Coming out of the skunkworks lab at Henry Repeating Arms is one lever-action series mighty enough to bear Supreme in its nomenclature. And given the fact this is a Special Products Division (SPD) rifle, it’s sure to host a few features otherwise not-so-standard on yesteryear’s lever gun. The SPD Predator is the focal point of this range session. So, let’s take it shooting and run through some details.
It sure is hard to not enjoy watching slow-mo of that lever breaking loose, right? Maybe it’s the distinct operation of the lever gun that attracts such fanfare, who knows. One thing is certain, this lever-action rifle is built for serious work, and it sure looks great, too! Sporting a custom-to-Henry BSF carbon-fiber-wrapped stainless-steel barrel and an in-house laminated stock, the gun is a looker just as much as it is a shooter. And, really, there’s so much going on here, it’s going to be tough to pack it in to our allotted time.
This gun is definitely not your traditional lever-action rifle. Again, that BSF barrel lightens the load, changes the balance and offers up impressive accuracy results. The aluminum receiver contains an action with a gear mechanism rather than relying on links and levers to transmit energy to move the bolt and rounds in and out of battery. The result is a slick cycling, rotating bolt head much like those of Stoner’s AR designs that feeds from STANAG-pattern mags.
Since this is a gun destined for depredation, and probably lots of casual, accurate plinking, it comes available in .223/5.56 and built to stabilize bullets in the 60-80-grain range with a 1:8-inch twist. This wide range will surely help in finding the one that does what you need.
You get an adjustable trigger with this lever gun, too. Henry even offers a sub-MOA accuracy guarantee with the platform. This is impressive for a lever-action rifle! And it is achieved, no doubt, by the sum of its parts. There are still a few parts left worth discussing, too. Like the fact you get a threaded muzzle and a locked breach that will enhance your sound suppression efforts. Out of the box, the SPD Predator is optic-ready, sporting a chunk of Picatinny rail. An adjustable cheekpiece cut into the comb will also help you get into an ideal position behind magnified glass. Additionally, the gun comes field-ready with a Harris S-LM bipod and sling studs to boot.
To learn more about the Henry SPD Supreme Carbon Predator, visit henryusa.com. And of course, to help in the fight to keep our 2nd Amendment rights, click the join button in the upper left-hand corner to pick up an NRA membership.
