Does anyone besides H&R make/sell barrels (blanks with the under lug) for these rifles? Or, is there someone who will (like with the TC's) fit a custom barrel to one of them?

Thats a $450 barrel on the frame of a $120 complete rifle. My guess is lack of demand.

SKB...I'm afraid you're probably right. Still, I'll bet there's some money to be made here by the right guy. Lots of Handi-rifles out there and the standard barrels are to damn short (except the 280) and the chamberings are boring. My NEF 30-30 which I have re-chambered to 30-40 Krag is a fine little rifle but the barrel should be at least 4" longer.

Jon

I just stub for the caliber i want. This is my 375JDJ that I stubed with a shilen barrel. I will make a collar for the forend screw & tig it in place. Jon is right. We are trying to make a silk purse out of a sows ear.
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Since Remington bought H&R maybe they will start producing more calibers.

" . . . standard barrels are to damn short (except the 280) . . . " Absolutely!

I own one, a 7mm-08 with a kitchen table gunsmithing stock from GunStocks Inc plus a second, wider varmint type forearm that I did but didn't like with the short barrel. I figured I'd get a 204 Ruger or 222 or even 223 barrel for not a lot of money, but everything except the 280 (which I don't need) was a short barrel. A 26-inch 204 Ruger or 22 Rem. would be a splendid specimen and I wish they offered it. I haven't tried writing them to see if it's a possibility bu it might be the only option short of a $450 barrel, which sort of defeats the purpose. -WSJ

Doug...nice looking work and thanks for the pictures. Can you describe the "insert" to the left of the breech in you're pictures? Does it slide into the bored out breech end and engage the fine threads on the rear of the barrel? Also, (just curious) do you cut the large internal threads with a single point cutter or a tap?

Jon

WSJ...looks like we feel the same way about the short barrels. Sadly, I doubt if H&R (or Remington) is going to listen to the (probably) unprofitable percentage of us wanting longer barrels. I also got a walnut stock set from GunStocks Inc. and like it very much. But, I agree, it does not look right with a 22" barrel.

I like Doug's barrel stub solution. I have the tools and skills to do that and think I'll give it a try when I get some other projects out of the way.

Jon

Jon, I'm afraid I've neither tools or skills for real gunsmithing (nor aptitude!). Here are the 2 Handi forearms. The schnabel nlooks OK but the varmint looks sort of misfit with that short barrel.
[IMG]<a href="http://s728.photobucket.com/albums/ww290/wsjchester/Gun%20Stuff/?action=view¤t=IMG_0016.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww290/wsjchester/Gun%20Stuff/IMG_0016.jpg" border="0" alt="Handi SB 2 Varmint Forearm"></a>[/IMG]
<a href="http://s728.photobucket.com/albums/ww290/wsjchester/Gun%20Stuff/?action=view¤t=84NEFHR1871Handi-RifleCustom7mm-08.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww290/wsjchester/Gun%20Stuff/84NEFHR1871Handi-RifleCustom7mm-08.jpg" border="0" alt="Handi SB2"></a>

welldammit that didn't work so good!

wsj...Don't feel bad. I finally managed to post some pictures ONE time after several failed attempts. It's not a simple, or fun process (at least for me), and I won't take it on again lightly.

Jon

quote:

Doug...nice looking work and thanks for the pictures. Can you describe the "insert" to the left of the breech in you're pictures? Does it slide into the bored out breech end and engage the fine threads on the rear of the barrel? Also, (just curious) do you cut the large internal threads with a single point cutter or a tap?

yep that is a threaded bushing on the left. I screwed it on from the chamber end & it tightens on the end of the barrtel on the left. I tightened the hell out of it then cut it off in the lathe.

Here are wsj's stock pics.

Wrongtarget: Thanks! My feelings wouldn't be hurt if you told me what you did (or what I did wrong).

Top photo is with the varmint/target forearm; bottom is the schnabel. 7mm-08 Rem., Nikon Pro-Staff scope, Limbsaver pad. -WSJ

wsj...Nice looking stock! Having just finished one myself I know how much work and time I'm looking at. The GunStocks Inc. stock set I got was fairly well shaped & rough sanded but still a lot of work to complete. I used Tru-Oil for the finish. My set is very similar to yours but is left handed. The smaller (factory stock?) fore end DOES look a lot better with the 22" barrel. Think I'll get one to use until I can come up with a 26" barrel for the longer, varmint style, fore end.

Again, nice work and thanks for the pictures.

Jon

I've monoblocked in a couple barrels, one with my
585HE. Used the SB2 10ga frame, and put in 33"
585 bore barrel. I can outdo the Trex in my NEF.Ed

Ed I like your work. What pressure will the handi SB2 rifle frame handle? I am in unchartered territory with the 375 JDJ in a rifle as far as powder selection goes. I loaded 51.0 gr imr 4895 (the go to powder for the 375JDJ) behind a Sierra 200 grain sp & the fired cases just fell out. No pressure signs what so ever.

I am wondering if that 4895 is a bit too fast burning in a rifle barrel. What are your thoughts?

Jon:

The smaller forend is also a Gunstocks Inc. item that I ordered and finished after not being satisfied with the look & feel of the varmint/targert forearm with the short barrel. And yes, Tru-Oil was a part of the finish, but only in the middle; before was Old English 'Scratch Cover' oil & stain, after was a couple light coats of low luster polyurethane. There really was more sanding (really shapping) than I expected, but it went OK and pretty quickly as a a winter kitchen table project.

I did steel-bed both forearms and the butt stock and through-bolt, which was sort of cool. I probably wouldn't have risked such a project with a higher priced gun but threw caution to the wind on this one. I also had what I thought was an original stroke of genius with the varmint/target forend: I inletted a threaded bushing so I could screw in a nylon button to adjust the pressure of the forend on the barrel! Turns out I was anticipated by about half a century (but honest - I hadn't a clue and thought it was anutterly original idea!).

And after thinking about it, I should have used 2 bushing/pressure points @ 5 and 7 o'clock to really dial it in, huh?! (but somebody's probably done that too but it doesn't matter because the darn thing shot well no matter what I did to it).

At any rate, it shoots well with Nosler BT's and I'm on to other projects. But I would still like a longer barrel for it (and the second forearm). -WSJ

quote:

Originally posted by D Humbarger:
Ed I like your work. What pressure will the handi SB2 rifle frame handle? I am in unchartered territory with the 375 JDJ in a rifle as far as powder selection goes. I loaded 51.0 gr imr 4895 (the go to powder for the 375JDJ) behind a Sierra 200 grain sp & the fired cases just fell out. No pressure signs what so ever.

I am wondering if that 4895 is a bit too fast burning in a rifle barrel. What are your thoughts?

Doug,

Try Rl7, QL predicts 2600fps with a max load of 48gr for that bullet in your 23½" barrel.

Thanks for the info wrongtarget. I appreciate it.

wrongtarget btw what does QL show for velocity with the 51.0 gr of imr 4895 & 200 gr bullets?

2386fps and only 83.3% of the powder burnt, RL7 is 99.97% burnt and 2671fps @ 50652psi.The IMR4895 load is likely used in the 14" Contender to keep the pressure down, that load in the 23.5 barrel only creates a predicted 35502psi.

Thanks for that data.

My (friends) favorite handy rifle is the 243 youth, fitted with an adult choat synthetic stock. Tips scale at 5 1/2 lbs with a factory 20 in bbl. With Leupy lightwt 2-7x scope total package is 6 1/4 pounds - sweet. The 'problem' with the other guns ie 30/30 and 7mm08 is the gun are too heavy and barrels too long. It is called "Handy Rifle" is it not? Just goes to show you cannot please everyone all the time. Some want longer barrels and others want lighter.

That WJS stock looks pretty cool too. Going in the heavier direction, might make a nice 45/70?

Has anyone experienced these guns popping open on firing? I heard one story after oiling the action. No injury, no problem at all, just very annoying.

Pop opens happen more frequently on new firearms being used by someone unfamiliar with the H&R action, if they read the owner's manual, it states to close the action firmly, this is very important until the latch and latch shelf become mated well which just takes some use.

The other issue is oil/solvent on the latch/shelf, they need to be clean and dry to function properly. The number one "fix" by H&R gunsmiths for accuracy complaints shown on repair invoices is clean and dry barrel latch.

quote:

he other issue is oil/solvent on the latch/shelf, they need to be clean and dry to function properly. The number one "fix" by H&R gunsmiths for accuracy complaints shown on repair invoices is clean and dry barrel latch.

wrongtarget, you know of what yea speak

Reading the owners manual, go figure....

Why??????

quote:

Originally posted by Brain1:
Why??????

Because H&R/Remington doesn't offer all the calibers that we want.

In louisiana where I live we now have a "primitive" deer season & the Handi rifle is one of the few designs that are allowed. No more black powder to mess with thank God!

I really like the Handy Rifle. If you get a youth model, not just any youth model but the "right one" with narrow taper 20 inch barrel, it makes a great basis for a ultra light deer rifle. Watch out they make two youth models. The other one has a 22in barrel and is a heavier taper. The biggest caliber offered in that light youth barrel is 243 (other is 223). The stock needs tobe replaced and for that I recommend the Choate monte carlo (Midway is one source). Then add a light scope. This synthetic youth can be ordered with a scope base and they even throw in a free junk scope. The deer in LA and Florida are tiny. The 243 is more than adequate. The Handy Rifle Youth with choate adult stock untrlight Leupold scope is all of 6lbs maybe few ounces.

Now if you had that light barrel rebored and rifled to 7mm08, oh man what a gun! Then does the caliber really matter? A good stiff load behind a spitball will kill one of those southern deer. Even the largest deer up here drop dead with any fair hit by any cf rifle.

In standard barrels today they offer 223, 243, 7mm-08, 30/30 and 30-06. In a variety of lengths, at least 3 right now, a 45/70 is available. I have seen 357 and 45LC in the past. Thats pretty good selection for a very very simple low cost rifle.

I do believe a barrel could be reworked into a bigger caliber. Like the 243 could be made into a 308. Oh, I forgot I saw a 308 last week. So; ie. A 308 could custom re-machined to a 358.

quote:

A good stiff load behind a spitball will kill one of those southern deer

LOL!