Henry: Made in America for Safety and Our National Security

U.S.A. -(AmmoLand.com)- Looking out in my driveway I see my American made pickup truck. The problem is so many of the parts in that alleged American truck were in fact made in Canada and Mexico. Then there is the foreign-made car sitting next to the truck. I have a utility trailer in that same driveway that was manufactured in Canada.

I hate to even get started on all the consumer electronics in my life, from TVs to cell phones that were not made in the USA. I, like everyone else in the world, buy a hell of a lot of foreign-made goods. In most cases, they are cheaper than if they were made in the US and the quality has gotten so good in non-US made items there is little room for sarcasm or disdain for foreign-made products.

In the latter part of the 1970s, I was in the wholesale and retail firearms business. In those days everyone wanted an American made Smith & Wesson handgun to carry. Colts and Rugers rounded out the top three American made most desired handguns. If you wanted a rifle you bought a Remington, Winchester or Ruger, again, all American made.

I remember one time when an associate at the gun shop asked me why I was trying so hard to find a Pre-64 Winchester bolt action rifle chambered in .308 when the store was full of foreign-made Mauser style firearms. I told him because “the West wasn’t won with a Parker-Hale gun (British), it was won with a Winchester.” At least according to John Wayne.

Foreign-made handguns were not very popular in the US, up to the early 1980s. Most likely because US law enforcement was still carrying revolvers and American cops and private gun owners had little faith in foreign-made double action wheel guns. When the high capacity 9mm semi-auto pistols took over the handgun market there was a decided shift to foreign-made firearms.

One of the problems with owning a firearm not made in the US is getting replacement parts. It was not such a problem in the most recent past because you could get almost anything you needed to repair a firearm shipped directly to your home or at least to your gunsmith. Thanks to the Chinese Communists and the virus they have allowed to descend on mankind the shipping of parts is already becoming a problem, and it will get worse.

I keep saying this Chinese virus is “death by a thousand cuts.”

No one is going to sneak up and cut your head off with one swift slice that ends all your earthly pain. “They” will inflict small little cuts, that by themselves cause little damage. However, if you continue to receive an unending assault of these “little” cuts you fail to function and then perish.

Trade has to come back to the US shores and especially products that are key and essential to the survival of our society. In a time of crisis, the only two things that have true value are food and firearms. From that point you can spread out your critical needs (not wants or desires) to perhaps medicine, water, baby supplies, shelter, the basic items to survive.

Think back to psychology 101 class and when you learned about “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs). How has this Chinese Communist virus affected your ability to manage safety and survivability as Maslow laid it out?

If your world is literally falling apart you have to still eat and defend yourself above every other action you might need to take.
American made firearms are going to rise to the top of the list for gun owners in our country. The problem is many of our so-called American made gun manufacturers have shipped their production offshore. I am not going to sling mud but there are a number of our long-standing historical American firearms manufacturers who have almost all their inventory produced outside the US.

This is not a criticism of the quality of these supposed “American” guns but it does concern me that in time of crisis these firearms manufacturers are not available to be pressed into the service of our nation. Where do you think the USA would have been vulnerability wise in both WWI and WWII if Winchester, Remington, Savage, Colt, Hi-Standard, and even Smith & Wesson had been foreign gun manufacturers?

There is no way the US could have fought either of those wars if their major firearms industry was actually off-shore.
Henry Rifles is an all American made firearms manufacturing company with major production operations in New Jersey and Wisconsin. Their motto is “Made in America or not Made at all” and they mean it!

The following is a letter-statement from Henry Rifles to advise the greater Henry Family of firearms producers, the sales and logistics component, the gun shop owners and of course the Henry buying public. It lays out what is going on at Henry Rifles during this virus crisis our nation is dealing with.

My personal opinion and I have stated it to the senior leadership of Henry Repeating Arms is “Henry must survive.” When this crisis is over a lot of American business both large and small will no longer be with us. I say again, “Henry Rifles must survive.”

Please read the below letter from “Big Henry.”

Henry Repeating Arms COVID Update – May 6, 2020

Dear Henry Distributor,

As a valued Henry customer, we believe that it’s prudent to update you on our current situation as it relates to the challenges we face surrounding COVID-19 at both of our manufacturing locations, how we were are reacting, and what our plan is moving forward.

Bayonne, NJ:
Bayonne, NJ and Hudson County are among the hardest-hit areas of the country per capita. As a result, this location has been in a state of complete shutdown since March 20. Our hope is to restart limited production as soon as May 19, and we are keeping a close eye on state and local announcements to monitor the feasibility of this plan. This production timeline places us on a schedule to resume shipments around June 1, although in limited quantities as we continue to build inventory.

We are making a number of changes to our production facility at this location in order to protect the health and safety of the employees that will be returning once we reopen. These changes include, but are not limited to modifying the layout of our machines and workflows to accommodate social distancing guidelines, mandatory use of masks per NJ regulations and gloves for close contact scenarios, checking every employee for fever and/or other COVID-19 symptoms upon entry at the start of each shift, dispersing hand sanitizer stations throughout the facility, and an increased cleaning schedule for shared areas.

Rice Lake, WI:
Fortunately, Rice Lake, WI and Barron County, WI have remained relatively unscathed with only 7 confirmed cases in the entire area, and no casualties. As such, we have not only been able to remain operational as an essential business per WI state guidelines, but we have also been able to absorb some production here that would ordinarily take place in NJ. For example, we recently moved production and assembly of the U.S. Survival AR-7 from Bayonne, NJ to Rice Lake, WI, and we are currently tooling for contingency production of the H001 and H004 in WI should the situation in NJ knock our plans there off track.

Despite the overall better outlook in WI, we have still taken preventative measures at this location including modified work stations for social distancing, making gloves and masks mandatory for close contact situations, checking every employee for fever and/or other COVID-19 symptoms upon entry at the start of each shift, providing hand sanitizer stations using supplies from a converted local distillery, and increasing cleaning schedules.

We are currently operating at 90% capacity at this location including manufacturing, repairs, and shipments.

In summary, to say that we are looking forward to getting back to normal is an understatement, and we are doing our best to make that happen as soon as possible while remaining vigilant. We will continue to keep you updated.

Sincerely,

Dan Clayton-Luce
Communications Director
Customer Service: (866) 200-2354

Hunt with a Henry.

For right now the New Jersey operation of Henry is closed down because of the virus. I know for a fact the Henry Wisconsin / Rice Lake operation is making as many rifles as their system will allow every day.

Yes the American hunter needs that Henry rifle for the upcoming fall deer season but there are other needs for a rifle. Hard times are already here and I sadly believe it will get worse. The average American family truly should consider, that if they do not own a firearm it is time to make that decision.

Being caught without a long gun in the future could be the worst mistake a citizen in this great country will make in their lifetime. Did that sound a little scary? It was supposed to be scary!

“Big Henry” is working extremely hard to keep the doors open and production as high as humanly possible. The quality will continue and nothing will move offshore. Henry will survive this crisis and as the industry moves back to the US Henry could in fact be ready to meet other production capabilities that our nation might demand.

If you need a new rifle for yourself buy one and if that new rifle is a Henry all the better. If you have a little extra money pick up a second rifle for some other member of your family. If it is a Henry, again all the better. Hard times are here so seriously consider buying a firearm. If it is a used one, or a Brand-X or Henry, just buy the gun. If you don’t need it in the future leave it in your will to your grandkids.

Henry is here now and Henry will be there when this crisis is over. Consider what you will need to keep your family safe and “Be Henry prepared.” When it is over you can always take that Henry rifle and your family members and go “Hunt with a Henry.”

Be ready–be safe.
Be Henry Prepared.

About Henry Repeating Arms:

Henry Repeating Arms is one of the leading rifle and shotgun manufacturers in the United States and a world leader in the lever-action category. The company motto is “Made in America, or not made at all” and its firearms come with a lifetime guarantee backed by award-winning customer service. The company is also known for its charitable endeavors under its Guns For Great Causes program, which focuses on sick children, both individual cases and children’s hospitals, veteran and wounded veteran organizations, Second Amendment, and wildlife conservation organizations. The company currently employs 535 people and has 250,000 square feet of manufacturing space in its Rice Lake, Wisconsin, and Bayonne, New Jersey facilities. The company is named in honor of Benjamin Tyler Henry who invented and patented the Henry rifle in 1860 – the first repeating rifle, the lever-action rifle, which is America’s unique contribution to international firearms design and is one of the most legendary, respected and sought after rifles in the history of firearms. Visit Henry Repeating Arms online at www.HenryUSA.com, on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/HenryRepeating, and on Instagram @Henry_Rifles.