Wisconsin – In the quality management world you are taught that as a provider of goods or services you must have a profound understanding of your process.
You are also not supposed to be always trying to fix things by running, from one company production crisis to the next. What you are supposed to be doing is continually improving the process and thereby improving the quality of your product.
This is what Henry Repeating Arms of Bayonne, NJ is all about.
I would suggest that Anthony Imperato, the President, and Andy Wickstrom, the General Manager of Henry, do in fact have this required, profound understanding of their process to make outstanding firearms.
They are always improving their firearm making process.
What this generates is fine, classic, well-crafted (and darn good looking) lever action rifles.
I have been to the Henry Wisconsin plant in Rice Lake, Wisconsin and seen the precision and quality that goes into making Henry rifles. Part of that process is the million dollar machines they use to mill out the exacting parts, that when assembled, create a quality rifle.
You do, however, have to have quality employees who run the machinery—Henry has them.
I spoke with Mr. Imperato and he wanted me to understand his Henry Rifle Lifetime Guarantee. If you own a Henry, he wants you 100% satisfied with their product. You have a lifetime guarantee and that is not just your life. Many years from now when your granddaughter inherits your Henry rifles if there is an issue with one of the firearms, send it to Henry Repeating Arms and they will repair it.
If you buy a used Henry rifle from your favorite brother-in-law and have a maintenance problem, send it to Henry—they will sort it.
Now if you accidentally damage your Henry rifle, Henry Repeating Arms will repair your firearm, but you are going to have provide the background story. If your rifle falls out of your saddle scabbard, slides down a mountain and is damaged, Henry wants to hear from you. If in the fall the trigger snags on a branch, is discharged and bags you a record elk. I believe Mr. Imperato will want to hear from you, and may want the movie rights to that story.
Please take a look at the Henry web site for customer letters (www.henryrifles.com/customer-letters/) these are folks just like you that Henry heard from.
Henry rifle owners are a very loyal group of consumers and appear to be quite ready to share their personal stories about Henry quality and Henry customer service. I know for a fact there are other folks in the outdoor products manufacturing business that would love to have just a small percentage of Henry Repeating Arm’s loyal and satisfied customer base.
But, the short answer to the life-time guarantee question at hand, “will Henry fix your rifle if you damage it?” Yes.
David Day of Day Arms / the Powder Horn gun shop in San Antonio, TX ( (210) 674-5220 ) told me he has been selling Henry rifles since they first came onto the gun market. He believes Henry has “the best customer service in the firearms industry.” He told the story about a custom ordered rifle that after the proud new owner got the firearm home, a chip in the stock was discovered.
No one from Henry asked how the rifle was damaged, they just requested the firearm be immediately returned. It was repaired and back in the Henry owner’s hands in two weeks.
When the wrong colored butt plate was found on a rifle, a quick phone call from the Powder Horn gun shop generated a new replacement stock that went out the next day. Mr. Day replaced the mismatched stock at his gun shop and the down time for the new Henry owner was less than a week. Mr. Day did emphatically advise me that these few and far between customer concerns with a Henry rifle were rare.
When they come into his shop, Mr. Day does not keep new Henry rifles (or used ones for that matter) on the shelf for long.
There is just something about the Golden Boy 22LR lever action rifle that appeals to the gun buying public the first time they see one (www.henryrifles.com/rifles/golden-boy/). It is a great looking firearm with its brasslite receiver, but more importantly you spot the quality as soon as you pick up the rifle. I believe excellent customer service starts first with a quality firearm. If the rifle is well made and the quality is built into the firearm before it ever hits the retail store shelf, the odds are you will not be sending it back for repairs.
Quality in manufacturing means less waste at the Henry factory, which means better prices for the gun buying public. I would suggest that the best customer service you could ever want, is not having a need for customer service in the first place.
However, should you experience a problem with your Henry Repeating Arms rifle, send it to Henry. Mr. Imperato and his dedicated crew will fix or repair your Henry rifle—Mr. Imperato personally guarantees it. Think Henry rifle—think quality.
Here in Wisconsin, the land of cheese, bratwurst and legendary deer hunting there is a quiet pride that the State has. It is the only other Henry Repeating Arms factory in the world.
Henry’s motto is “Made in America , Or not made at all,” however if you happen to look for “made in Rice Lake, Wisconsin” on your next Henry rifle the quality manufacturing crew at Henry Wisconsin thanks you. As I am writing this column the first Henry lever action rifles in 41 magnum (model number H012M41) are being built at Henry Wisconsin. To my knowledge Henry has the only 41 magnum lever action rifle on the market—spread the word.
About Major Van Harl USAF Ret.:Major Van E. Harl USAF Ret., a career Police Officer in the U.S. Air Force was born in Burlington, Iowa, USA, in 1955. He was the Deputy Chief of police at two Air Force Bases and the Commander of Law Enforcement Operations at another. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Infantry School. A retired Colorado Ranger and currently is an Auxiliary Police Officer with the Cudahy PD in Milwaukee County, WI. His efforts now are directed at church campus safely and security training. He believes “evil hates organization.” vanharl@aol.com