HENRY BIG BOY STEEL CARBINE

There’s something honest about a .45 Colt lever gun, and the Big Boy Steel Carbine keeps it to the good stuff. Sixteen and a half inches of blued steel, a big loop lever that begs to be worked fast, and seven rounds of big-bore thump for whitetail inside brush range. The side gate lets you top off without pulling it from your shoulder, the checkered walnut looks the part, and it’s drilled and tapped if you lean red-dot. Light enough to ride in the truck all season.

Short, handy, and it hits like a .45 Colt should.