1. Guns.com
  2. News
  3. Product & Industry News
  4. Bill Would Make Henry All-Weather .45-70 Wisconsin’s State Rifle

Those in the Badger State could soon look to one of the "coolest things made in Wisconsin" as the official state rifle.

A bill introduced in the assembly by state Reps. Dave Armstrong (R-Rice Lake), Treig Pronschinske (R-Mondovi), and James Edming (R-Glen Flora), and in the senate by state Sen. Romaine Quinn (R-Cameron) looks to honor one of the lever guns made by Henry Repeating Arms. The move came after lawmakers toured Henry's plant in Rice Lake. 
 

Wisconsin Reps. Dave Armstrong and Treig Pronschinske toured Henry's facility in 2021
Wisconsin Reps. Dave Armstrong and Treig Pronschinske toured Henry's facility in 2021. (Photo: State Representative Dave Armstrong)


"Hunting is one of Wisconsin’s most revered pastimes, whether you live in Milwaukee, Madison, or Rice Lake," Representative Armstrong said. "Hunting is also an important economic engine, especially in our rural areas. I know legislators on both sides of the aisle who hunt, so I hope this legislation will receive bipartisan support. I encourage all my colleagues, as well as Governor Evers, to visit Henry’s facilities and meet their outstanding employees if they get a chance. It’s fascinating!"

The variant in question, Henry's Big Boy, All-Weather variant in .45-70, was previously named the winner of the 2019 "Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin" competition, an annual event run by Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce.
 

Henry's Big Boy, All-Weather variant in .45-70
Henry's All-Weather Lever Action Side Gate models, offered in .30-30 and .45-70, use a satin hard chrome plating that’s permanently bonded to the steel underneath that doesn’t flake, chip, or peel, and has a corrosion resistance that actually exceeds some stainless steel. (Photo: Kristin Alberts/Guns.com)
Henry's Big Boy, All-Weather variant in .45-70
Henry rifles have been made in Wisconsin for over a decade. (Photo: Kristin Alberts/Guns.com)


Henry currently employs over 600 people. The company motto is “Made in America, or not made at all,” and its firearms come with a lifetime guarantee. Established in 1997 by the Imperato family, the company was formerly headquartered in Brooklyn and later Bayonne, New Jersey, and then moved to more gun-friendly digs in Dairyland. Its Rice Lake facility began making receivers, bolts, sights, and other parts in 2006 and expanded to making completed rifles in 2013.

In 2021, the company announced an expansion in Ladysmith, Wisconsin, that would add another 100 local jobs. 

According to the latest figures from federal regulators, Henry was the country's fifth-largest rifle maker by volume in 2021 and the seventh-largest shotgun maker. 

Banner image: Kristin Alberts/Guns.com

Read More On:
revolver barrel loading graphic

Loading