Sixteen rounds, a 20-inch barrel, and a walnut stock make the Henry Frontier a classic rimfire lever gun. It is chambered in .22 LR and finished in blued steel.

For a first rifle, it is hard to beat. The action cycles with a smooth pull, recoil is nonexistent, and ammunition costs little. Plinking at tin cans, shooting paper, and chasing squirrels and rabbits are all in its wheelhouse. The 20-inch barrel gives a steady sight picture without making the rifle awkward.

Sixteen rounds in the tube keep a day of shooting from turning into a loading chore. Walnut gives the rifle a warmth that plastic stocks lack, and the blued barrel carries the look of a real working rifle. Youth shooters will have fun with it, and so will the grown-ups who grew up with a rimfire lever in the house.

Keep the tube free of grit and lightly oil the action. Wipe the metal after wet days. The rifle ships to your FFL dealer, where the background check is completed before you take it home.