H&R Single Shot Rifles and Shotguns--Discontinued or Not?

[lightload]

After reading on the net that H&R products had been discontinued, I pulled up their website and learned that the company is alive and well and continues to offer all the same stuff. Also, their barrel installation service remains available. The company website reports that H&R is the world's largest producer of single shot rifles and shotguns.

[GhostHawk]

Good luck trying to get one of those accessory barrels. I got mine and less than 3 weeks later it was shut down for good.

Web pages often lag behind, sometimes years behind.

Doubt me, try calling that number and ask for someone at H&R. Then if you should get someone ask for a replacement barrel in a common caliber like .357 or .44 mag.


Good Luck.

[Elkins45]

Their last gunsmith was a frequent poster on Graybeards forum, and he said he had been let go.

[lightload]

Now, I am curious. I'll give them a call and report back.

[NoAngel]

Hope got an hour or so to waste. Even when they were up and running their customer service sucked. Typical Remington

[jmort]

"Their last gunsmith was a frequent poster on Graybeards forum, and he said he had been let go."

He is an infrequent poster who still works for Remington on a production line and said there was one one gunsmith left for all of the H&R customer service. He was the second to last H&R gunsmith. H&R is dead.

[oldred]

H&R is dead.


And an absolute shame it is!

There is just no way that company could have not been turning a profit if it was being run right, maybe it was (probably) but Remington had other reasons. Who knows what goes on behind those closed doors when the bean counters get together, but in any case the demise of H&R is a huge loss for us.

[lightload]

I talked with a couple people at H&R/Remington this morning and learned that the H&R rifles and barrel program have been discontinued. One person said that two single shot shotguns would still be offered. Another said that the entire H&R product line is gone. Both said that "they"(owners)are taking a new direction that hasn't been explained to the lower echelon(my term). And yes, the Handi rifles sold well. The website should have been shut down but hasn't, even though the big boys have been asked to do so many times. Very, very sad.

[jmort]

A number of Rumors. H&R will continue to sell Chinese 870 knock-off, which is an incredible deal for $200, or that a whole new single shot line will be brought out or that it will all fade away.

[pietro]

.

It's time........ Sing along with me:

(Taps)

Day is done, gone the sun,
From the lake, from the hills, from the sky;
All is well, safely rest, God is nigh.

Fading light, dims the sight,
And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright.
From afar, drawing nigh, falls the night.

Thanks and praise, for our days,
'Neath the sun, 'neath the stars, neath the sky;
As we go, this we know, God is nigh.

Sun has set, shadows come, time has fled,
Scouts must go to their beds
Always true to the promise that they made.
While the light fades from sight,, and the stars gleaming rays softly send,

To thy hands we our souls, Lord, commend.


.

[Elkins45]

And yes, the Handi rifles sold well.

Did they tell you that? I'm curious because I would think there are just a handful of us 'nuts' who would buy a single shot rifle when you can get a Savage Axis repeater for the same cost or perhaps just a few dollars more. I think the economy rifles probably put a bit of a hurt on their business.

The Dick's sporting goods near where I work has three of them that have been languishing on the racks for months, and they are priced at $189...of course the fact they are all chambered in 444 Marlin ( a chambering for which they have no ammo in stock) probably doesn't help.

I think it's a real shame they are folding just as guys in Indiana are getting the opportunity to hunt with straight wall cartridges. I'm sure the market for a $250 44 magnum is probably pretty good in the rural parts of OH and IN these days.

[Elkins45]

A number of Rumors. H&R will continue to sell Chinese 870 knock-off, which is an incredible deal for $200, or that a whole new single shot line will be brought out or that it will all fade away.

I had heard they will continue to sell just the single shot shotguns, but I probably heard that from one of the same places you read.

[BAGTIC]

If they were so profitable why did Marlin sell out? Why did H&R give up twice?

I suspect part of the reason is that the companies invested very little in new machinery over the years in order to keep overhead expenses down to allow them to compete by low-ball pricing. Eventually newer production techniques allowed other manufacturers to produce more modern designs and competitive prices and the Handi-Rifles were left hanging from the end of a branch about to be cut off.

We see that CVA is able to produce a competitive SS at very competitive prices. In the best of all possible worlds Remington would bring out a new design with truly interchangeable barrels but I am not holding my breath.

[rfd]

RIP H&R

yes, H&R as we knew and loved it for many decades has had its bucket kicked by remington. who knows why, for sure. don't matter. done deal. IF anything will happen with some other outfit picking up their s/s handi line up is pure conjecture at this point. the buffalo classic was the only good and cheap newbie rifle introduction to the .45-70, and is/was a fine shooter in its own right despite all of its limitations. at least for me, the buff classic and the ultra will be sorely missed.

[lightload]

The guy I talked with was in Rem customer service, and if he's telling the truth, he repeatedly said that they were all in the dark about why these decisions have been made.

[rfd]

The guy I talked with was in Rem customer service, and if he's telling the truth, he repeatedly said that they were all in the dark about why these decisions have been made.

don't matter one way or another because the ONLY reason these kinda corporate moves happen is about the Money. money talks, everything else walks. doesn't even matter if H&R was turning a profit - it's all about corporate maneuvers and ROI projections. bean counters rule. nothing else matters. particularly with the current remington administration.

[bedbugbilly]

I'm just glad that I picked up a 357 Handi when I did. I think it's a shame that they are "no more". Let's face it . . . there are a lot of "no mores" in the U.S. and it's only going to continue downhill. As far as Remington and their "new vision" . . . maybe they are too busy designing things like the R51 pistol that got all the "hype" . . . but didn't work?

There is absolutely no reason that good quality firearms can't be made in this country . . but when the "bean counters" rule and they can be made for pennies on the dollar overseas . . . is it any wonder that all of our production technology gets shipped over there? I give companies such as Henry, Ruger, etc. a lot of credit for their stance on "American Made" - and neither has problems selling their firearms.

In the end . as far as H & R and Remington . . . it's all about the money.

[white eagle]

Sad as it is most corporate business decisions are made about the bottom line
not who and what it will effect
I have had numerous H&R single shots and one in particular was capable of shooting
very small groups at 100 yds
I will hold on to the ones I have left

[BD2]

Thompson center with the contender, now H&R seems as if all the single shots are taken hits at this point and time. CVA came out there version ,but hadn't put my hands on one yet.

[Whiterabbit]

I bet if H&R came out with an SB3 receiver that was sold (only) as a pistol receiver H&R would have done very, very, very well.

And it would have been super-duper manufacturable. you would just add the number 3 to the engraving line, and run the SB-2 receiver but stamp it different.

I guess technically they would have needed to add a pistol grip (non)buttstock option too.

[GhostHawk]

Totally agree, especially if they had a full line of pistol calibers in 8 to 14" barrels. 9mm to 45acp and .45lc.

They would have sold like hotcakes.

[Texantothecore]

I don't think that the H&R story is over yet.

If they restart with a switch barrel rifle with a new receiver which will take off the shelf barrels I will write them a check and overnight it to corporate on the day of the announcement.

[Whiterabbit]

It seems reasonable this is a possibility. Not necessarily an off the shelf barrel replacement program, but some sort of re-released product to compete with Rossi and the like, but happens to be incompatible with the current system. The only way a re-design would work would be to discontinue the old system and let it die, then start the program up again with the improvements.

Otherwise I know for sure I wouldn;t want a new product so long as I knew I could still get old barrels for the frames I have.

[rfd]

what y'all may not realize is that for remington, it may not be an issue of roi - meaning, H&R was never losing money, they were either not that profitable or they were just good candidates to lose in order to make remington fiscally "better". particularly these dayze, because remington isn't the firearms player they used to be, and lightening the load is a typical corporate strategy to get back on track and do better with their flagship products. heck, i want H&R to continue at least the way they had been, but the clear reality is that they're history unless someone else (maybe offshore) buys out the name and produces comparable quality firearms.

[lowallman]

A shame. This was an inexpensive way for a new young shooter to get started into shooting.

[Whiterabbit]

also an inexpensive way for a weekend warrior to get into gunsmithing.

[oldred]

Also an inexpensive way for a hunter to get an accurate and reliable hunting rifle, and also an inexpensive way to,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[rfd]

.... get a goodly taste of bpcr without the need to float a loan, and also an inexpensive way to .................

[GhostHawk]

get some inexpensive paper punching rifles. Most of mine don't have 50 rounds through them yet, but they are showing real promise.

Also an inexpensive way to,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[KLR]

Inexpensive.

I think this is why the H&R single shot rifles are circling the drain. Used to be they ruled the "inexpensive, but good enough" category. Now, economy bolt actions are a better choice for those who are not single-shot enthusiasts. For the same price or less you get a hunting rifle with repeat shots and if you're a paper puncher you don't have to pick up and reset the rifle for each shot.

Last fall you could get a Savage Axis for $219 and then get a $50 rebate from Savage. Hard to beat that for someone who just wants an inexpensive rifle.

[leadman]

H&R did make a pistol version at one time. IIRC it was in the 40s??

[BAGTIC]

"Sad as it is most corporate business decisions are made about the bottom line
not who and what it will effect"

That is why they are called businesses and not charities. If they could all ignore the bottom line they would be as broke as our government.

[GhostHawk]

On the plus side, barrels are selling on ebay for more than whole rifles. And there are a lot of guys who have the tools and inclinations to make stub type barrels.

Just bought a H&R barrel in 9mm for what I thought was a pretty reasonable 225$.

http://www.go2gbo.com/forums/hr-classifieds/9mm-luger-stub-barrel/

Same guy will make me a .45acp barrel a few months down the road. We have not talked price yet. One of the idea's he threw out was a 10" .45acp barrel inside a 16.5" shotgun barrel.

So while it is indeed sad that H&R will make no more single shot rifles. The future is not terribly bleak.

[rfd]

the beauty of the H&R s/s rifle line up was a good combination of price point and quality = overall great value.

and as just posted by KLR, sky rocketing H&R prices pretty much have killed the concept of the handi rifle value.

RIP H&R, we knew you well .....