'Coolest Thing Made In Wisconsin' For 2019 Is This Rifle

MILWAUKEE, WI — Henry Repeating Arms and their Big Boy All-Weather lever action rifle won the 'Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin' competition organized by the Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce in their 2019 competition.

Henry's rifle won this year's honor from a contestant pool of more than 150 different products and companies. The Big Boy All-Weather, which is manufactured in Henry's Rice Lake, Wisconsin facility, was nominated earlier this year in August and then went all the way through four rounds of popular votes. Henry rifles and shotguns can only be purchased through a licensed firearms dealer.

More than 30,000 votes were cast in the last round alone. The rifle, available in .44 Magnum, .357 Magnum and .45 Colt, is a popular choice for hunters that need a firearm that is less susceptible to harsh environmental conditions, the manufacturer said.

"It is incredible to see the diversity of products manufactured here in this state, and we are proud to call Wisconsin home," said Dan Clayton-Luce, Communications Director of Henry Repeating Arms during Henry's acceptance speech. The company is named in honor of Benjamin Tyler Henry who invented and patented the Henry rifle in 1860 – the first repeating rifle.

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.