Author Topic: NEF/H&R why have two names for one gun? (Read 21962 times)

ccoorreeyy · « **on:** September 13, 2007, 08:03:53 AM »

Are NEF and H&R the same company? If so why have two names? Is there a NEF websight?

quickdtoo · « **Reply #1 on:** September 13, 2007, 08:09:41 AM »

H&R 1871 is the company name, but New England Firearms is was also sold from the same company, they are one in the same, owned by Marlin since 2000, there is only one site, www.hr1871.com. If you buy a new firearm from them, the box has both names on it, one on each end.

Tim

In November of 2000, the Marlin Firearms Company purchased the assets of H&R 1871, Inc. Marketing its products under the brand names of Harrington & Richardson® and New England Firearms®, H&R 1871, LLC is currently the largest manufacturer of single shot shotguns and rifles in the world.

http://hr1871.com/

Rangr44 · « **Reply #2 on:** September 18, 2007, 05:55:39 AM »

IIRC, long B4 the Marlin buyout, H&R went belly up and was later restarted by an investor group as H&R 1871 Inc.

It was the new corporation that decided to also market firearms under the New England Firearms (NEF) brand.

Marlin did the same thing, with it's lever-action centerfires, branding price leader models as Glenfields.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #3 on:** September 18, 2007, 08:08:12 AM »

Here's the complete history of the company...

The original H&R firm was in business for over a century from 1871 to 1986.[1] Its roots are deep in the mid-19th Century Connecticut Valley firearms industry where the Wesson brothers loom large in the history of American firearms innovation. Edward Wesson was a noted maker of fine percussion rifles. Daniel B. Wesson was the co founder of Smith & Wesson, and design genius behind many of their break-through innovations.

Younger brother Frank Wesson started his own firearms manufacturing firm in 1859, sharing an early patent with Nathan Harrington. Wesson produced his famous two trigger rifles and spur trigger pistols and pocket rifles. He started a brief partnership in 1871 with his nephew Gilbert Henderson Harrington, as Wesson & Harrington, until Harrington bought him out in 1874.

In 1875 Harrington and another former Wesson employee, William Augustus Richardson, formed the new Harrington & Richardson Company. In 1888 the firm was incorporated as The Harrington & Richardson Arms Company. Their original capital investment was $75,000. Harrington was president, Richardson was treasurer, and George F. Brooks was secretary. After the deaths of Harrington and Richardson in 1897 [2], Brooks became the manager and the company was held by heirs Edwin C. Harrington (Gilbert Harrington's son) and Mary A. Richardson (William Richardson's sister).

In 1894 the company opened a new facility on Park Avenue in Worcester, Massachusetts to respond to customer demand for their products.[1] H&R was enjoying such success that the factory was expanded again after only a few years.

In the 1960s H&R was acquired by the Rowe family, and warranty cards were sent to 'Industrial Rowe', Gardner, Massachusetts.[citation needed] The original H&R company went out of business in 1986, and the building, a five story brick structure, which was located at the corner of Park Avenue and Chandler Street in Worcester, Massachusetts, was demolished. A Walgreens pharmacy now stands at this location.[3]

A new company, H&R 1871, Inc., was formed in 1991 and started production of revolvers, single shot rifles and shotguns using original H&R designs. These were turbulent years in the firearms industry and H&R 1871, Inc. assets were subsequently sold to H&R 1871, LLC., a Connecticut LLC owned by Marlin Firearms Company in November 2000. Marketing its products under the brand names of Harrington & Richardson® and New England Firearms®, H&R 1871, LLC is currently the largest manufacturer of single shot shotguns and rifles in the world and is a significant presence, in terms of overall sales, in the U.S. firearms industry. Unfortunately for owners of older H&R firearms, H&R 1871, LLC. has chosen not to extend their factory product warranty to H&R guns made prior to the LLC's takeover.

Marlin, including all it's H&R assets, was later acquired by Remington Arms Company in December, 2007. H&R 1871, LLC production was moved to Ilion, N.Y. (the site of Remington's original manufacturing plant) in late 2008, while their corporate offices are co-located with Remington Arms in Madison, N.C. (HR1871.com and Remington.com).[citation needed] Remington is now part of the Freedom Group.

H&R's current product offerings include the single-shot Topper and Pardner shotguns, the single-shot Handi-Rifles, the NEF-branded Pardner Pump shotguns (imported), and the NEF-branded Excell semi-auto shotguns (imported). Best known for their single-shot firearms, which are typically accorded descriptions like "accurate", "reliable", and "cost-effective" by their fans, H&R's rifles and shotguns continue to be popular choices among hunters and outdoorsmen.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H_&_R_Firearms

ccoorreeyy · « **Reply #4 on:** September 18, 2007, 04:38:53 PM »

Thanks Quick! Nice history.

PHATINJUN · « **Reply #5 on:** October 04, 2007, 06:22:39 AM »

If ya go to the FAQ'S and watch the factory tour video it will also give you some insight. Kurt

rattlesnake · « **Reply #6 on:** November 19, 2008, 04:38:32 PM »

Why do some guns have H&R stamped on them while others have Harrington and Richardson on them?

quickdtoo · « **Reply #7 on:** November 19, 2008, 07:09:55 PM »

The nicer Ultras, Buffalo Classic/Target and the Toppers were marked H&R, while the less expensive, plain jane Handi and Pardner were named NEF. But that's evidently changed now, all frames have been marked H&R for about the last year or so, and NEF is absent from the H&R website.

Tim

BUFFALOW red · « **Reply #8 on:** November 20, 2008, 02:47:10 PM »

so i got a H&R trap door ,little big horn edition
it a beautiful gun how do i decifer whitch company built it & manufactureing date

quickdtoo · « **Reply #9 on:** November 20, 2008, 02:59:48 PM »

That was made by the original H&R that went out of business in 1986.

Tim

Lon371 · « **Reply #10 on:** November 21, 2008, 09:47:57 AM »

Is there anything you dont know about NEF-H&R?

I did notice the history from Wiki is missing somthing. I searched thru it and did not see your name anywhere?

Then i thought, maybe you are a silent partner

Lonny

quickdtoo · « **Reply #11 on:** November 21, 2008, 10:33:24 AM »

They and others probably wish I would be silent!!!

thanks,

Tim

Busta · « **Reply #12 on:** November 28, 2008, 08:40:25 AM »

Just wanted to add, they also only have H&R on the boxes now too. My new Sidekick even has H&R stamped on it instead of NEF. I think everything including the previous NEF Handi Rifles are all stamped H&R now. The December issue of NRA's American Hunter has a Handi-Rifle ad, all H&R, no mention of NEF at all.

32 Magnum · « **Reply #13 on:** December 04, 2008, 01:32:53 PM »

Tim,
When did H&R move their factory from Worchester to Gardner? Do you know why they moved?

quickdtoo · « **Reply #14 on:** December 04, 2008, 01:45:54 PM »

They moved from Gardner MA which is in Worchester county, to Ilion NY after the Gardner plant was shutdown in June, Remington bought Marlin/H&R early this year. Production and repair is in Ilion NY, customer service is in Madison, NC.

Tim

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,142364.msg1098569063.html#msg1098569063

http://www.hr1871.com/News/pressreleases.asp#remington

http://www.hr1871.com/News/pressreleases.asp#plan

Guy Pike · « **Reply #15 on:** December 08, 2008, 12:23:47 PM »

If saving money was an issue they could put Cerberus on all kinds of boxes and reduce set up cost at the printer!

quickdtoo · « **Reply #16 on:** December 08, 2008, 01:30:35 PM »

Winter Hawk · « **Reply #17 on:** December 10, 2008, 11:05:01 AM »

One item I don't see is that (IIRC) the old H&R company was sued out of existence. Again if memory doesn't fail me, NEF was started by former employees of H&R, who bought up the assets. The reason they wouldn't work on original H&Rs is because of liabilities from the lawsuit.

-WH-

quickdtoo · « **Reply #18 on:** December 10, 2008, 11:20:56 AM »

Irregardless of what happened, it's all kinda moot now with Remington running HR1871, when Gardner closed, a LOT was lost, that was then, this is now. One example is they won't fit barrels to any W&H frames since they have no record of when they were made.

Tim

Tx-XDm · « **Reply #19 on:** June 18, 2011, 07:03:34 PM »

Wow,
That's a lot of good information to know,
Thank you , I really appreciate it, Quick 2.
I'm hoping that they don't get sold anymore for a good long time.