Break action rifle

[Outpost75]

I wanted a very light walking rifle and used pre-WW2 H&R .44-.410 Garden Gun frame as platform and had John Taylor fabricate several barrels to fit, so that I can choose .32-20, .38 Special, .44-40 or .45 Colt, depending upon which revolver is going with me. Still have the .410 shotgun barrel too. With a 20-inch rifle barrel or 26" .410 gun weighs 4 and a half pounds. No pony needed.

Not least expensive option, but no other way to do it this elegantly.

I am delighted with the result.

[charlie b]

It all depends on cost and what you expect. I did a lot of looking at single shots years ago. Ended up with a T/C Contender. Yep, barrels are expensive. There used to be some gunsmiths who would make cheaper barrels. Not sure if any are around these days.

The CVA and Henry are the only two I found available that were cheaper. There were a couple others made but not sure if they are still available (Turkish?). But most did not seem to shoot as well as a Contender.

[jeffsmith13]

Anyone make a barrel for steel cased 7.62x39 ? I have thousands of rounds of hollow point and soft point . I’d be happy with a H&R/NEF or whatever.

[MT Gianni]

I have a Handi in 7.62x39. It shot steel cased OK. I have a hard time believing a ss rifle could be cheaper than even an MGM contender barrel.

[jeffsmith13]

Tc compass rifle available online for under $300 , threaded, and online reviews show promise. Bolt action but still cheaper than any barrels , MGM says no steel case for their barrels .

[white eagle]

never cared for the H&R Handi's , but that is me
I have a Encore and that seems to work well
barrels while not inexpensive come in a multitude of calibers
and customs barrels caliber choices are almost limitless

[Spedsterguy]

If you can find a Savage 219 you will be very happy with it. They are chambered is 22 hornet,25-20,32-20 and 30-30. I have a few of them with several different barrels. Three barrels are rechambered. I have a 22 K Hornet, a 218 Bee, and a 219 Donaldson Wasp. As well as a 30-30 and a 22 Hornet

[Randy Bohannon]

The CVA/ Begara guns are as nicely done as you can expect for <$350.00 with some decent after market options.Maybe a bit better than their price indicates, very good fitting between the barrel and frame with excellent lockup,good triggers,hinge pins are tight. I have zero interest in Handi rifles never found any attempt by the company to put out a quality product, CVA did.

[Daekar]

I have an Encore and I love it, but I can totally understand why one would choose a Henry instead: the price is hard to beat for the quality.

If I were to have only one rifle, it would probably be an Encore... buy once, cry once, and barrels can be anything you want. Since I can have more than one, the Henry is for one kind of load and the Encore is for another. Both are accurate with loads they like and both are unfailingly reliable.

There is a lot to be said for a Henry in 357mag which has been reamed to 357Max. Nothing I am interested in hunting world require more.

[Outpost75]

If you have a lathe or know someone with one- a common H&R Topper shotgun can be stubbed for cartridges from 30-30 on down pressure wise. I made a 44-40 from a 12 gauge with a Green Mountain .429" rifled blank and it's been great.

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Or if you want a rifle - shotgun combo, John Taylor can fabricate a complete barrel assembly to fit. Not an "inexpensive" job, but well executed for less cost than a new Henry single-shot and you still have the shotgun barrel. The iron shotgun actions don't handle high-pressure rounds, but you can do .45-70, .30-30, .44-40, .45 Colt, .32 H&R, .30 Carbine, etc.