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

Just to clear things up, I hate the .270 Winchester.....period...I wouldn't have one except to rebarrel or resell. It isn't 1/2 the cartridge the .30-06 is. Now that we have that out of the way...

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 won'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.

IT'S A DANDY LITTLE INEXPENSIVE GUN !

........ truth is , I own a Handi Rifle in .243 Winchester ( made in 2002 ) - never , ever had a problem with ejection ( threw the empties 5 feet away ! ) . Handloads or factory made ammo . The majority of the ammuntion have been handloads - stiff I might add . No problems at all . This rifle with a .243 barrel will shoot under an inch @ 100 yards all day with it's favorite load . Not bad for a rifle that retails under $250 ........

I liked it so much , I sent the frame back to the factory and had a 45 / 70 barrel fitted . A hard hitting rifle to say the least ! With the right loads , the 45 / 70 barrel will shoot like this all day if I can block out the recoil that I know is coming :

5 shots @ 100 yards

I am a little upset about the ejection changes also ......In hunting situations I like the ejector . I have a T/C Contender and a Encore that has the extractor - and I love them too !

I can't wait to get my new .30-30 with an extra .22 Hornet barrel. I have an extra SB2 reciver that the Hornet barrel should fit. It should be here in a day or 2.

So what did Gordo say ? Who is responsible ? How are they responsible ? What is being done to cause the problems ?

Hunters did not lobby for extractors. A gun writer did after testing plinking/target Handi's, on a range, not in the field. Next some of you will tell me that fine double shotguns should abandon ejoctors, too. You have to realize this guy has more guns than he can use.
It is cheaper to make extractors and they did to cut costs. The ejectors can be modified easily to extract, either permanently, or temporily. This is why they were giving the rebate last year, to not have a mix.

Not too "odd man out". There's a whole bunch that prefer the ejector in the "in the woods" hunting situation over the extractor. Extractors are ok for those who need them like the target shooters and the rules there. It may really boil down to the exisitence of two markets. Hunters and competition target shooters. At least this is what it shapes up looking like to me at this point if a dividing line helps. I don't know it all, but am learning. I believe there is a larger crowd too that has not experienced all the product blamed problems we see so much of in the forums. According to Gordon, a lot of those problems are "created problems". (He's a good guy, an understanding straight shooter. So don't jump on him.) These guns are put out under strict specifications. tolerances, etc. Keep in mind everybody and their dogs have these guns. Its a BIG picture. The total representation is not necessarily what we see here. Perhaps NEF can handle the costs factors. The price of steel has probably doubled (or more) in the last two or three years and they've not increased their prices that much. My older Handis were bought new at $211 about 5 to 6 years ago and this recent one I got was new at $239.

Customer service gave me Gordon Haskins' email address. ghaskins@hr1871.com Be nice....professional.

but why, swampster, do you hate the .270? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />
<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
hey, i like the '06, too, but down here, i don't need it. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />
my son's heavy barrel nef in .308 shoots 1.25 inch with rem and win 150-grain cup/core loads. he doesn't need anything else.
thinking seriously of another handy in .45-70 ... or .30-30. the rimmed cartridges really are best in the break-action handis. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

If folks are going to lobby H&R for changes how about a Selective Ejector ? That should satisfy everyone.

Several of my friends own Handis. I have two. We all have more expensive rifles. We buy them because we like them and they are just flat out accurate as h3ll.

Bought a snythetic Handi in .243 two weeks ago. Rifle plus rings,including tax $253.00. It took 12 shots to go from zeroing the scope at 25yds. to shooting a perfectly centered group 1" high at 100yds. which measured .910. I have rigs costing 5 times as much that will never see the day they'll shoot a group that good.

Sub M.O.A. from a rifle that cost $253 dollars is unreal! THAT'S why my friends and I buy them. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

That's why I buy them too. They are great guns for those who are more interested in what our forefathers did than the latest gimmick from Realtree Outdoors videos.

Counting shotguns and rifles I probably have 15-20 of the H&R/NEF singleshots. I have fired a factory loaded cartridge in over 30 years. I PREFER EJECTORS.

The ocassional case lost while hunting is no big thing. If it did no one would be shooting repeaters. At the range it doesn't make any difference what you use, just pick them up if you drop them.

IMHO some big headed gun magazine 'expert' needed another cause celebre to keep his readers from falling asleep so he created a tempest in a teapot.

Have no idea where a gunwriter came into the the equation, but the word during the Marlin buy, was NEF's shop was swamped with ejector "problems" in their repair shop, that met their out the door specs.

This was causing a lot of extra expense for the factory, and a lot of wasted time for shop on returning their add a barrel customers purchase. To the point of being such an issue, there was some talk of closing down the NEF/H&R 1871 operation.

That would have been a real loss for folks!

They are coming out with a new receiver soon that will possibly allow you to buy barrels without having the fitted at the factory. The ejector/extractor thing is a non-issue.

They are coming out with a new receiver soon that will possibly allow you to buy barrels without having the fitted at the factory. The ejector/extractor thing is a non-issue for me. I would have never given it a second thought. I've hunted with muzzleloaders only for years, until recently.

All that is kinda surpising. The world is full of old single barrel shotguns of various makes which have functioning selective ejectors. One would think that problem solved 100yrs. ago!

And yes, I'd rather have them the way they are than not at all.

Outcast - I'm confused. Did you mean selective ejector/extractor as with button or switch. I can not recall a single barrel offhand, that had selective feature, but sure there is some, (Ruger No. 1 might qualify.) T/C tried it for awhile on ejectors as custom shop order, and they had same problem as NEF, they may still, but not sure.

Always thought it odd the number of folks who bitched about H&R or NEF wondering why they didn't just make the extractor and forget the ejector part.

The odd part of the equation to me, was some folks wanted ejectors, some folks wanted extractors. The old barrel lug fixture, you could have it either way with a hammer, punches, and about 10 to 15 minutes of work. I don't know if possible on the new type barrel lug fixture, but sure some will try to make an ejector of it, LOL!

rem..,

A selective ejector extracts loaded rounds and ejects empties. I suppose you could call it a selective extractor just as easily. At any rate most modern double barrelled shotguns do this. Only the cheaper grades extract only. I've had several older,cheap,single barrel shotguns with this feature.

Thanks, Outcast!

Bought a .243 handi for my wife. She can drive tacks at 100 yards. Recently sent the stock back to H&R to have it fitted for a 45-70. Would stongly recommend the handi for anyone wanting a dependable, light weight rifle.

reb..,

With you on that. Bought a .243 for my grandson to use. Like it so well, I'm thinking about a .223. Have not had time to test the .243 much,but the first handoad I tried was .903 ...unreal.
I've experience with about a half dozen and all shot very well,it's not a fluke.

The thing that blows my mind is ... the whole rifle costs less than a Contender barrel. I now look at my Contender as trading material.