[.DIRTY-.THIRTY]

I wanted to send Tim a PM and ask this but decided everybody needs to tell their first Handi-Rifle and what made 'em go for them. How about Tim what was your first Handi?

I bought the Buffalo Classic .45/70 after reading all the positive tales coming from over at Graybeards and wanted a easily reloadable and blackpowder cartridge friendly rifle. I'm expecting a .22 Hornet barrel in and am thinking of whats next ;D

 

[Gunjunkie]

I have a 17Mach2 .. was a gift from a very good friend .. bull barrel and a shooter he tinkers and re did the trigger also.. ..

 

[Bird Dog]

Those triggers are tricky. I did one for a friend and it doesn't take much to get a good trigger!

 

[jimone]

I have a 45-70 that was a gift from my brother. I had moved into a new place, and the people next door had a 1200# pet pig that broke his chain and came over looking for a hand out. I guess the previous tenant had been feeding him. I called my brother and jokingly told him that for the first time I felt under gunned, with only a 257 Roberts and a 41 Magnum or two around. The next Christmas he gave me the Handi. With hot loads it hurt my back to shoot until installing a Dead Mule recoil reducer. Helped the balance too.

 

[quickdtoo]

I got my first H&R when I was about 9yrs old, Dad gave me his old model 1908 12ga, although it wasn't as old back in the '50s when I got it!! Still have it, made a turkey gun out of it, my Dad killed a turkey with it in '95. Didn't get another until 1991, a 20ga Pardner, then in 2004 I got the rifle bug and bought a 223 Ultra Varmint and found the old Marlin Talk forum, when it ended I went to GBO and the H&R forum there, wasn't long before I had 243, 25-06 and 45-70 barrels fitted to that frame. That was the start of the Handi addiction leading to a room full of em now(49) with numerous custom chamberings, the latest being an octagon barreled 444 Marlin(and 405 Winchecter) that are work in progress. All I can say is once bit, hang on for the ride!! ;D

Tim

http://www.go2gbo.com/forums/index.php/topic,183750.msg1098899405.html#msg1098899405

http://www.go2gbo.com/forums/index.php/topic,230862.msg1099287157.html#msg1099287157

 

[rice paddy daddy]

My first Handi was a 45-70. I have several Pardners and a Topper so I'm familiar with H&R quality, and I'm a big fan of Old West firearms. A 45-70 single shot belonged in my modest collection, and Sharps and Ballard rifles just don't fit the ol' budget, but H&R1871 is the workingman's friend. So that's how it happened. They are habit forming.
I have since added a 22 Hornet for serious varmit control here at the farm. And I believe I need to send the Hornet reciever off for another barrel since it's got a raised comb stock and the 45-70 doesn't. I'm thinking 44 magnum. Or maybe 357. Or maybe both since I have handguns in 38, 357, 44 Special and 44 mag.
Yep, they're habit forming.

 

[flynmoose1]

I had never seen a Handi but had read good reviews about them. I ordered a 45-70, .223 and Tamer
all in the same order. I have since given the original 223, a 1 in 12, to my B.I.L. and replaced it with
a newer 1 in 8. I recently had the barrel on that 223 bobbed to 16 1/2 inches, boy is that short! A
friend dealt me out of the 45-70 but it has a good home. The Tamer STAYS! I have other 45-70s but
will always keep my eyes open for another Handi.
FM
PS I do have two H&R shotguns, a 20 youth and an old 12.

 

[Levergunz]

About 20 years ago a friend asked me to help sight in his Handi-rifle in 30-30.It was one of the best shootin rifles I've shot.I had thoughts of picking up one many times over the years,but didnt until one year ago.I purchased a 45-70 just to play with.Its pretty kick-butt with its light weight in that caliber.

 

[kingstrider]

My first was a stainless .223 with synthetic stock, so accurate that I sold my bolt action .223. Since then I have picked up an extra .270 barrel and even sold my bolt action .270. Yesterday I ordered one of the .45 Classic Carbines. Pretty neat little guns!

 

[358 Win]

About 36 years ago I bought an H&R Topper 20guage and then had the factory fit a 44 Magnum barrel to the receiver. What a wonderful fun
combination gun! I shoot my 429421 Lyman cast bullet exclusively. Nine grains of Unique under that bullet makes for a sweet low recoil load.
Same bullet with 22gr of WW296 and it'll kill just about anything that needs killing. My second one was a 7mm-08 Handi rifle. Read on another
forum about shimming the bolt stud under the fore arm and since then my groups have really shrunk!!!! Was just a so-so shooter before shimming that stud which fits the fore arm. I should have bought a youth model as the butt stock is too long for me (I'm short armed and rather portly). When I'm wearing my cold weather deer hunting stuff, she just does not fit me right. Oh well, live and learn.
358 Win

 

[flinthead]

Got a 2008 44 mag with a camo stock a couple of years ago. Followed that up pretty quickly with a 25-06 Ultra... both are 3/4" 100 yard shooters. In about a week I'm ordering a 357,,, I'm hooked right now on the pistol rounds for hunting.

 

[Jake]

My most recent is a 22" 35 remington. I swapped the camo for wood with my son. I added a Weaver K4x38 and Montana sling. It slings leverevolution into half inch groups at 100yards.

Now I have a rifle and a caliber nobody wants ;D

It really gives you a fuzzy feel.

 

[janott]

My first Handi was a use 22 Hornet with a 20 gauge barrel in the original soft case with the paper work, and the price was right and I had the money. Great rifle.

 

[texasislandboy]

i bought a 10gauge and shortly after a .204 ;D

 

[olarhardt]

I got a 500 s&w because I wanted to lob big wads of lead at sub-sonic speeds. What a hoot. It will shoot half inch one shot groups with every load at every range I have tried it at. No 30-06 will do that.

 

[Dr. A]

I already had a Marlin 1895, and a Ruger #1. It was natural to spread my wings and buy a Buffalo Classic. I filled the custom stock cavity with a copper pipe filled with lead, and it makes heavy loads easy to deal with. It is persnickity in that I like to shoot lead boolits, it definitely needs a lesser charge to remain accurate. The increased barrel length increases velocity, and accuracy is only maintained with less powder. I replaced the stocks first, then the sights were improved with a FP williams. I'd like a ladder sight eventually. I shoot up to 400 yards with it. I wish I'd gotten the 38-55 as well, but don't see any other Handi's on the horizon except for that one.

 

[stumpy54]

A little over a year ago I bought my first Handi. It is a Talo Trapper I believe, in 44 mag with 18" barrel. Why? Because I like the 44 mag. cartridge. Me and open sights don't get along anymore so I just got done installing a Leupold VX-I 1x4 shotgun scope on it. Darn but I got a sweet spot for this lil' gun. If it doesn't shoot half bad I might give it a chance out of my box blind this deer season. Sure would be easy to manuveur it out thru the blind window without rapping and banging everything.

 

[BUBSDAD]

I bought my first Handi today. In 223Rem, synthetic stock and forearm, wearing a 3-9x40 el' cheapo tasco scope. I got it for $200.00 otd. I have been wanting a .223 but didnt want to part with too much cash to get it, this Handi seemed like the perfect solution. BTW how'd I do at 200.00?

wally

 

[janott]

I bought my first Handi today. In 223Rem, synthetic stock and forearm, wearing a 3-9x40 el' cheapo tasco scope. I got it for $200.00 otd. I have been wanting a .223 but didnt want to part with too much cash to get it, this Handi seemed like the perfect solution. BTW how'd I do at 200.00?

wally

Good purchase. 8) 8) 8)

 

[canonsix]

My first NEF was in 1973 a 45-70, just cause I wanted a thumper.Doug