NEF barrels interchangeable?

[poppy42]

I have a question for those much more knowledgeable on this matter than I. I have a New England firearms single shot 12 gauge. I was told that you can change barrels/Calibers if you have an SB 2 receiver. My question is, is this true? I would love to have a single shot in either 223 or even 357 magnum. If it is true how do I tell if my receiver is SB 2? The barrel is marked little partner SB 1 but it is my understanding that that’s irrelevant and all the shotgun barrels were marked SB one. Any help in this matter would be greatly appreciated.

[725]

Somebody with a more complete explanation will pipe in, but basically you can put a low pressure barrel on low or high pressure receiver and a high pressure barrel on a high pressure receiver. The .223 & .357 would be a high pressure barrel. Go for a .45-70. They are low pressure. Wonderful cartridge. A 12 ga. would be low pressure.

[cwlongshot]

Most all Factory shotguns are SB1. I say most as the SLUG HUNTERS was a modification of a SB1 but not quite a SB2.

SB2 was most CF rifle calibers. I say most because the 357 and 44 mags was NOT.

THE FIT PART is irrelevant to SB1 or 2. They are dimensionally the same. BUT KNOW H&R guns are NOT and never was designed to be switch barrels like the Contender or Encore. Barrela sometimes will swap but usually require fitting.


The reason SB2 is requested and preferred is they are stronger.

Good Luck

CW

[megasupermagnum]

As was stated, SB1 and SB2 frames are essentially the same as far as fit. It is hard to say exactly what they are by looking at caliber. H&R used what they had sometimes, and plus people could have swapped barrels at any time. I've seen SB1 frames that came with 20 gauge and 30-30 barrels that I know came from the factory that way. I've seen SB2 frames for 44 magnum, which I don't know the history of. The above mentioned ultra slug hunter frame was neither, it was a special frame only for the USH or 10 gauge barrels. There is only one surefire way to tell the two fames apart. Pull the buttstock off, and the SB1 frame looks solid, the SB2 is open. You can find pictures online, it is very obvious.

As for barrel interchangeability, the answer is kind of. They were switch barrel guns, that was their big selling point, but that didn't mean you could buy barrels, slap them on, and expect it to work most of the time like a TC Contender or Encore. H&R used to have a barrel program that was super cheap. You sent your frame to them, and they would fit barrels to them. It was like $50 for most barrels, bull rifle barrels were closer to $100. I remember specials going where you got 2 barrels for $70 or something. That wasn't a long time ago either, only about 10 years ago. It was no issue to find frames that had 3 or more barrels with them. That quickly changed when H&R barrels skyrocketed in 2015ish. Suddenly people were paying $500 for just a barrel online, a lot of these collections got broken up.

Unfortunately with that program gone, the answer is more complex. How H&R fit barrels I'm not sure. They could have just tried a bunch from a pile until one fit for all I know. H&R did not hold tolerances to nearly the same level as TC though, plus there have been some changes to barrel and frame design over the years. It is my opinion that you run a good chance with a newer frame and barrel that they will fit pretty well. If you can close the action, see little or no light between the barrel and frame, and you verify you have good engagement of the locking bolt, you are probably fine. If you get a barrel that is not on face, meaning there is a gap between the barrel and frame/bolt face, I say just accept the loss. There are some ways to tighten that up, but they are mostly hokey. The only real fix is to weld the hook of the barrel lug, and refit the barrel. It can only really be done with a TIG welder and good skill, then even more skill with at least a file. It is definitely advanced level stuff, and I doubt any gunsmith would ever try such a thing. For the record, I do have one frame and barrel combo (I don't swap barrels on any) which I put a shim from a beer can in the hook to tighten it up. On the flip side, you can sometimes get barrels that are too tight, being they wont close all the way, or the locking bolt isn't engaging. Those are two separate issues. If it wont close, then you can file the hook on the underlug some. In an ideal world there would be no gap between the breech face and the barrel. I personally wouldn't fret .002". I wouldn't want more than that. If your locking bolt is not fully engaging the barrel lug, you can use something like an arkansas stone on the barrel lug face using a sharpie to check fit\. If the locking lug and barrel lug are not a tight fit, you can rock the barrel front and back, there is nothing you can do to fix it.

My advice is if you can try before you buy, go ahead and see if it fits. If it does, great. If not, I wouldn't bother. You can buy a brand new Henry single shot in 357 magnum or 223 remington at any time for about $425. As much as I love H&R/NEF guns, and continue to buy them, even I will admit the Henry is superior. It's more well made and more accurate. The one and only downside so far is that nobody makes barrels for these frames yet. Alternatively, the only way I would ever mess around with H&R barrels again would be to do what is called barrel stubbing. Essentially you cut off the existing barrel, thread it, then thread a barrel to fit, which is secured in with a barrel nut.

[GhostHawk]

Some 6 or 7 years ago when I bought my first Handi rifle I was interested in a rifle that could be setup for 3 or 4 calibers.

Over time, experience, I started discovering why the old timers prefered to set up each barrel with its own frame, stocks and be always ready to roll.

Some of it is hard to put into words.

Some of it is the result of buying a new barrel and trying it on each action until it found one it liked.

Some of it is the result of range time with barrels that are setup with their own reciever and stocks vs swapping them around at the range.

It boils down to a "feeling" as much as anything. They are just happier, and shoot better once they have a home.

That being said I still have 3 or 4 barrels that "share" frames. But the majority of the herd has its reciever and stocks and is in a case ready to go, no mixing and matching trying to remember which one worked with what.

Part of that may be due to having

.22lr versa pack, .223rem, 300BO, .30-30 (+20 ga combo gun) 7.62x39, 9mm (Stub job) .357mag which mostly shoots .360dw brass.
Pair of .44mag complete guns, .444marlin, .45colt.

The 7.62x39 and the .300BO share a frame, as do the 9mm and the .45. I would like a dedicated frame for the .45 when I happen across the right one with nice wood.

[poppy42]

Thanks for all The information guys I really appreciate it. I’m definitely not interested in having multiple calibers for one receiver it’s just that I have more use for a single shot 223 or even a 357 magnum that I do the single shot 12 gauge. I will remove the stock tomorrow as I Now no how to determine whether it’s in SB 1 or SB 2 receiver. A new rifle is definitely not in the budget but if it’s possible to switch the barrel out and I can wind up with a caliber that I’ll get more use than I do in it’s current configurationit great. If not it will just remain a single shot 12 gauge yes

[Shawlerbrook]

Go over to the Graybeard forum where they have an active group of H&R/NEF shooters and a wealth of information on this subject. I have read where the 357 could be used on either frame but probably not the 223. And yes, the NEF barrel swap program was fantastic, but another good thing destroyed by the Freedom Group/ Cerebus/ Remington disaster.

[Jeff Michel]

For years H&R and later NEF offered additional barrels to compliment the the rifle you already own. If I remember correctly, it was limited in calibers in the SB1 but anything you want in SB2. About a year before they went toes up, I sent a SB2 to them and had four other barrels fitted. I think the price was 97.00 each but that included shipping. So a short answer is yes they are swapable but you will have to have your gunsmith fit them up for you.

[hporter]

The Barrel Accessory program was awesome and a good value. I sent my rifle in to the factory in 2011 and had 6 barrels added.







This scan of the document is poor - but it shows what barrels were available, the cost and the single page document says which frames can be fitted.

I will see if I can find the original and do a better job scanning it.

[poppy42]

The Barrel Accessory program was awesome and a good value. I sent my rifle in to the factory in 2011 and had 6 barrels added.







This scan of the document is poor - but it shows what barrels were available, the cost and the single page document says which frames can be fitted.

I will see if I can find the original and do a better job scanning it.

Nice but it’s kind of irrelevant if they don’t do that anymore!

[poppy42]

Thanks for all the responses guys I really appreciate. it turns out I’ve got a friend that can stub the barrel for me. Oh and I checked it is an SB2 so it does kind of limit me to calibers. I’ve been told that 357 magnum is not a problem with an SB1 receiver and that looks like how I’m gonna go.
thanks again I really appreciate it

[hporter]

Nice but it’s kind of irrelevant if they don’t do that anymore!

The main reason I posted it was that it had a blurb of which receivers the factory would fit rifle barrels to (with references to the serial number ranges that were acceptable) - which was your original question - unless I misunderstood.

Good news that your friend can stub a barrel for you. Good Luck.

[sparky45]

Not all H&R barrels will interchange from receiver to receiver, WITHOUT proper fitting. I had to take my frame and "new" barrel to a Gunsmith for proper fitting. The "new" barrel wouldn't tighten up in the barrel pin enough to prevent it from being loose. A little trip to the mill and it was fixed.

[cwlongshot]

Thanks for all the responses guys I really appreciate. it turns out I’ve got a friend that can stub the barrel for me. Oh and I checked it is an SB2 so it does kind of limit me to calibers. I’ve been told that 357 magnum is not a problem with an SB1 receiver and that looks like how I’m gonna go.
thanks again I really appreciate it

. Spoke with Dinny this AM about just that!!

Good show man

CW

[cwlongshot]

Not all H&R barrels will interchange from receiver to receiver, WITHOUT proper fitting. I had to take my frame and "new" barrel to a Gunsmith for proper fitting. The "new" barrel wouldn't tighten up in the barrel pin enough to prevent it from being loose. A little trip to the mill and it was fixed.

But thats only when things are "fat" when they are small.... Material need added or other parts changed.
Another difference as Dinny pointed out are the firing pins. Many SB1 being shotguns had large pins. Rifle frames had smaller Pins.
As you said, they never was intended to be switch barrels like Contenders and Encores as previously mentioned.

CW

[Dinny]

Ray,
Lots of good advice here!

Adam

[pietro]

I checked it is an SB2 so it does kind of limit me to calibers.

Since you have the stronger (than the SB-1) SB-2, it's good for higher-pressure cartridges.

The .357Mag, .44Mag & .45-70 are low enough in pressure (compared to other cartridges) that they can & were chambered in the SB-1

Some bbls drop in; some bbls need fitment

Since finding a Handi rifle barrel alone can be hard, stubbing is your best option.

.

.

[Electrod47]

I have both NEF and H&R barrels and Frames mixed. I made sure to have only SB2 frames long ago. Sometimes a little minor fitting is required to the forend for lock up issues only. You can just buy a different forend on ebay, done that too. Good advice on Greybeard's forum to accomplish all that. I stubbed a bull barrel .223 that was impossible to handle in the "woods", too heavy especially front end heavy. Stubbed to 18" lost maybe 200fps from 3200fts. Accuracy is still dead nuts, and my fav walk around now.

[Wagnerwerks]

After buying ever extra barrel I could scrounge up and reading a pile, I have found there are generally 3 headspaces when trying barrels on hr receivers. I have at least one of each and have yet to find a barrel that won't fit one of them. You've got a 1 in 3 chance...