Henry rimfire reviews · editorial reference

Henry Mare's Leg .22 LR: What to Expect Before You Buy

A stockless lever gun is a handgun with unusual ergonomics. This page walks through what a 12.875-inch, 10+1 .22 pistol asks of the person holding it.

Short answer

The Henry Mare's Leg .22 LR is a lever-action pistol with a 12.875-inch barrel and 10+1 capacity, regulated as a handgun because it has no shoulder stock. Expect a novelty-friendly, low-recoil range toy that is harder to shoot precisely than a rifle, and keep it exactly as sold unless you have taken the legal steps first.

The setup

Strip a lever-action carbine of its buttstock, shorten it and give it a pistol grip, and you get a gun that looks like it came out of a movie. The Henry Mare's Leg .22 LR is that idea realized as a factory product, and it carries a few things worth knowing before you click.

The listing shows a 12.875-inch barrel, a 10+1 capacity, walnut furniture and a blued finish, in .22 LR. Weight, overall length and sight details should be checked on Henry's specification page. The origin of the name and the way the gun is classified are covered in our Mare's Leg guide; this page focuses on what ownership looks like in practice.

Handling, honestly

Without a shoulder stock, a Mare's Leg is supported by your hands alone. That changes several things compared with the carbine it resembles.

Holding it steady. You need either an extended-arm grip or a chest-level hold. Both work for short-range fun; neither matches the stability of a rifle held to the shoulder. A sling can add tension for a steadier hold.
Working the lever. With a rifle, the stock tucks against your shoulder, and you work the lever while the gun stays put. Here, you work the lever while your hands are holding the whole firearm. It is a skill that improves with practice but feels awkward at first.
Muzzle control. A shortened barrel puts the muzzle closer to your support hand and body than a long gun would. Keep the muzzle pointed downrange at all times, and pay particular attention to where it points as you cycle the lever.
Reloading. Loading through the tube is a two-handed task. Do it with the muzzle in a safe direction and never with a round chambered.

A pistol-length lever gun puts your hands and the muzzle uncomfortably close together during cycling. Go slowly, keep fingers clear of the muzzle and treat a few quiet practice sessions with an unloaded gun as part of learning it.

What to expect from accuracy

This page rests on listing data and design, not hands-on testing, so it offers no group sizes. What can be said from the design is straightforward:

The sight radius is shorter than a rifle's, so aiming is less precise.
There is no shoulder to brace against, so your hold matters more.
.22 LR has little recoil, which helps. The cartridge is mild enough that the pistol is easy to hold on target.
Ammunition quality matters. Rimfire varies by brand and lot; the network's rimfire pistol overview explains how to match ammunition and firearm to role.

If you want an accuracy test of your own, set targets at short range, shoot from a steady position and experiment with a couple of loads. Record what works.

Ammunition notes

Because a lever action is cycled by hand, the pistol does not depend on recoil to feed and eject, so quiet, low-power loads are workable. Subsonic .22 LR is a natural fit for a rifle-like pistol, and the network has a comparison of subsonic .22 LR loads. Feed it ammunition the manual approves, and test any new brand with a small box first.

Rimfire cartridges are not subject to the centerfire tube-magazine concern about bullet tips pressing on primers, as our other guides explain, so ordinary round-nose and hollow-point .22 LR is fine for the tube.

Legal classification

This is the part most worth getting right, and it is general information, not legal advice.

It is a handgun as sold. Because it has no shoulder stock and a short barrel, purchase, transfer and transport rules for handguns apply, including age requirements for buying from a dealer.
Do not add a stock. Putting a shoulder stock on a firearm with a barrel under 16 inches can create a short-barreled rifle, which is regulated under the National Firearms Act. Do not make that change without confirming current rules and obtaining any required approval first.
State and local law varies. Some places add handgun-specific requirements for carrying, transporting and storing. Check yours.

Who it is for, who should skip it

Good fit	Poor fit
A collector or enthusiast who wants an unusual rimfire	Anyone who wants a practical compact rifle (choose a carbine instead)
Western-themed range fun at short distances	Shooters who prioritize precision
Someone who already owns lever-action rimfires and wants a novelty companion	A buyer looking for a defensive firearm; this is not the right tool
A shooter who is patient with a learning curve	A first-time shooter who wants the simplest possible .22

For a conventional rimfire lever, our Golden Boy lineup guide covers the rifles. If you want to compare lever and slide actions, see our Pump Octagon review. Budget-minded buyers should look at the budget .22 lever gun roundup.

Care and storage

Wipe the pistol down after use, keep the tube clean and store it locked and unloaded, away from unauthorized access. Handgun storage and transport rules can be stricter than those for long guns, so check your state's requirements before traveling with it.

Bottom line

The Mare's Leg .22 LR is for people who enjoy its looks, its cycling motion and the novelty of a stockless lever gun. It is mild to shoot and fun in the right setting, but it is not the right pick for precision work or for anyone who wants a practical compact rifle. Keep it as sold, treat it like any handgun and learn its handling slowly.

Editorial note: This is an independent editorial overview built from manufacturer specifications and publicly available information. We have not performed hands-on testing of the products discussed, and nothing here is a performance guarantee. Verify specifications, compatibility and legality for your own situation.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Mare's Leg legally a rifle or a pistol?

Henry manufactures it as a pistol: it has no shoulder stock and a short barrel. Handgun purchase and transport rules apply, and state law varies.

Can I add a stock to it?

Do not. Adding a shoulder stock to a firearm with a barrel under 16 inches can create a short-barreled rifle, which falls under the National Firearms Act and requires approval before any change. Consult current federal and state rules or an attorney.

How many rounds does the .22 LR Mare's Leg hold?

The listing shows 10+1: ten in the magazine tube and one chambered.

Is it accurate?

Accuracy depends on the shooter, the ammunition and the hold. Without a shoulder stock, most people will find it harder to shoot tight groups than with a rifle.