Never thought I'd spend good money on a "Handi Rifle", but couldn't pass this one up. 1985 vintage original H&R model 258 "Handy Gun II" in .30-30 and 20ga, electroless nickel. Looks like it spent the last 38 years in a time capsule.

This is partly to scratch a nostalgia itch. When I first decided I "needed" a deer rifle as a kid in the early '80s, I nearly spent my life savings on a H&R single shot .30-30 because it was cheap. It probably would have been a model 158. My dad talked me out of buying one and told me to not buy the cheapest gun out there. That Christmas, I got a model 70 .243. Anyway, as we age, nostalgia kicks in and I've kept my eye open for an early H&R similar to the ones I saw in the catalog back then. The later NEF and H&R 1871 guns held no interest for me. Too bulky, clubish, not very "Handy". These early guns with their gently tapered barrels are quite handy.

I already had the perfect nickel finished Burris 4x Mini on another gun, so I pulled it off and found what is likely the last Warne nickel finished base in America (discontinued). It turned out to be a rather spiffy looking package, me thinks...

Nice looking setup . And if you handload you're not limited by bullet choices in the 30-30

I have zero need for something like that, and would’ve jumped on it in an instant.

Nice snag!

Neat looking rifle and scope combination.

I'm content with FN or RN bullets for woods hunting, and if I know I'll be shooting past 100 yards I'll be carrying a different rifle. That said, I have a bunch of Hornady 130gr spitzers that might be interesting to try. Or, if I actually load for it, I may go the opposite route and load some Barnes 190gr FP thumpers.

I did a rough zero at 25 yards yesterday and then swapped barrels. The 20ga throws a nice pattern and I'll probably shoot a few squirrels with it come Fall. Unfortunately, it looks like I'll have to re-zero the rifle barrel a bit when swapped back, as it hit a good inch higher at 25 when the .30-30 barrel was reinstalled, even though the forend screw was returned to the same 6 o'clock position. I may try it again with a torque wrench and be sure it is exact.

Should work out great at woods ranges. I like those Burris scopes. I put a 1.75-5 on a 44 mag Handi Rifle

I would not hesitate to buy a H & R product, not bragging, I have some high end guns and buying a entry level does not make me hesitate, I have the h & r in 22 hornet and several pistols.

That's a nice setup!

I would have bought it too!
I had 2 in 223 that I rotated when I was pounding prairie rats and heating up the barrels.
Have fun with that one!

Super cool. You can accomplish a lot with that combo.

Expat

I had one in 357 Remington Maximum/20 gauge. Fun gun, should've kept it but someone wanted it more than me....

My main deer rifle is a 30-30 Contender and I would've snagged that.

👍

Nice

EXACTLY

My dad bought one of those at the Indy 1500 gun show around 1989.
His was in 44 magnum. It was pretty cool.

I had that exact same set, but with a 22 Hornet barrel, not the 30-30. I wish I hadn't sold it in a moment of insanity.

What a beauty. I have had handi rifles in the past, had a 30-30 similar to this one but gave it to my dad. Currently the only H&Rs in my safe are a 410, 12, and 10 Gauge. Love all three of them. The last guns I would ever sell. Killed a snake with the 12 this week actually. Deadliest gun at my house by far.

SCGunNut: What a great looking and "handy" rig!
Good for you.
I have a heavy barrel H&R Handy Rifle in caliber 204 Ruger that shoots just fine and the trigger is quite crisp - I drag it along on trips afield and use it a lot, with few worries.
I also have a pair of N.E.F. single shot heavy barrel "Handy Rifles" (I guess N.E.F. and H&R single shot Rifles are made at the same plant) in calibers 17 Mach2 and 17 HMR. GREAT little Rifles these and also capable of very pleasing accuracy.
I do NOT look down upon "humble" (less expensive) firearms as I came from dirt poor beginnings and the first 20 years of my life were filled with fun times and Hunts using "humble" Rifles and shotguns.
I hope you enjoy your rig as much as I do mine.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy
P.S.: My 3 single shots are all "blued" models I would love to have a "stainless" H&R Handy Gun in any rimfire or centerfire caliber.

Some nice H and Rs for sure. I have some shotguns and a 22 hornet . Always looking 👍

Rare and beautiful Handi.I’ve had several and still a handful.First deer rifle was one in .270win.Carrying one now during the season takes me back to memories of my childhood with that single-shot…

I may have an extra stainless steel hammer extension laying around...

I think I'm curious on how that case works with that rifle and extra barrel?

Case is worthless with the scope. It has a pouch for the action and two pouches for the barrels, but they're too narrow for the scope.

I bought the Rocky Mountain Elk youth model, with a .308 and full choke .20 gauge. Used from a kid needing to pay traffic tickets. His dad worked at the courthouse and was making a point to his son. It embarrassed the dad. My grandsons out grew it. It now wears the original camo forend, with a full size tupperware stock. It shoots ok, the trigger not so good! It’s the always in the truck combo!

I had an H&R Topper Junior 20 Ga. when I was a kid. It kicked like a mule. If you gripped the foregrip very hard, the recoil would remove it into your hand. They are nearly indestructible though.

Nice, no telling how many were sold in the early 70’s. I had a H&R slug gun that loved the old Brenneke’s.

I have the same electroless nickel finish combo only in .22 Hornet with the 20 gauge barrel, but the case that it came with is black and made out of a nylon type fabric. I bought it on a whim and since then have accumulated a bunch of H and R s in various calibers and configurations. Once I started collecting them it became almost addictive. I thought I had a screw loose till I saw what some of the guys on Greybeard Outdoors have.

Mine is the blued version that I bought as my first new gun at the age of 12. Dad wanted me to pick a bolt action .20ga, but I wanted that .30.30 barrel so I could deer hunt with it. I believe it cost me about $50 from Gibson's dept store, saved all year and my parents paid the extra for my Christmas that year. Still have it.

Nice 258.

They are not made anywhere anymore. Both those companies are long since defunct, the factories were the same as the business' were sold HR to NEF to HR1871 to Marlin to Remington via acquisition to Savage via bankruptcy Court. Who added a safety 🤪🤣 and only offers SG versions

Ruger Blackhawk will interchange.

"I have a bunch of Hornady 130gr spitzers that might be interesting to try. Or, if I actually load for it, I may go the opposite route and load some Barnes 190gr FP thumpers"

I have a couple of Savage 219s and I'm thinking about the exact same load ups. Well, actually the Hornady equivalent bullets.


I'm pretty sure that I saw this rifle and was very, very tempted. I like the stainless and dark wood look.

I'm glad that it went to to good home!

I found one in 30-30 only. Looking for other barrels from the set.

Bruce

Cool, thanx for posting!

Fyi
If you put a fairly fat O-ring around the stud that the friend skrew goes in it help the accuracy on some of the handi rifles. I also have 3 of them and 1 410 and 112 gauge.

Have that same set minus the outstanding nickel finish.

Been doing some chin scratching over opening to a .30-30 AI or re-boring to .375 Win. Not sure if the SB1 receiver is AI-safe, pressure-wise.

Just caught this thread. Nice to see someone else suffers the same kind of nostalgia infection that drives me to want that single-shot Mossberg bolt-action .410 I lusted over (but never received) when I was about 12 years old.

I have the same combo gun, only mine is the blued version. I bought it from a LGS, which is long gone, in 1984. My dad had been looking for a deer rifle for me when we found it. We split the price, which was the princely sum of $119. The box and paraphernalia are still at dads house. As a kid, I saved up for it doing odd jobs around where we lived. I have killed a half dozen deer, one bear, and a pile of squirrels with it over the years. It is a fun gun to hunt with and hand load for. You won’t regret your purchase.

You should be ok if you don't try to equal 308 velocity with your loads.

I think I'm about to take a 30-30 to the AI status.

Bruce,

It would be pretty neat to have the whole collection of them.

I have 2 of the 158’s. A 22 hornet and a 30-30.

Both are excellent shooters and so handy to carry afield.

Despite what the "hunting " magazines and videos say,
You can definitely shoot deer past 100 yards with
plain old common flat or round nose bullets and/or
factory loads from wallyworld.
The notion that a 30/30 hits an invisible brick wall
at a hundred yards and turns nose first down into
the ground is a bunch of blankety blanking manure.
Put too many and helped many other people put
freezer bags full of venison up with plain jane
run of the mill 30/30's through old "obsolete "
singles and levers. No specialized ammunition
needed.

Just use it and enjoy it
Good Luck ( and good find)