Henry Arms’ New Smoothbore 22 ‘Garden Gun’

Just when you thought you had all the guns you need, Henry comes out with a handy and attractive lever-action 22 rimfire rifle — with a smoothbore barrel just for shooting “rat shot.” They’re calling it the Henry Garden Gun.

Why a smoothbore rimfire? Well, 22 LR shotshells have been available for ages and are widely used for controlling pests in confined areas — especially indoors where you don’t want big shot payloads or solid bullets flying about. And they say firing shotshells through a rifled barrel tends to open the shot pattern pretty wide, limiting the effective range.

Here’s a blurb from Henry:

The Henry Garden Gun is one that belongs right by your side as soon as you walk out the front door to start the day’s chores. Tuck it next to the seat of your tractor or riding mower and have it at the ready for when something slithers into view through the grass, dispatch those barn-dwelling birds without dispatching the barn around them, or exterminate the mice that are turning your garden into a buffet.

The use of 22 LR shotshells are favored for tight quarters or enclosed spaces due to their quieter report, negligible potential for harmful ricochet, and an impact that is unlikely to penetrate walls and roofs.

I gotta say, it’s a good-looking little gun, and the black-stained ash stocks let you know at a glance it’s the smoothbore and not your Henry 22 rifle.

Some specs:

• Barrel: 18.5″ Round Blued Steel, Smoothbore (no rifling)
• Intended Ammunition: 22 Long Rifle shotshells
• Magazine Capacity: 15 rounds
• Overall Length: 36.5″
• Weight: 5.25 pounds
• Receiver Finish: Black
• Rear Sight: Fully Adjustable
• Front Sight: Blade
• Scopeability: 3/8″ Grooved Receiver
• Stock: Black Ash
• Buttplate: Plastic
• Length of Pull: 14″
• Safety: 1/4 Cock
• Best Uses: Target/Pest Control
• MSRP: $421.00

I’ve known the time when a small shotshell was just what I needed for erasing a rat or venomous snake, but I’ve never had the need for a dedicated smoothbore smallbore.

If you do, this Henry’s for you.

Russ Chastain

Editor & Contributing Writer Russ Chastain is a lifelong hunter and shooter who has spent his life learning about hunting, shooting, guns, ammunition, gunsmithing, reloading, and bullet casting. He started toting his own gun in the woods at age nine and he's pursued deer with rifles since 1982, so his hunting knowledge has been growing for more than three and a half decades. His desire and ability to share this knowledge with others has also grown, and Russ has been professionally writing and editing original hunting & shooting content since 1998. Russ Chastain has a passion for sharing accurate, honest, interesting hunting & shooting knowledge and stories with people of all skill levels.