H&R .357 Magnum Handi-Rifle

1894c · Post by **1894c** » Thu Aug 14, 2014 2:23 am

Life has been real busy, between my LE duties, the Church I serve, and everything in-between I realized that my hunting is limited these days to 5-days of Mule Deer hunting. I still take time to go shooting on Fridays mornings (therapy session) and realized that I only shoot my .30-W.C.F. a few weeks a year to get me and my Marlin 336 on the same page.

With all of this said...I walked into my LGS last Thursday and saw a used Harrington & Richardson Handi-Rifle in .357 Magnum for $100.00 -- bought it. I had heard of these, but never seen one before. The handi-rifle came with two stocks...the stock presently attached has no finger grip (straight stock), with an old, tired, and hard-as-nails H&R rubber recoil pad (need to replace)...will be taking it out this Friday to see if it goes "BANG".

I've been here before---but all of this got me thinking that I shoot way more than I hunt and that a couple of .357 Magnum Leverguns would serve me well. I know that I can deer hunt with the .357 Mag (I fully understand it's limitations), so I ordered a Rossi 92 in .357 Mag and will be saving and looking for a Marlin 1894c (switched my on-line name from "30wcf" to "1894c")...oh by the way I gave my Marlin 336 to a young man today, his first deer rifle, wanted to give me $$$, told him to give it to another (future son/daughter?)--paid-in-full... :)

H&R Handi Rifle SB2 .38spl/.357mag:
- Single-shot 18" bull barrel (balance is good, some bore these out to .357 Maximum)
- Weight 6+ lbs.
- Ramp front sight, Williams fully adjustable rear, tapped for scope mount.
- They still make these, would be interesting to own one in .500 S&W...see attached links
http://www.hr1871.com/Firearms/Rifles/youth.asp
http://www.hr1871.com/Firearms/Rifles/handiRifle.asp
http://www.hr1871.com/Firearms/Rifles/hunter.asp
http://www.hr1871.com/Firearms/Rifles/buffalo.asp
http://www.hr1871.com/Firearms/Shotguns ... rvivor.asp

Nath · Post by **Nath** » Thu Aug 14, 2014 4:15 am

Sounds good. I wish they imported them over here!

You will adore the 357 in a carbine

N.

EdinCT · Post by **EdinCT** » Thu Aug 14, 2014 5:56 am

I would of snapped that up myself in a heart beat. I have been looking for one for years and never have found a used one. Looking forward to a range report!

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Thu Aug 14, 2014 5:57 am

There is tons of information on those in an H&R section on Graybeard's Outdoor forums. A lot of people have found out that they have a long chamber from the factory and will already chamber a .360 Wesson.

Congratulations

AJMD429 · Post by **AJMD429** » Thu Aug 14, 2014 6:33 am

Rusty wrote:There is tons of information on those in an H&R section on Graybeard's Outdoor forums. A lot of people have found out that they have a long chamber from the factory and will already chamber a .360 Wesson.

A feller I met when I bought my first suppressor has a 357 Mag Handi he got threaded and 'stretched' to 357 Max. He doesn't use 'Max' loads due I guess to some Handi models not having the proper firing pin setup for the higher pressure round, but he wanted the longer case so he can use heavy-for-caliber bullets at 1,000 fps. He is a pest-dispatcher for the animal-control department, and uses it if he needs to discretely drop larger animals inside the city. At the time, the store owner was working on a build of a similar setup using an Contender breakopen already chambered for 357 Maximum.

rock-steady · Post by **rock-steady** » Thu Aug 14, 2014 8:09 am

I have a H&R Handi in 357. I reamed it to 357 Maximum. I've had good results with the Hornady 180gr XTP and Li'lGun. This is a very fun rifle to play with; from round-ball loads in 38Spl cases to hot 357Max loads for deer hunting. 357 Max brass is hard to find sometimes though.

I also have a Handi in 500SW. Full power loads will get your attention, kills on both ends, as they say.....

I now shoot the LEE 440gr (cast from wheel-weights and water-dropped) at about 1200fps.

Nath · Post by **Nath** » Thu Aug 14, 2014 11:25 am

rock-steady wrote:I have a H&R Handi in 357. I reamed it to 357 Maximum. I've had good results with the Hornady 180gr XTP and Li'lGun. This is a very fun rifle to play with; from round-ball loads in 38Spl cases to hot 357Max loads for deer hunting. 357 Max brass is hard to find sometimes though.

I also have a Handi in 500SW. Full power loads will get your attention, kills on both ends, as they say.....

I now shoot the LEE 440gr (cast from wheel-weights and water-dropped) at about 1200fps.

A 45/70 then

N.

Grizz · Post by **Grizz** » Thu Aug 14, 2014 1:13 pm

now you've gone and done it. those handis are something like lays potato chips.....

you may not need to lengthen the chamber, my 357 winch sends 185gr cast out at 1725fps, avg.

fun gun and easy for teaching and training new riflemen.

Grizz

zack coyote · Post by **zack coyote** » Thu Aug 14, 2014 5:04 pm

I had one 38 years ago that had two barrels, one in 30-30, and the other was 20 g shotgun. I sold it, and have been looking ever since to replace it.

ollogger · Post by **ollogger** » Thu Aug 14, 2014 9:31 pm

you really got a buy on that!

I have a 2 barrel set 223 & 243 great shooters!

ollogger

1894c · Post by **1894c** » Fri Aug 15, 2014 1:10 am

ollogger wrote:you really got a buy on that! :mrgreen:
I have a 2 barrel set 223 & 243 great shooters!

ollogger

Thanks ollogger and others-- the rifle belonged to an older gentleman who passed away recently and his wife was selling off his modest collection at very good prices...the .357 caught my eye because I really like the cartridge in either a revolver or a levergun. And as stated before I had seen the H&R Handi-rifle on-line, heard others speak about them in gunshops, but never saw one in person. After I bought this rifle two other guys came looking for it too... :)

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Fri Aug 15, 2014 9:14 am

I acquired a 30-30 Handi a while back and when I get some money from the new job banked I intend to get thoroughly sucked in and get some stubbed barrels for the exotics I like to play with...

Stan in SC · Post by **Stan in SC** » Fri Aug 15, 2014 6:56 pm

I have had a 45-70 for years during which time I have acquired and either traded or sold various other calibers such as 30-30,.223,.270 and .44 magnum. I just bought last week at a gun show a .308 one in a "survivor" stock. Haven't had a chance to shoot it yet.
I really like single shot rifles in general and Handi rifles in particular.

Stan in SC

JerryB · Post by **JerryB** » Fri Aug 15, 2014 9:23 pm

My only H&R single shot is an old Shikari .45-70. Several years ago I put a Williams 5D on it. It is a good shooter, not taken a deer yet but I am going to hunt hard with it this year, 405 cast and 5744 powder. I would like to have one in 38-55.

JReed · Post by **JReed** » Fri Aug 15, 2014 10:26 pm

Your gonna have fun with that one. I have one in 308 buddy of mine had one in 44mag. Both are tons of fun to shoot.

firefuzz · Post by **firefuzz** » Sun Aug 17, 2014 6:22 am

I'll give ya $125 and pay the shipping just to get it out of your way. You can even keep the spare stock.

Nice find.

Rob

H&R .357 Magnum Handi-Rifle

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