wipedown at the range. I'll then wipe all the metal areas, except for the golden or silver areas, which will be discussed shortly. If the firearm is all black/blued, go ahead and hit everything. I also open the lever and give the inside of the action one spray.

Next are the wooden areas of the gun. According to Dan Clayton Luce of Henry Repeating Rifles, the best product to use is linseed oil. Don't use furniture polish. I take a small amount and rub all of the wooden areas, which not only protects, but also gives the wood a great shine. Remember, you don't need a lot, so a small bottle can last a long time.

Since the Golden Boy rifles have brass, I assumed that brass polish would be the way to go. Clayton says that this is not true for the regular .22-caliber Golden Boy. He says you should use a microfiber cloth like the ones that Henry sells online. This also can be used on any of the Silver Series including the Evil Roy. I use a Royce brand cloth I purchased online. Optometrists use these, and they have been excellent.

It's a different story on the Big Boy version of the Golden Boy Rifle. With this firearm, it's recommended you use a brass polish like ones sold at the Henry online store. I would recommend staying with Henry's directions and products, unless you definitely know of an equally good one to use.

Another layer of protection is using the soft protective cover that originally came with the Golden Boy, Golden Boy Silver and Evil Roy. Whenever storing these rifles, the cover should be placed on them. This will help prevent inadvertent scratches that can come from a multitude of sources.

Guns like the Golden Boy and Evil Roy are not only some of the best, most enjoyable rifles to shoot, but also are great showpieces. Always completely and properly clean your firearms with quality products inside and out, and you will be "keeping it pretty" and have them in top working order for many years to come.