Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots Handi Rifle once a good gun.

I'm probably getting to you way too late as I just came across this site 11/23/06. I've had two Handis, 223 and 243. Both are great guns. I got the 223 first and shot nothing but Remington 55gr.s with no problem of sticking casings. Killed my lifetime whitetail buck with it. 12-pointer, real nice!!! Then got me a 243 and found after some case sticking problems that I better get me some Remington shells. Did so, problem solved. Wanted a 270 and ordered it and got it 11/14/06. Got to the house with it to mount a scope on and noticed when I opened it -- it did not click like my other two Handis. Come to find out, NEF/H&R about a year ago quit making the Handi with ejectors and went to what is called an extractor style. It sucks big time and ruins the gun's use for me in hunting whitetails. The extractor does not throw the spent casing completely out leaving an empty chamber to get your next shell in. The extractor merely pulls the spent casing out about 5/32" and you have to try then to get the casing out. Try that with gloves on... And keep in mind while doing so, you've got to navigate this task underneath your scope. So rather than opening your Handi and quicly reloading, spent casing ejected, you're fumbling around trying to get at 5/32" of an exposed casing compliments of NEF/H&R and the new extractor. So while your playing beat the clock, is that downed buck gonna get up? Even if it was a well placed shot (c'mon, be for real). My point is this. The new style extractor method in the Handis is rediculous and whoever came up with it at NEF/H&R oughta be fired. Those left manufacturing the things hopefully have sense to go back to the ejector. With the present extractor style in the Handis, all NEF/H&R is doing is creating a supply of junk iron in the market. If anyone still wants a Handi Rifle (extractor style) and they want it in a 270 cal., I've got one that's never been fired, is new right out of the box, has a stainless receiver, the rest is blue, is synthetic stock, and I'll sell it at a bargain compared to what you'll pay any dealer and tax. You pick up the freight. I do not want the thing...

Did you call H & R to get your info on the new design? This will change the complexion of wanting a Whelen. I know when I called about a .35, the person was very unfriendly. This could come from a bean counter/engineer from Marlin screwing the company around. Bet the big guys don't lose their paycheck if the company folds.

Yes, I did talk to customer service and emailed with Gordon Haskins, ghaskins@hr1871.com Customer service told me the extractor was all they were making now. Haskins told me the same thing. He also said he was unaware of anything to convert the new style extractor to the old style ejector. I've emailed Brownells to see if they have come up with anything, but have not heard from them. I did get Brownells customer service phone 1-800-741-0015. Brownells go to man on this is David Kaiser according to what I've read on their site.

People here on this forum have told me to check also with Graybeard Outdoors.com but I have'nt figured out how to email them.

GB seems to be on vacation. Just tried them, lots of stuff on H & R. It seems they also have trouble with chambers, lockup, and availability right now. Maybe it was a blessing that I can't find one now. Other than the $, it is hard to find a larger caliber short gun, Ruger 1 in .338 comes to mind but I haven't the money, and they are a couple pounds heavier. No wayI can find a BLR, or Savage in .358. The lefty thing keeps me away from most bolts.

I love them and haven't had a bit of trouble out of mine. Rimless cartridges weren't designed for single shot rifles. I see the extractor/ejector thing as a non-issue. Reloaders like the extractor better.

To me it seems NEF would have been wiser to furnish both the extractor and the ejector. The inconvienence of having to try getting a 5/32" exposed extracted casing out is just rediculous to me, gloves and all. I'm out there in that treestand to get a deer with a quick second shot if needed, not collect brass for reloads. Bottom line is that I'm out of the extractor Handi market. Altough its not seen publicly on this forum, I'm getting plenty of private messages that are pro ejector in Handis. You're right, evidently the cult crowd has the loudest voice. As for that, Hillary C.'s got a voice that carries too...and who'd have her? Ha!!

Found the GB sign up in "high risk" junk mail. I do handload, so catch the eject when possible, but when hunting am not going to let the loss of one case slow me. I do have a Savage 24 in 30-30 which extracts, but it also has the rim. Used to be pretty good at pulling hulls from an extracting double shotgun, but again, they are large and rimmed. I have 3 Handi's, .243, 25-06, and 45-70 with an extra 12 ga - 3 1/2. Like all of them. The 25 Ultra is the best of them. My bigger concern is the apparent poor reaming on the new chambers, both too deep and not centered. The Whelen has small shoulder, so this would add to the problem.

I think Handis are about the best thing going. Please send all you don't want to me.

Its crazy, seems everybody and their dog has a Handi Rifle or two or is acquainted with them but the majority of those people don't admit its a dandy little inexpensive gun capable of the performance of all the high end shooters. Its like the "don't ask, don't tell" approach. Meanwhile, the very design that led to this undeniable popularity is going by the wayside being replaced by an extractor design only by the manufacturer. What's sad is that one can inquire to folks like Brownell's about steps to possibly convert the extractors back to ejectors and the reply is, "We are'nt giving such an inexpensive gun our attention". True, reloaders like the extractor, but again the foundation was the ejector design. From my corner I believe NEF/H&R/Marlin will feel a very definite drop in sales simply because the exractor design is a step backwards in terms of revenue. Its a money losing proposition. What they do about it remains to be seen. The resounding fact is this: People who have the older ejector design Handis are not swapping them for the inconvienent extractor design. Another fact. The ejector design's value even though used will increase. Maybe that's what NEF/H&R/Marlin is up to, perhaps they'll reintroduce the ejector design asking more for them. If that's the case, this extractor business is pretty sly.

I see it as a non-issue. I hunt but I don't like to lose my brass.

The ejector was giving so much trouble with rimless cartridges, it was either replace it or drop the rimless cartridges. Personally dropping the rimless cartridges wouldn't have bothered me but some folks feel they need them. The 22 Hornet, .30-30, and the .45-70 will do anything I need to do.

roc..,

Brian Pierce wrote an article in the last Rifle complaining that the handi ejected loaded rounds and wished they'd change them. Now they have. Looks like H&R just can't win!

For me this is a non issue as I don't buy single shots for their rapid fire capability. Pulling out an empty with gloves is not an issue for me either as I wear a thin shooting glove, jersy glove or a fingerless mitten on my shooting hand. Anything heavier and I don't have enuff trigger feel for an accurate shot.

A selective ejector would be nice. But given the low cost and exceptional accuracy of these guns ... I can live with it.

kennyd,

Your post about poor chamber reaming intrigues me. What's up with that? My experience with handi accuracy has been very positive ... right up to the extractor verision I bought 2wks ago.

'cast: some of the rimless chambers are not polished well at the factory, nor cleaned well. high pressure chamberings such as the .243 (particularly the .243), .270, '06, .308 and .223 tend to have fired case sticking problems.
polishing with 0000 steel wool wrapped on a skewer chucked in an electric drill often can take care of the problem. it is much discussed on the nef forum at www.graybeardoutdoors.com.
rimmed chamberings generally do not have such problems.

Using rimless cartridges in single shots is always problematic. If pressures are kept withing SAMMI specs, ejection isn't usually a problem. I only shoot rimed cartridges in my Handis for this reason. Folks requested extractors, and NEF gave them what they asked for.

hey swampster:
why you dissing the great .270 chambering over on graybeard?
i'll take it over an '06 any day, now that i am sold on its delights. and what's this about being hard to find a load?
last time i shot off bags, my 700 chambered in .270 sent three handloads into .3 inch, and three silver box winnie 150-grainers into .5 inch.
weren't no flukes, either ...

In my .243 Handi I initially had case sticking problems with certain brands of shells. All I use is the 100gr. bullet. But I found a brand that my gun liked and there was no more problem. My .243, its sweet. Shoots like a dream. My Handi .223 never had sticking problems. Started out with the brand of shell it liked. Like the .243, its a nail driver too. Talked with Gordon Haskins today. He's practically head honcho at NEF/H&R. I'm told he's been there for ions. His input on the sticking problems was that most of it is created outside NEF's facility. True in both my instances. This is changing the suject, but I'm pro ejector for the Handi Rifle. I'm for you extractor lovers too, so don't get your feathers ruffled. But right now we gotta get ejectors back, and lobby for BOTH designs to be manufactured and made available. Hey, hunters for hunters, right!! I believe after talking with Gordon Haskins today, a really understanding fella, it can be done. He indicated to me that he needs us to demonstrate through contacting him that such a request is desired. (Making both designs available.) Makes perfect sense to me. He's gotta have our backup in the form of us contacting him so he can have the fodder to git'er done. In contacting him there's no need to complain about something, just make a statement to the effect that you desire an available choice and request the Handi Rifle line offer BOTH the extrator design and the ejector design. We can do this. What a great country we live in!!! Take a second and write this down.... Gordon Haskins, (NEF/H&R). Phone: toll free 866-776-9292 or 978-630-8220. You'll get customer service, simply ask to speak with Gordon. "...Let's roll..."

Now I am truly, honestly, completely NOT trying to offend you here rocket1 but; from what I've read, you seem to be the only one who has a problem with the extractor style rifle. Apparently, (and from information gleaned from your posts) NEF/H&R were lobbied pretty strongly by a sufficient number of hunters to convince them that the extractor was not desireble. In this arena, you would seem to be the "odd man out" as it were. (It's not too bad of a place to be as I have been there many times myself. My tastes never seem to model those of the masses.)

Constantly re-tooling so-as to offer the guns in both styles would undoubtedly incur expense to the rifles (in manufacture, marketing, shipping logistics, etc.) which would of necessity translate into higher prices for the consumer. Why would anyone want to lobby for that (especially to placate a seemingly very small minority?) These guns are what they are: cheap, entry-level rifles designed for those who can't/won't buy more expensive firearms. Adding options (and thus expense) defeats the basic premise/marketing strategy on which these rifles are based.

Just to clear things up, I hate the .270 Winchester.....period...I wouldn't have one except to rebarrel or resell.

I see the Handi not as an cheap entry level gun, but as a gun for mature hunters (actual woodsmen) who have finally realized that heavy and expensive are for young people that don't know much. At 50 that's were I'm at. I don't buy expensive and flashy. I don't need them. I don't buy any of the new cartridges, they don't offer anything we don't already have. The Handi will outshoot a Ruger or a Dakota. That's all I need or want.