Today Henry Repeating Arms is introducing, or re-introducing, the Henry Garden Gun Smoothbore .22.

This .22 calibre shotgun is purpose-built for close-range pest control using .22 LR shotshell cartridges.

According to Henry Repeating Arms it is “A Smoothbore Solution to Pest Control“. It’s also one of a handful of lever-action shotguns, the rest of the market being made up of Winchester 1887 clones!

Below: CCI Shotgun shells for 22 EX LR and 9×19 mm. Note the plastic shell and the small pellets inside. The knife is a Microtech Ultratech Hellhound with a Damascus Blade. I just had to bring these “shotgun shells” out for a photo as I read this release just a few minutes ago.

Below you can read the product announcement:

The Henry Garden Gun Smoothbore .22 LR Shotshell

BAYONNE, NJ – August 29, 2019 – Henry Repeating Arms, the leading lever action manufacturer in the United States, is resurrecting a firearm that has not been produced by another major manufacturer since 2002 with the release of their new Henry Garden Gun Smoothbore .22.

Built on Henry’s Classic Lever Action .22 platform, which ticked over the 1,000,000 units sold mark in late 2017, this .22 caliber shotgun is purpose built for close-range pest control using .22 LR shotshell cartridges.

“This may be a niche product, but it fills that niche particularly well,” says Henry Repeating Arms president and owner, Anthony Imperato. He continues, “For the farmer or the gardener, it’s something convenient to keep closet close at-hand to dispatch pests without using a level of firepower that could cause even more property damage than the pests themselves.”

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.

The 18.5″ round blued steel barrel of the Henry Garden Gun is void of any rifling to keep a tighter shot pattern when compared to shooting the same cartridge from a rifled barrel, which extends the effective range. The firearm also features a 15-round tubular magazine and ash wood furniture finished with a black stain to differentiate it from the otherwise very similar Henry Classic Lever Action .22.

Henry’s new lever action rifle!

Here’s a closer look at the CCI Shotgun shells in 22 EX LR, a possible choice for feeding the Henry Garden Gun.

My own experience with shooting shotshell cartridges is from a Glock 17, where I used the CCI 9mm Luger Shotshells. Number one, the pistol becomes a single action as there’s not enough gunpowder to cycle the semi-auto action. Secondly, you need to be really close to get a decent amount of pellets in the target. If you step away just a few feet too far, all you’re going to get is just a few hits – if even that.

I would not use this for self-defense unless as a last resort, and it’s not the intended use either.

A quote from Henry Repeating Arms (Source):

Using shotshell with a rifled barrel spreads the shot pattern too wide to be effective and damages the rifling over time, which is why our Garden Gun features an 18.5” round blued steel barrel that is void of any rifling, providing the perfect platform for slinging .22 LR shotshell projectiles in a tight pattern.

You can see a pretty good demo of it in the video below. (From tnoutdoors9)

The capacity is 15 rounds and the MSRP $421.00.

According to Henry, here are a few quotes (Source):

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. This smoothbore lever action is a workhorse that belongs in a toolbox just as much as a gun safe.

and

When your pests are all gone you just might find yourself asking the neighbors if you can help with theirs.

Henry Firearms can only be purchased through a licensed firearms dealer. For more information about Henry Repeating Arms and their products visit henryusa.com

Let it rip in the comments – is this the Garden Gun you all have been waiting for?