Harrington & Richardson HANDI-RIFLE: Most Versatile Gun 

Mike, my first shotgun was a H&R 20g Topper 157 Model that my dad bought for my 10th birthday, 50 years ago. We went to a hardware store about 25 minutes away and he paid about $35-40 for the brand-new shotgun and 2 boxes of #8shot. Dad taught me firearms safety and proper shooting habits with the first box and I hunted squirrels and rabbits with the second box. Gosh, so long ago. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the H&R's and bringing back some great memories of my dad on Memorial Day Weekend. Take care and be well!

Mike. I love The way you explain the Engineering aspect of these wonderful guns. As an Engineer in my early working life, I know what it takes to achieve this level of workmanship and even today I still applaud this type of workmanship. Simple to the eye, but yet, not as simple as it seems.

Have .22 hornet, .223 and 45-70(Buffalo); love 'em.

Yes a single shot 12 guage with a couple of barrel inserts makes for a handy and versatile firearm. Thanks for sharing Mike.

The H&R's are just a GREAT rifles, I have quite a few and one rifle in 25/06 is a absolute tack driver.

I love all of my H&Rs. It was my first gun. So sad they aren't made anymore.

I have a New England Handi Rifle in.223. It's one of my favorite guns.

I saw one of these when I at a gun shop a lil bit from me. Didn't think it was worth it for a single shot rifle but apparently I may have to make the trip out there again. They also had a Mossberg 151M, which you can imagine how much that thing took me off guard, first time seeing a mannlicher stlye stock in person

Short Lane inserts make these even more versatile.

Your appreciation for the engineering and design that goes into all Guns is very cool

I have two, a .450 marlin and 20 gauge slug gun. I have picked up a few Henry Single shots as my new "Handi Rifles-shotguns". Something really cool about them!

Thank you for reviewing the venerable H&R. Most of us country boys grew up shooting these beautiful shotguns and rifles. Always appreciate your reviews. You have such a calm matter-of-fact delivery. Subscribed!

I have several of these guns and barrels! 12 gauge, 20 gauge, 22 hornet, 204 ruger and 45-70. I have rimfire frame and a 17 Hmr, didn't like the 17 hmr to much so I had gunsmith drill it out to 17 WSM, way better and I can find ammo for it! Instead of trigger job squirt graphite into action around hammer into trigger mechanism to lighten trigger, dropped about half the weight of trigger pull. Little messy but worth the clean up.

Really informative again!! Hope all is well!!

Hi Mike , i always look forward to your videos , and appreciate your time and effort explaining the history and operational quirks of the various firearms. I have only one Handi rifle, it started out as a .22 hornet but I had it rechambered to .222Rimmed. Much more Handi for me.🖒

I agree sir, I have always liked these and the New England Firearms break action shotguns and rifles.

I remember these being available in just about any handgun or long gun caliber . You could buy one with many other barrels . Buying other barrels was just as expensive as complete guns so not many people bought extra barrels.

I always wanted a H&R, when I got back into rifles they were out of business and if I saw a used on for sale, it was sold before I could get there. They must be good, this humble single shot! Thank you Mike, your videos brighten up the darkest of days!

Greetings USOG! I love the H&Rs! Long time since had time to sit and watch your excellent videos. Look forward to catching up.

My first gun was a h&r 30-30 with a. 20g barrel with it. My brother got it for me in 1983 from the S.I.R mail order catalog. I still hunt with it. Mine has a straight grip stock like a model 94

I have one of them and had several barrels factory fitted for it. 12g, 20g, .357 mag/38 special, 22 hornet, and 45/70. The accuracy is acceptable for a "utility" gun, but the price and versatility are the real benefits. I've taken deer in the morning and duck in the afternoon. I did break the breach lock some year's back from shooting some monstrous 45/70 loads. But, other than that, no issues. I doubt I'll ever get rid of mine.

I love your channel, you are amazing man, please continue ...thank you Bob

Very informative thank you for sharing love my Harrington and Richardson 30 CAL

Just discovered this channel... and it's something special.

For me the most versatile gun out there is a Savage Model 24 came in a variety of calibers the one I have is a 22 magnum on top and a 20-gauge down below can't get more versatile than that

Great videos, thank you. Love your gun collection.

I really like the H&Rs, They were built to last several lifetimes with average use. My Dad bought me one of the 410s when I was 8 years old, and I still have it. Except for a few scratches, it still looks and works like it did, the day he gave it to me.

I had one in .22 hornet for many years, loved the thing, shot countless foxes with it.

Thank you Mike. I have two of these rifles, a Harrington & Richardson Handi-Rifle/1871 in .223 and their Ultra rifle in 25-06. The Ultra has a 26" barrel which is ideal for the quarter bore. I'm honored to be a Patreon subscriber of USOG.

I’ve owned many H&R rifles and shotguns through the years and I have a collection of them today. My favorite is my Topper deluxe 12 gage with all the chokes. I’ve taken numerous turkey etc. the 25-06 handy ultra was awesome, I took plenty of deer and 2 pronghorn. A friend had to buy it from me😢 I now use a Ruger# 1 and I tell you I miss my H&R ,rugged simple and fairly light. Thank you sir for sharing.

I got a 20 ga H & R I got it brand new in 1980 when I was 10 that thing kicks like a mule lol and I still have it Thanks for the video

Courtesy of Mike - My Firearm knowledge has increased by leaps and bounds. Keep up the good work 👌

I have 2 Handi Rifles. One in .30-06 with a heavy barrel. It is a scope only gun. And one in .30-30 with a Williams peep sight and synthetic stock. It has a 20 gauge extra barrel. Both are excellent and I’m lucky to have them . Thank you for your videos. I enjoy them very much.

I have an H&R Pardner 20 gauge. I’ve had it for years and I love it for grouse.

My Henry 45 70 single shot is pretty darn close to the Handi Rifle design. It was something I researched a bit when questioning the strength of them for shooting heavier 45 70 loads. I really like having that longer barrel in a lighter, simple design of the single shots. The balance is great and they swing easily.

I live in South Africa and my father own a H&R 12ga single shot with a 32' barrle. We love to hunt small antelope with AAA shot. Buck is on the run when you shoot it, so it's challenging. The old H&R was and is stil a great gun and outclassed even the expensive ones.

I LOVE mine in 45-70. To my surprise, it will shoot 535 grain Postell bullets very well. 29.5 grains of 5744 sends it at 1352 FPS. Unbelievably fun. Great video as always!!!

I’ve got one of those 32 gauge guns as well. I ordered a custom mold from accurate molds, 50 cal 230 grains and .427 cal for inside the shot cup 220 grain bullet. I load my own shells using green dot powder. I also have a smoothbore stevens 32 gauge, a video is on my channel of it, and I’ve figured out a way to fold crimp the shells. Last week a found a 24 gauge and it’s on its way to me.

H&R Handi rifles are really good single shot rifles. Well made, very accurate.

For newcomers to the Handi- Not all barrels interchange with the actions as easily as demonstrated here. Many need to be carefully fitted by a gunsmith, and some are not meant to interchange. Be careful ( :

I wish I had bought one in .500 S&W when they were available.

When you started discussing "the accident" it very strongly put me in mind of the issues with the Parrot Rifles (cannon). The eventual solution to which was the Krupps interrupted breach. Effectively the breach plug and the barrel became one solid chunk of metal.

Great video. I love the concept. It is especially relevant today with the unknown policies of this administration on firearms. There is talk about taxing our guns. I have an Encore, "How many guns do you have?". ONE " What caliber?" MULTI, it works for me. Those single shot guns like the Encore or Handi-Rifle are far more accurate then I ever will be.

I use an H&R USH for my 12 gauge from hell. With one gun I can take deer all the way up to elephant. I truly believe it's the most versatile firearm I own

Soy propietario de un H&R Handi Rifle en calibre 30-30. Es uno de mis favoritos. Desde argentina saludos.

Picked a up a Rocky Mtn Elk Foundation in 35 Whelen for 400 bucks. So simple with a great cartridge. Very Handi

Still have me h&r 10 ga. With a 36" barrel and it patterns so nice.

I bought my son one for his first deer rifle when he was 10. It is chambered in .243. He's 26 now and still loves that H&R rifle.

Mike I have this one called the buffalo classic in 45/70. Nice gun.

Mike, shortly after watching this post for the first time, I found a NEF HANDI RIFLE in 17 HMR at my local gun shop for $100 !!! Now, I want to learn as much as I can all due to this Great Vid ! Sure wish someone ( DAVIDE PEDERSOLI ? ) would bring it back !

I have three of the rifles and 4 of the shotguns. Hope to complete the major gauges on the shotguns, but will just pick up the rifles when I find a deal. They made so many different rifle/pistol cartridge options, I would not have room for them all. I really enjoy shooting these single shots.

My grandpa use to have a .22 / .410 over and under . He used that when he was trapping .I always thought that would be a great gun to take with you if you were going on a live off the land camping trip .

I do enjoy your presentations, and appreciate all you do sir !!! Hands down your the best. I need too say I've had a 'Love Relationship' with the Ithaca Lever Action Single Shots... I've built my 'Go-Ta's' on the Deer Slayer series,,, from Moose & Bear with Waterfowl included. Everyone need's their personal "Goat's" series of shotguns, my favorite is the greatest Turkey Gun Ever,,, I built a One Mile 6.5 x 55 barrel and paired it up just to impress myself. God Bless and please keep the good works coming, you are sincerely appreciated Sir.

I thought I was a cheap skate for loving my H&R 12 gauge. For awhile it was the only gun I had... or needed for all kinds of hunting. Glad to know I'm not alone.

There are plenty of crusty old H&R shotguns here in Australia, but not many of the newer models, and even fewer rifles. I've got an old 1908 and a newish NEF Pardner, both in 12 gauge. That synthetic 22 looks great. 👍

Neat firearms. I wasn't familiar with these at all. Thanks for sharing. 😊👍 The most versatile firearm I personally own is a Remington bolt action shotgun. It's handy because it fits Texas center fire hunting laws. And as long as it's 12ga it was made to accept *any cartridge* Barrel is an odd length as well. Slightly longer than most but still shorter than others. That actually helps balance it out though. My FIL gave it to me. He used it to hunt ducks and geese when they lived up north I think. It's kind of weird but really handy and I haven't ever used them but have 17 reloadable brass cartridges for it as well.

I bought my grandson a Rossi Pick 4 which is a copy of the H&R and he used it to get his first deer. With the 4 barrels he could choose between .22 LR, .410, 20 gauge, and .243 Winchester.

I bought one in 28 gauge before the crisis and I have one in 223

Man, I wish H&R was still in business. I NEVER owned one, always telling myself they would always be around.

I had one that came with two barrels. One in 20 gage and another in .38 special/.357 magnum. Fun little gun.

There is a 22lr barrel called the versi-shot that used the center fire receiver. The barrel was bored on a diagonal to use the center fire firing pin on the rimfire shells.

i have the h&r in .243 and .30-06. very good rifle.

I own the tracker 2 and it’s a tack driver. I hope they get back in business and perhaps refine the stock and forearm

The Handi rifle truly was a great gun and damn cheap to boot. My .45-70 Handi rifle cost me $165 back in the mid 90s. As far as the strength of these rifle , back in the 1950s, either E.H. Harrison or Julian Hatcher (I'm not sure which it was) had an article in the American Rifleman analyzing the strength of the typical American single shot shotgun. The article showed that regardless of the maker, either H&R or Iver Johnson, these shotguns had bolting systems of incredible strength easily capable of handling any shotgun load that might be fired through it. The H&R Handi Rifle uses the same bolting system but upgraded with superior materials, gun quality steel rather than cast iron.

Mike, I know this is an odd one, but could you possibly get your hands on an H&R 300 or 301? These were Harrington & RIchardson bolt guns built on either FN or Sako actions in H&R’s custom shop. I have a 301 carbine and they were pretty neat.

One thing to mention about pressure is that bigger cartridges often does not have higher pressure. A 10ga shotgun is about 11000 psi and a 22 short is around 22000 psi. A 50 BMG is 54000 psi which is less than a .223

My favorite ones.

Now Mike, you can’t mention the handiness of the H&R/NEF without paying homage to the Savage 219/220 series; which I believe you did a video on. They were the first major U.S. company to offer interchangeable barrel options. The Model 219/220 series can be traced back to two Stevens designs: the No.94 hammer gun and the No. 180 hammerless. The Savage model 220/219 is basically a hammerless Stevens No. 94. The 219/220 barrels even fit the No.94 in most cases. The first was the J. Stevens Arms & Tool No. 160 “trigger opener” which was offered in pre-production in the calibers 25-20, 32-40, 38-40, 44-40, 38-55, and 303. You are right about the lockup, which also mimics earlier Stevens lugs. I talked with a fellow awhile back who had an H&R/NEF model 176 ten bore fitted with a 577 3 1/4” barrel he took to Africa for a Dugga hunt. I think he got two on that hunt! He also has a 500 NE on the NEF frame. As always I enjoyed your video, but you know I had to get my Stevens praise in there...😁 Here is a link to Brian’s hunt with his 577. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-YGj57ClaBrM.html

I have a few of these they went out of business because they couldn't make anything new. And once you fool around the trigger and lighting it up that's not a bad rifle they were trying to sell these at over 300 bucks when others were selling budget bolt guns for the same.

I've seen guy's shoot the 50 BMG out of the H&R 12 gauge and 444 marlin out of the 410 gauge and they survived. Though I would never try it or recommend doing it!

I shot one in 10 gauge once and only once, lol

I have a handi rifle in 357 magnum reamed to 357 maximum, bull barrel, excellent shooter.

I had two, both with laminated stocks, one in 308 Winchester, and a heavy barrel version in 22 WMR. The 308 version is a superb woods gun - three inches shorter than a repeating action in the same caliber, and it can SAFELY be carried with a round in the chamber and the hammer down (transfer bar system), so it is one of the fastest rifles to get off the FIRST shot. With cheap Winchester Power Point 150 grain PSP ammo, it would consistently group three shots under an inch @ 100 yards. The Achilles heel of the H&R is the trigger - some are OK, others are horrible. The 308 (which I sold to a friend, regrettably) had a decent 4# pull, but my 22 WMR has a creepy, long 6# pull. It's capable of 1" groups @ 100 yards, if you can master the disaster trigger. Pulling the Handi Rifle apart for a trigger job is not a simple task.

I absolutely Own and love these Firearms !!!!

Fan of singles, rifle and shotgun.

Thanks for another good video I wish I had a handy rifle with a few different barrels but I never did buy one and they stop making them so my loss and I never see them for sale anywhere where I’m at oh well thanks again.

I took my first turkey with my NEF 12GA at 35 yards, a nice big 21 pounder with a 10" beard. I lost count of how many squirrels I've taken with it. I'm hoping to take a deer with slug this upcoming season.

First view. I had one in 243. Heck of a shooter for cheap gun. Mine had laminated wood

I have a H&R Ultra Slug Hunter. I bought it new at Walmart a long time ago $149. It has a 10ga. barrel profile but bored and rifled for 12ga sabot slugs. As accurate as a rifle! Not at all picky about slugs although Remington Solid Coppers shoot like a laser beam. Regular slugs work great as well you just have to deal with the lead fouling then. I have never had any other shotgun regardless of cost out shoot it. Clearly it is a one trick pony since it is a rifled slug gun. I wish I had picked up a few more H&R's back when they were cheap and they had such variety!

"some movies about the .44" nice

Savage model 24 + 22 or 22mag over 410, 20, or 12. Now that is versatile and no take down fiddling.

Got one in 20 gauge love it use it to hunt dove

I have been a fan of H&R for a long time, own a few and have studied their online catalogs. One thing I really like about them is that they did not simply sell extra barrels as another single shot maker does, they required that the action be sent back to them to have the new barrel(s) hand fitted. While they look the same, H&R states that while the shotgun barrels could be fitted to a rifle action, rifle barrels cannot be fitted to shotgun actions. I assume strength of the action is the issue with that. I purchased a H&R Handi Rifle in .223 with a bull barrel and sent it back to have a .308 bull barrel fitted, as well as standard barrels for .22 Hornet, .30-30 and .44 Magnum. The .223 & the .308 make a nice pair, as do the Hornet & the .30-30. The .44 mates up with my Super Blackhawk. I am having difficulty locating a good high comb wood stock, and am getting the impression that there is not much demand for that. I also have a .22 RF LR with a plastic stock and an older .54 caliber muzzle loader. When I sent my action back to have the accessory barrels fitted, I could smell something was going on because the communications I received was from Remington. While I will never understand what people see in the AR, I firmly believe that the H&R is THE BEST!

I love the Handi's but I think the most versatile gun out there would be the TC Contender/Encore series. More costly, sure, but more versatile too.

I would love to keep one in my truck.

I had an H&R topper growing up in 12 gauge and had a bore obstruction that I did not see after I had a squib load and proceeded to put a 1-oz slug in behind it and blew the barrel up that was the only thing that was damaged on the gun and I magically walked away without a scratch

Back in the late 70's H and R produced a muzzle loader on a very similar platform. I know it came in .45 cal and shot round patched balls like a laser but I think it also came in .54 cal. As well. It had a multi piece ram rod and was most likely one of the most unique muzzle loading rifles of it's time. Later as wear and erosion from black powder loosened the hinge unit the guns became dangerous as they could blow the breach plug out as they were locked closed. Many people tightened up the mechanism by using paper playing cards soaked in gun oil.

Got a Rossi 223 on an h&r style action with a manual safety

Had a 12gauge Topper. Less than 6 pounds, it was responsible for creating some nasty shoulder bruises when firing 3" mag slugs.

Thanks for being honest wish more folks were fact driven

Was my first gun. Have the barrel still but the receiver went missing after my mom had her basement cleaned out.

Think I am probably only one or very, very, very few people with this H&R handi-rifle set up. Bought it in the 444 Marlin, then bought the 20 gauge barrel for it, then while I was at it, also bought the 45-70, 270 Win and the 308 Win barrels for it. This Handi-rifle is one of my favorite rifles that I own. But now like to get the 35 Whelan, and the 460 S&W or the 500 S&W barrels for it.

I had two I regret selling, a 28 gauge with a laminate stock I paid $80 new, and a .45-70 Buffalo Classic I couldnt afford to feed at the time. I now have a .17HM2 that is like a laser beam. Firiing it is like dry firing, the only zero recoil firearm I have used, even less than an AT4 9mm trainer.

Though its a single shot a lot of the benefits of that well designed action outweigh the magazine capacity. You can have a 22 inch barrel that handles like a carbine. Combined with a 308, 708, or 243 youve got an excellent brush gun that will get the most out of any cartridge its chambered for. Safety is always a consideration but sometimes in pursuit of game we can find ourselves gambling with safety out of necessity. My buddy and i were chasing a flock of turkeys, racing to get ahead of them, crossing rickety steps over barbed wire while crossing from one pasture to another and keeping the brush between us and their sharp eyes. As i crossed the fence behind my buddy the steps broke sending me catapulting forward with a loaded 12 gauge. I had a good bar safety but had that gun gone off.. When i got back home i picked up a good harrington richardson at a local flea market for a hundred bucks, had the .ocal gunsmith shorten the barrel a couple inches and fix me up with a screw in turkey choke. I also ordered a full 20 barrel and a muzzle loader barrel. Ive now got 1 gun that works for small game, large game, turkey. The 12 kicks like a mule but is deadly out to 40 yards. Ive taken at least 5 deer with the muzzleloader and dispatched chicken killing racoons and other raiders and have gotten rid of at least 2 armadillos destroying my yard. But most of all should i find myself again chasing the turkeys i have one shell to think about and i know that unless i am physically pulling the trigger after i have cocked it that gun is not going to fire.

Great platform. I had a 30/30-20ga barrel combo in the topper if the mid-late 70s. $38 on clearance! Very heavy trigger but a 1.5 moa shooter with my SS only handloads. Should not have sold it! The .223 NEF I had a few years later could not come close no matter the load combo. The .17hmr NEF is my last one and it is a keeper! I’ll never sell it! 2 trips to NEF to fix an ejection issue but friendly and fast service. The barrel program on the H&R was the same when the name changed. Had to send it in for final fit. The TC Contender I own (pistol) is truly a drop in exchange! Much better….but much more expensive! I would love to have the .357 magnum NEF! But they sold to Marlin who sold to Remington and NEF didn’t survive Remingtons mismanagement and bankruptcy. Too bad.

I have 4 in from .410 JR , 20 , 16, 12 guage, very handy and will last forever. Actually the Henry single shot in .357 or 45/70 is great versatile rifle.

We use the dart guns to administer medication to cattle, much less stress on the cattle than roping them

You want recoil, shoot a full load in 45/70 in the handi rifle. The action is far stronger then the old trap doors so it will digest any sensible load.

i got the Bergara single shot, its great......

I have one in 22 hornet and it's big brother in 35 whelen