Handi-Rifles

[Scrounger]

Let me do a poor imitation of your favorite gun writer to tell you about a very interesting toy to play with. It is the H&R Handi-Rifle, owned by Marlin. Although i've been aware of them and heard stories about their versatility and accuracy for several years, I didn't get around to ordering one until 2 days ago. My WalMart doesn't stock any of them but you can order them for the princely sum of just under $200. Then you can send the receiver back to H&R and get as many caliber barrels as you want fitted for $82 each. What kind of accuracy can we expect from a rifle that can be bought for $200 or a barrel for $82? Pretty dang good according to several forums I've read, minute of angle is common. What calibers? With a rimfire receiver you can have barrels in .17 HM2, .17 HMR, .22 LR, .22 WMR; with the centerfire receivers you can get calibers from .22 Hornet to .30-06, .357 Mag, .44 Mag, .45-70, and even .500 S&W. Two new calibers being added this year are .35 Whelan and 7.62X39. I'm just going to have to send them $82 for a 7.62X39 barrel although I really don't know why, It won't do anything that the .30-30 can't do... Here's some other facts I've come across in the last three or four days: WalMart is a funny company. They order their guns from a distributor named Sports South. (Extra barrels must be fitted at H&R or NEF, whatever their real name is) You can access Sports South on the Internet at
http://www.internetguncatalog.com/
to see what's in inventory before you go to WalMart. WalMart will order some of the calibers but not all of them; no rhyme or reason, they just didn't list them when they made their arrangement with Sorts South; .500 S&W and .45-70 are listed but they're out of stock. I ordered a .223 Synthetic Rifle (another $15) and I'll send the receiver to H&R to have probably a .45-70 barrel fitted. I already have dies, brass, and molds for that caliber and .500 S&W would entail starting from scratch. Another choice, the 7.62X39 is in stock but is not on the WalMart available list, but it will be in April when the new list comes out. I told you they were strange. Here is a link to the WalMart Special Order List:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/catalog.gsp?cat=170083 or
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...71844%3A170119
This is an inexpensive way to fool around with a lot of different calibers if you're so inclined. In addition to my .223 barrel, I expect to get 7.62X39; .357 mag; .44 Mag; .45-70; .500 S&W and maybe others....

[SharpsShooter]

You will not be unhappy with the Handi-Rifle. I've have fired several different calibers from the rimfires up to the 45-70 and all have been very accurate. The biggest complaint I have is the poor trigger. They are litigation heavy and grungy to boot. Cleaning up the engagement surfaces of the sear with a fine stone improves them greatly. The 45-70 was sub MOA with 300gr J-boolits at 2150fps, but the recoil was shall we say...brisk.

[Scrounger]

You will not be unhappy with the Handi-Rifle. I've have fired several different calibers from the rimfires up to the 45-70 and all have been very accurate. The biggest complaint I have is the poor trigger. They are litigation heavy and grungy to boot. Cleaning up the engagement surfaces of the sear with a fine stone improves them greatly. The 45-70 was sub MOA with 300gr J-boolits at 2150fps, but the recoil was shall we say...brisk.

One of the fellows at greyBeards said I COULD load it up to the Ruger No 1 level but my shoulder would yell 'Stop!' long before that...

[carpetman]

Well just how handi is it?

[Junior1942]

One of the fellows at greyBeards said I COULD load it up to the Ruger No 1 level but my shoulder would yell 'Stop!' long before that...

Nope, you can load it to level #2, which is Marlin and 1886 Winchester levels.

[hpdrifter]

If you send it back for extra bbls, ask for the free trigger job. They'll tune up yer trigger for ya.

[Scrounger]

If you send it back for extra bbls, ask for the free trigger job. They'll tune up yer trigger for ya.

Thanks, I'll definitely do that.

[jballs918]

ok so you buy the rifle, then send it back for a different barrel or do you just buy the barrel by itself and change it. becuase i would think just to buy the whole thing in the barrel you want or im i way off on this

[Junior1942]

The extra barrels have to be factory fitted. You send in the action.

[Scrounger]

ok so you buy the rifle, then send it back for a different barrel or do you just buy the barrel by itself and change it. becuase i would think just to buy the whole thing in the barrel you want or im i way off on this

As Junior stated, you must send the receiver in for them to fit the new barrel, thereafter you can switch them at will. Although some people have told me they routinely switch barrels with other people and buy them second-hand with no problems. Works with Contenders, why wouldn't it work here? I think you are misunderstanding this aspect of it: I want the barrel I originally buy PLUS I want additional caliber barrels to change and use at my pleasure. And both WalMart and H&R operate a little weird in my opinion. WalMart doesn't sell all calibers, just those on THEIR LIST. And H&R apparently will fit barrels in calibers they do not produce a whole rifle for, so having the barrel fitted to an existing action is the only way to get it. Near as I can tell.
Here's a picture of a .243 a fellow offerred me for $160. I got no use for that caliber but I'm tempted to buy it and sell or trade the barrel for something that intrigues me more.

[44minimum]

very interesting, scrounger. I am in the process of saving my pennies for a 223 handy rifle also. When you get yours I would like to know how it shoots. I will also be getting a 357 Magnum barrel and a 260 if they have them. They have not had 260's before but they are supposed to announce their new calibers at the shot show.

[Scrounger]

very interesting, scrounger. I am in the process of saving my pennies for a 223 handy rifle also. When you get yours I would like to know how it shoots. I will also be getting a 357 Magnum barrel and a 260 if they have them. They have not had 260's before but they are supposed to announce their new calibers at the shot show.

Yeah, if I wasn't so lazy I'd go to it and check them out. It's only an hours drive from home if it's in Vegas again...

[drinks]

44;
You may want to make sure you get a new production .223 barrel, H&R is supposed to be changing the pitch from 1/12" to 1/9", would make a lot more bullets available.
The 1/12" pitch is marginal with bullets over 55gr.
I am going to send an action in as soon as I verify, with a call to H&R, that I shall receive a 1/9" pitch barrel.

[Scrounger]

44;
You may want to make sure you get a new production .223 barrel, H&R is supposed to be changing the pitch from 1/12" to 1/9", would make a lot more bullets available.
The 1/12" pitch is marginal with bullets over 55gr.
I am going to send an action in as soon as I verify, with a call to H&R, that I shall receive a 1/9" pitch barrel.

Always got to be different, I hope mine is 1 in 12. I use the 40 to 50 grain bullets. Here's a link to a discussion of that very topic at GreyBeards:
http://www.graybeardoutdoors.com/php...d20c2171abad67

[JohnH]

All 223 barrels made in 2006 forward will be 1:9. The current crop of fluted 223 barrels are 1:9.

I guess I'm going to be the stick in the mud here and say that after having 4 Handis and one extra barrel over the last 3 years I will not have another. I don't mean maybe not, I mean I will not even give consideration to one. Here's why:

45-70, .456 groove, .450 bore, wouldn't shoot into 2" consistantly at 50 yards unless the load was under 1300 fps. Fired over 500 rounds and at least 20 different loads, never got better. You can kill deer with it, I did, but people do that with sticks and stones.

30-30, .310 groove, .307 bore shot jacketed great, better than great with a few loads, but would not shoot cast worth beans. Yeah, a $70.00 mold should shoot, but when the factory says .307/.310 is in spec????? Fired at least 500 rounds of cast at over 600 jacketed

44 Mag, took forever to find loads that would shoot, but after slugging my bore I discovered why.... .427 bore, .432 groove Friend still has the rifle, it shoots great, I killed 4 deer with it, had I not been in a jam I'd still have this one. But it is close enough to know how it holds up over time. Fired well over 2000 rounds, If it's going to break it will be soon and I won't be surprised.

357 Maximum, began life a Magnum. Chamber so long that when any 158 grain bullet touched lands, there was 1/4" between the bullet base and the case mouth. Rechambered to 357 Maximum and then shot in excess of 3000 rounds to find a bullet and load the dang thing would shoot. It shoots the RCBS 35-200 fine, Anything else it patterns. The Hornady 180 XTP does ok, will shoot inside 1.5" at 50 yards but 5 shots still walks around a lot.

38-55. This barrel was mounted at factory on the 357 Maximum frame this time last year. I've fired 1300 rounds through it. When it came back from the factory it wouldn't ignite large rifle primers consistantly. Got so bad it wouldn't ignite pistol primers 100%. Turned out to be the hammer spring weakened. Firing pin has been broken twice. Once by me walking up stairs and fiddling with the hammer, it slipped, broke firing pin (DUH). Neighbor picked up rifle at my bench and before I could say don't dry fire.... broke firing pin. This fall the barrel became loose on the frame, took a .002" shim on the hinge pin to tighten it back up.

I traded my Remington Model 7 Mountian Gun in 7-08 to my friend for an Encore 209x50 muzzle loader, got a 375 JDJ barrel, and next on the list is a G2 Contender with a 30-30 barrrel, or a 357 or 375 Winchester barrel for the Encore (custom propositons so $$$$) But having a firearm that will hold up to being shot is priceless.

Overall I have been satisfied with the accurcay I was able to get from these guns, but the barrels suck and so does the lockwork. For my money I wuld rather spend it on a good condition milsurp than a Handi, the milsurp was designed to work everytime all the time. I am not interested in a firearm I have to wonder if the barrel is going to fall off when I pull the trigger. With a milsurp, I can buy sporter stocks, Timney triggers even new barrels for Mauser rifles in any chambering based on the .470 case head.

I can go to a gunshow and get a used Savage 110 for $200 to $240 and have a better rifle than a Handi ever thought of being. For $400 I can have a new G2 Contender and have a better rifel than any 2 Handis ever thought of being. The $200 Handi is exactly that, $200 rifle that brings $150 and less used.

I'm not one to bad mouth anything for no reason. In fact, you can get pretty fair service from a Handi. But it ain't no Savage. It sure ain't not no TC (I shot lots of those in sillywets years back, never had these problems) and it won't give you the kind of service you would expect from a Browning, Remington, Winchester, Tikka, Ruger.

Is it a cheap single shot? You bet. Expect nothing more and you won't be dissappointed. Before you decide, do a search over a gray beards and look at how many complain of troubles with these things, and then take a look at the "fix it " stickies at the top of the page and ask yourself this.... How many other rifles out there have so many problems that there are forums dedicated in part to telling others how to fix their rifles? I don't want to fix it, I want to shoot it.

[Bass Ackward]

45-70, .456 groove, .450 bore, wouldn't shoot into 2" consistantly at 50 yards unless the load was under 1300 fps.

30-30, .310 groove, .307 bore shot jacketed great, better than great with a few loads, but would not shoot cast worth beans.

44 Mag, took forever to find loads that would shoot, but after slugging my bore I discovered why.... .427 bore, .432 groove.

John,

Interesting how this mirrors my testing results for 30 caliber. Here I thought I was breaking new ground. But I needed that barrel for a hollowpointer for 35 Whelen anyway which was my ultimate motive for fire lapping out the rifling.

The rifling height in your 30/30 was .0015. I had cast bullet "accuracy" defined as grouping, down to .0014 with the lower velocity load and really hard bullets but groups started opening up some with them even at .0024. So if rifling height is going to come down, you have to have a lot more rifling in number to maintain the same drive area. The problem with that logic is barrel fouling occupies space and second, it becomes difficult to maunfacturer (correctly) once you get down so far in height.

And the larger the bore diameter you go, the more drive area you need (height) if you want load / cast bullet options and the chance for higher velocity. Seems you already learned that.

Hmmm. You can come out your room now.

[txpete]

I bought one last oct.so far pretty happy with it.the one I bought was in 25-06 just because I never really had one before.
after a small 0-ring was placed on the forarm it will shot 1 inch groups.I haven't tried cast in it yet as other projects got in the way.
price was 200.00 NIB and a 20 rebate from handi.so a new rifle that shoots 1 inch groups for 180.00 isn't such a bad deal.
pete

[fatnhappy]

I have a friend. Yes, I do! No really... I bribed him. He'll attest.
He owns a handi-rifle.
NY changes its legal implement laws and changes several "shotgun only" areas near the PA border to rifle legal zones.
I say "get a 7-08"
He says "I've been told the .25-06 is better.
I say "get a 7-08. I'll let you borrow one of mine if need be."

He gets said 7-08.
Trigger job is done without solicitation. He buys quality federal ammo. Said 7-08 will shoot very small groups.
He spends $150.

He fills many sausage casings.

Handi-rifle good.

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
I was looking at the Handi rifle as a base to build a 450 ackley on, but this thread has me recorsidering. Perhaps it would be better to look at the TC Encore.

[RugerFan]

I've only owned one Handi Rifle. A new .223 that shot lousey groups with both factory and hand loads. I sold it quickly. On the other hand the 20 ga shotgun was just the ticket for my son when he was a little shaver. I believe I paid about $75 for it new several years ago.

A somewhat cheaper option to a TC is the CVA Optima Elite. Only available in 6 calibers so far, but they look promising.

http://www.cva.com/products/rifle_optelite_center.htm