Author Topic: The gift that keeps giving (Read 1465 times)

ima · « **on:** September 27, 2008, 04:36:09 PM »

Let me start off by saying "HI". I've been lurking around this site for a few weeks and have learned alot..so thanks for a great site.

Okay now the issue. I'm a bow hunter and this year my buddies decided to pitch-in and get me a NEF 308. I've put about 2 boxes of rounds in it without any problems. They just informed me that it use to be a 20 ga and a gunsmith they knew fitted it with a 308 barrel.

I remembered from reading here that the rifles and shotguns have different receivers. I looked at the thread about it and compared what I had to the pictures. I'm 99% sure that I have a Sb1.

The question is what should I do?
Will what I have be safe to shoot? (I'm only looking to use it during hunting season)
Can I buy a SB2 receiver somewhere and have someone fit it onto my gun?

I really can't go back to the guys and say "thanks for an unsafe gun." but I also don't want to kill myself....any ideas?

Thanks
Ima

MSP Ret · « **Reply #1 on:** September 27, 2008, 04:46:38 PM »

If you think you have an SB1 receiver IMMEDIATELY STOP shooting it with the .308 barrel. Any failure would most likely be catastrophic and not come upon the receiver or YOU in slow increments. Take it back to the gunsmith and have him check it or post pictures of it here. Of course if that same gunsmith put a high intensity rifle barrel (.308) on a low intensity shotgun reciever (SB1) he may not be the best guy to ask

. Best of all call H&R (if Remington still has the records) with the serial number and ask what barrels the frame is safe to use with. A .308 is considered by H&R/NEF to be a high intensity cartridge, more so than the .45-70 or 30/30. How about posting with
the first 2 letters of the serial number of the frame as a start.
PLEASE!!!, do not shoot that gun again until you find out more about it because
you could actually kill yourself with it if your fears are correct!!....<><....

By the way, welcome aboard, this is a great site and speaking for all here we want you to be around a long time. I also hunt with archery equipment and if there is anything I or we around here can do to help you and keep you safe just ask!!! And please listen as well, there are generations of experience here....

ima · « **Reply #2 on:** September 27, 2008, 05:16:21 PM »

I did call NEF and gave them the serial # but all he could tell me was that it was made in 98.

Here is the first few of the # NM35
I also added some pictures(not the greatest but I hope they help)

Thanks.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #3 on:** September 27, 2008, 05:31:09 PM »

That's an SB1 shotgun frame made in 1998. The stock bolt face of an SB2 frame is skeletonized, the SB1 frame is solid as yours is. The N prefix denotes New England Firearms, the M denotes the year of manufacture, 1998,(so much for the Remington's info!

) please don't use it with the 308 barrel, it's not safe as MSP said.

Beside the likelyhood of catastrophic failure, the larger firing pin and surrounding hole can result in severe failure of the primer as happened to Dieselbuilder with an older frame with a 223 barrel fitted to it.

Tim

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,121724.msg1098413838.html#msg1098413838

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,80979.msg498556.html#msg498556

ima · « **Reply #4 on:** September 27, 2008, 05:40:06 PM »

That's what I was afraid of. Thanks for your wisdom.

Now where to go from here? Can I buy a SB2 receiver somewhere and have another gunsmith put this back together for me? If so where would I find one?

quickdtoo · « **Reply #5 on:** September 27, 2008, 05:46:33 PM »

You can only buy SB2 frames used, they aren't sold separately new, only as complete rifles. The NEF/H&R Classifieds forum here is a good place to post a want to buy ad, they can also be found on gun auction sites occasionally. There is barrel fitting info in the FAQs if your barrel doesn't fit well, or you may be able to have H&R CS fit it IF the underlug is long enough to be cut to fit. But as has been said, a 308 Win is a high pressure chambering, you need a frame made 1999 or later, serial number prefix NN or HN or later, see the FAQs for build year info. H&R won't fit any of the asterisk marked barrels on the accessory barrel list to any frame made before 1999.

Tim

http://www.hr1871.com/Support/accessoryProgram.asp

PeterCartwright · « **Reply #6 on:** September 28, 2008, 01:44:36 AM »

ima--I'm sorry about your gift, but I'm really impressed that you picked up on your problem...before it became a REAL problem. Good catch! We can all learn something from your attention to detail. It would protect us all from dangerous situations.

PC

MSP Ret · « **Reply #7 on:** September 28, 2008, 03:14:11 AM »

ima, If you are interested, keep the frame and look for a used shotgun barrel for it here in the classifieds. If you want you could also keep your eyes open in the Classifieds here for a used SB2 (rifle reciever), be sure it is a post '99 (do some reading in the FAQ's, a great way to learn) and mount (fit) your .308 barrel to it. If you don't want to do that just buy a new or used Handi in the caliber of your choice and sell what you have through the Classifieds here, part or all of it...keep us posted and stay safe, please don't shoot it the way it is again!!....<><....

Datil · « **Reply #8 on:** September 28, 2008, 07:27:46 AM »

Hi ima, Welcome to wonderful world of Handi's Also The GBO forums.
Most of the Old Timers here pretty Up on the know of Handi's, They help
you all they can. Marv.

Jal5 · « **Reply #9 on:** September 28, 2008, 08:23:24 AM »

Ima welcome to the forum its an invaluable information source. Glad you caught that mix up with your barrel and receiver! MSP has some good advice there. Another idea would be to look at local pawn shops in your area for a used SB2 receiver some good buys can be had that way, just make sure its post 99 manufacture as had been said here several times. Good luck.

kody · « **Reply #10 on:** September 28, 2008, 09:23:16 AM »

Good for you to spot the problem. As the members state you arte forunate to have caught it .That's the beauty of this forum ,all KINDS of info ,sometimes a life -saver! I had an ad for an NP mod. SB-2 in the classifieds that I BTT [Bump To Top'] of the NEF classifieds and you can check that out. Ken

dpe.ahoy · « **Reply #11 on:** September 28, 2008, 04:28:43 PM »

Welcome aboard! Glad you caught the ticking time bomb. I believe this is the most valid reason I've seen posted on this site for someone to buy another Handi! The rest of us have to do some "creative 'splainin" to the wife from time to time, and some have been very good. DP

paul63 · « **Reply #12 on:** September 30, 2008, 06:07:34 AM »

ima,

Check the classifieds, Radar17011 has 5 SB-2 receivers for sale. He posted them yesterday.

ima · « **Reply #13 on:** September 30, 2008, 04:40:32 PM »

I discovered that by time I buy a new receiver ($85 to $100) and have someone fit it (local guy says about $75) (plus the local gunsmith charges $25 dollars for FFL transfer fee) that I'm looking at being close to the price of a new gun.So I'm thinking of plan "B".

So plan "B" is if I buy a new gun in a different caliber and then fit my 308 barrel to it I then have 2 rifles. My question is what would be a good caliber to compliment a 308. I figures a 30-06 wouldn't make much sense because it is so close to a 308. It doesn't seem to make any sense either to buy another 308.

What would you folks recommend? Is this a flawed plan?

Just thinking out loud.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #14 on:** September 30, 2008, 04:50:41 PM »

Makes sense to me for someone that's not handi, IE not being the DIY type, but barrel fitting isn't real hard and it may lock right up with no fitting, that's the flip side. A 25-06, 270, 280 or 7mm-08 are all good choice for deer as option B.

Tim

MSP Ret · « **Reply #15 on:** October 01, 2008, 01:09:46 AM »

What the heck, if your going to be a Handiholic anyway why not get a 45-70 right now. Your going to get one someday anyway, and it's a GREAT deer gun. For my part of the country anyway. Or how about a .223 for a great varmint caliber?....<><....

ima · « **Reply #16 on:** October 03, 2008, 12:20:34 PM »

Okay I just bought a .243 used but it is a NWxxxx so very new. My thinking is that I have everything covered from varmints to deer (or larger) with this combo.

I put my .308 barrel on it and it fits well no wiggle and the release lever is loose, so far so good. The only issue I have is that the ejector on the .308 sticks out farther then the .253 ejector and it rubs on the receiver. Is this okay? I'm afraid that it will wear the receiver and mess everything up.

Also I'm afraid of shooting it with the .308 barrel. The shop I bought it at really stressed that it has to go back NEF and that it will kill me if I don't. Like I said, when I close it it seems to seat well and everything seems okay So, how do I know if this is safe.

Thanks for all your help, my wife laughs at me for being a research junkie but this time I really feel that you folks may have saved myself or one of my friends from being hurt badly or worse. Thanks again.

MSP Ret · « **Reply #17 on:** October 03, 2008, 12:42:55 PM »

If it fits as you say you are good to go!! Congratulations. Don't worry about the ejector rubbing the breechface. That is normal and will not hurt anything nor will it wear out anything over the next 3 or 4 generations that you, your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, have and shoot that gun. And the shop that said it will kill you if you fit it yourself is WRONG!!! Don't sweat that at all, both myself and Tim (Quick) as well as many others here would have been dead over 30-40 times each over the last few years if that were so. Now I suggest you look for a nice 20 gauge barrel for the low pressure shotgun frame and really start to have fun with your guns!!!....<><....

ima · « **Reply #18 on:** October 03, 2008, 05:18:50 PM »

Sorry to belabor the point but I just want to be sure. The ejector rubs kinda hard, I mean you can hear it rub, but this is normal..right and won't harm the receiver.?.

I'm starting to get excited, I just bought ammo for both barrels and am going to sneak off and have some fun.

I'm going to ask the guys who gave me the gun if I can get the original 20 gauge barrel (I'm sure I can get it cheap).

It's funny this "gift" may turn into 2 rifles and a shotgun. Not bad, not bad at all.

OR-E-Gun Bill · « **Reply #19 on:** October 03, 2008, 06:01:39 PM »

Just thinking out load but your discription of the .308 and .243 ejectors sounds like you might actually have an extractor on the .243 and an ejector on the .308. Since the .243 is NWxxx I would almost bet on it, (but not a lot!)
I would guess the pressure you are seeing on the .308 extractor is actually the spring pressure.
At any rate it sounds like you found the perfect solution to your problem.
Happy shooting and Welcome the world of Handiholics!

Bill

ima · « **Reply #20 on:** October 03, 2008, 07:03:17 PM »

The concept of spring pressure seems to best describe what it is, it's just that the .308 barrel on the shotgun receiver didn't rub as hard. If it is spring pressure it shouldn't harm the receiver,right.?.

One very silly question, when you change out barrels do you use the same forend with every barrel or do you need a forend for each barrel.(just seems that the barrel would settle/marry with the forend but i don't want buy more stuff). What do you guys with many barrels do?

Haywire Haywood · « **Reply #21 on:** October 04, 2008, 04:41:17 AM »

When you open the action, do the ejectors on both barrels "click" out and toss the brass or does it ease out as you open the action so you can pick the brass out with your fingers?

Ian

ima · « **Reply #22 on:** October 04, 2008, 06:13:54 AM »

The .308 barrel will click and toss the brass (I was told that the spring was replaced by a stiffer spring), I haven't shot the .243 yet but with the barrel removed the ejector/extractor has no tension and I can push it in.

mcwoodduck · « **Reply #23 on:** October 04, 2008, 06:15:08 AM »

Just asking here but couldn't you just buy another rifle in a caliber you want like 223 or 45-70 and mount the 308 barrel on that frame? Heck mount the wood from the other gun on that frame as well so your friends will think you are using the same rifle as the one they gave you. With the other frame you could get one of three tubes for it. 20ga smooth bore for upland game and water fowel. 20 ga rifled tube for deer in another state, or a 50 black powder tube and add a third deer season to your hunting. ( Bow, front loader, and rifle)
I think 308 is perfect for all general hunting but a 223 would add varmint and preditor to your hunting trips not to mention 223 is just fun to shoot.

ima · « **Reply #24 on:** October 04, 2008, 06:47:26 AM »

Quote

Just asking here but couldn't you just buy another rifle in a caliber you want like 223 or 45-70 and mount the 308 barrel on that frame? Heck mount the wood from the other gun on that frame as well so your friends will think you are using the same rifle as the one they gave you.

That's what I did except I bought a .243. I just posted back here to make sure that the .308 ejector rubbing was okay (I just don't want to ruin anything), and I had a question the forend wood.

Sorry if I'm coming across as simple or stupid but I really don't know much about this stuff. I'm the type of person that if I'm going to do something that I feel have a responsibility to educate myself about it. I have spent the past few weeks reading this forum (even the FAQ) and have learned so much but also realize I don't know anything. The folks who have posted here and have shared what they know have saved me from a world of hurt(.308 on a sb1) for that I'm thankful.

mcwoodduck · « **Reply #25 on:** October 04, 2008, 10:43:27 AM »

Not stupid. Heck if it came from a gun smith I would probably still be shooting it.