H&R handi rifle in 500 S&W caliber

Handi rifle

I first bought one in .44mag and then sent it in and had a .243 barrel and a .50cal. muzzle load barrel fitted to the same action. All 3 will shoot 2 to 3" at 100yds, good enough for me. I then got one in HMR2 for shooting starlings, it will shoot 1.5" at 100 if there is no wind. I am thinking about having it fitted for .22mag.
 
I just picked an H&R handi rifle in .500 s&w. $300 i remember when they were $109 what's happening to our country? Lol oh well anyway i havent had the chance to fire her yet because of ammo cost, but the reloading supplies are on the way so hopefully soon. Hopefully i got one of the decent ones? I have owned a few H&R's over the years they weren't tack drivers, but they all managed inch or inch and a half groups at 100 yards, hopefully i can get 2" groups with this .500 and i'll be happy i don't plan on shooting much further than 100 yrds with the bowling balls anyway. Lol
 
Congrats on the BIG bore.

Handload?

Mine is a 357/30-30/.410 and is amazingly accurate with the the two single projectile calibers. Pretty muzzle heavy though, especially with the weightless plastic stocks.

The .500 should be less muzzle heavy, you know, with all that metal removed from the bore. ;) Have fun, but that thing is beyond my recoil range.
 
"But I hope you enjoy pain."

ABSOLUTELY
I knew a guy who bought one of the H&R 45/70 rifles. Three shots and it was "FOR SALE" with a box of 17 cartridges.
 
I just picked an H&R handi rifle in .500 s&w. $300 i remember when they were $109 what's happening to our country?
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What happened? The were acquired by Remington and ran into the ground. The handi was at its best with rounds like 30/30. it was a heck of a handy shotgun, even if that was not the name. I still have 4 of them in various 12, 20 & 28 gauge.

They were light and "handy". I bet the 500 will come back with some authority. Cheap kicks.
 
Enjoy it.
But don't drive it like you stole it.
H&R had to discontinue the .500 S&W models long before the Handi-Rifle was killed off, because recoil was battering the receivers when used heavily. Some cracked. Some were piened. Some were reported to have bent the hinge pin and/or splayed the receiver side walls.

They're safe at low round counts. But if you drive it hard, it will fight back.


I knew a guy who bought one of the H&R 45/70 rifles. Three shots and it was "FOR SALE" with a box of 17 cartridges.
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I always find that quite funny (even with .30-30 versions). ...Because the .444 Marlin versions are well liked, and considered 'tame' and easy to shoot, even though the Handi-Rifle's ergonomics are terrible.
 
It is almost as-if S&W deliberately push the pressure levels so that no one else could build a revolver for it. And made something so extreme as to be borderline useless in any handgun. It sure did take the wind out of a lot of other sails and seems the 44mag and 454 are sole survivors.

Based on the last post the 500 has even taken its toll on some rifles. Obviously Taurus had to bail out of the revolver scene. Too bad, a little too much of a good thing.

As for the handy rifle, I wonder if the CVA is going to benifit from that loss. I dont hear much about those CVA singles. The Henry seems too heavy.
 
.500 is documented as being too much for these guns. .45-70 hurts the shoulder with hunting loads after a few shots. If you go a half box without jerking I’d be amazed. The .30-06 will literally attempt to make flight. I’ve shot .30-06 in other guns, ones weighing a couple more pounds and that doesn’t happen. If you want a higher powered round in one of these guns, it won’t be a gun shot very many times. My bigger cartridge single shots are reserved for hunting.
 
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