H&R .300 Blackout project

[technojock]

Many years ago I got the crazy idea to skeltonize a Handi Rifle hammer to speed up lock time. I bought a couple hammers from Gun Parts so if I screwed one up, it wouldn't be a great loss, I soon found that I couldn't drill into one of them so I put them away for a a future day. Well that day came and rather than drill in a bunch of holes, I ground it out and reshaped it like the hammers on one of my S&W revolvers.

Since the Blackout was in serious need of a trigger job, I went ahead and installed it tonight. I planned to weigh it on my super accurate powder scale but it was too heavy for that so I had to settle for my kitchen scale. The best I can say is I took off 4 grams. I'm not sure if that much will speed up lock time but I like how it looks.

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The trigger job I did as part of the hammer swap wasn't as good as I hoped. I was going for sub 2 pounds and I think I only reduced it to around 3 pounds. It's still a decent improvement, but I know I could have done better.

The work on the hammer took about 2 hours and another 2 to do my first H&R trigger job...

[barrabruce]

I was sort of hoping you were going to get rid of the transfer bar and set it up for without it.
I’d be looking into say grinding off behind the spur? To behind the pin that holds the trigger spring.

My only advice would be to polish and smooth everything up in the trigger drive line before even thinking of touching the shear contacts.

Softening or replacing the trigger return spring shall help some.

[technojock]

I think Wolf used to make a replacement trigger spring for the Handi Rifle. I'm going to look into getting one of those before I tear into it again. I like the transfer bar system... it's the only safety on the rifle.

I also want to get some better punches, I kept bending and straightening the ones I have.

The lock time sounds faster, I wish I had a way to prove it.

[Rapier]

Would probably be more useful to practice dry firing with a rubber or leather pad insert. The repetitive trigger pull practice is a great exercise for developing a steady trigger squeeze/hammer fall/hold through the shot. Use a mirror and your reflected eye as a target.

[barrabruce]

If you did something like this it would lighten it up some, but you would risk more gunk falling in the action from the top.
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I have never found it to be a problem, I was taught to shoot through with a shotgun when growing up.
And slug guns where there is a delay from trigger release to pellet exiting the gun.

[technojock]

I considered doing just that but didn't for the reason you mentioned. I find that the older I get, the less steady I can hold a rifle. Reducing lock time and shooting sticks are 2 of my adaptations.

Before I do the next one, I'm going to mark it so I can see how much trigger I can remove above the receiver line. Anyway, by ear, next to one of my other Handi Rifles, it sounds faster.

I did a little research and the Wolf spring for this rifle is stronger. It would further reduce lock time, but increase trigger pull. The next time I have some money to spend on my Handi Rifles, I'll get some better pin punches and about 30 bux worth of Wolf springs. It would be a shame to leave any of them out of the upgrade process...

[technojock]

If you're thinking about modifying the hammer on your own H&R Handirifle like I did, don't... Mine snapped on about the 10th shot. It looks to be made of cast steel and looses too much strength when that much metal is removed. Fortunately I did the mods on a spare hammer so I had the original to put back in. So it was a stupid idea after all...

[Texas by God]

If you're thinking about modifying the hammer on your own H&R Handirifle like I did, don't... Mine snapped on about the 10th shot. It looks to be made of cast steel and looses too much strength when that much metal is removed. Fortunately I did the mods on a spare hammer so I had the original to put back in. So it was a stupid idea after all...

The striker(transfer bar) is made the same way, I suspect. I accidentally dry fired mine Once and it snapped in two.
Which makes me appreciate the older rebounding hammer type of H&R action all the more.


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[barrabruce]

Thanks for the update.
Don’t think I’ll play with mine by grinding off .
Thanks

[technojock]

If I were a better machinist, I'd try making one from stainless steel or titanium. I think getting the part that mates to the sear right would be the hardest part. Shaping it and getting the holes in the right place doesn't seem that much of a problem. Maybe someday I'll tackle the challenge... I still have the broken one and one other new spare (somewhere) to use as a pattern.