Handi/Wizard

[quickdtoo]

After seeing a pic of a Rossi Wizard barrel and the similarity with a Handi underlug, I ordered a 30-06 barrel from Bud's for $140 shipped  to check out, hoping the lighter contour would make a lighter rifle. First of all, as Larry has mentioned about Rossis, the underlug is a clone of an H&R, and with a .010" shim locks right up on the first frame I tried it on!!   From the outside, the ejector looks identical in design and function, it ejects just fine just as it is, the biggest difference in the barrel is the pivot which appears to be ~10mm(.3937") which is just a tad bigger than the .375" that H&R uses which makes it easy to add a shim that fits the contour of the pivot. The second difference is the forend stud which is mounted further towards the muzzle about ½" rearward of the tip of a wood forend.

I primed a 30-06 case and chambered it, headspace looks excellent, and dropped the hammer on it, pin strike is real close to center, and fired just fine, I have H&Rs that are much more off center. I also chambered a once fired case from my son's Win model 670, it was a start load and the round wouldn't chamber all the way, so it seems the chamber is very tight if that means anything, the same round chamber just fine in the my 30-06 Handi.

The finish is much like the older H&R Ultras, a deep, shiny blued finish, it comes with plastic sights that are attached with two mounting screws each which would make it easy to change to a better sight. The scope mount hole pattern is the same as a Weaver 92A Contender base and mounts right up, although the barrel contour doesn't match, the TC barrel is smaller in diameter.

Unfortunately, the 23" barrel isn't that much lighter than an H&R standard contour barrel, it measures ~.860" just ahead of the chamber swell, compared to .920" for my SS 30-06 barrel, and .688" at the muzzle compared to .670" for the Handi, and weighs 3lbs-6oz compared to 3lbs-9oz for the 22" Handi 30-06 barrel.

My plan is to attempt to make a hanger bar that attaches to the front of the chamber swell to mount the forend on so it complete floats the barrel beyond the chamber. I'll post some pics later.

Tim

I forgot to mention the bore which looks good, much deeper rifling than most H&Rs, although it does look very similar to my Ultracomp bore, not the brightest, but not bad looking to my old eyes.

Another thing I forgot to mention is the chamber options, nothing special, but they do offer them in 7.62x39 which should make some fellas happy if they really want one.

http://www.rossiusa.com/2010catalog/?catalog_page=31

[trotterlg]

How does the total cost delivered to you compare with the total cost of an H&R barrel with all the shipping & fitting fees?  Larry

[gendoc]

what you talk'n bout tim !!!!  you are tha handi/wizard

[quickdtoo]

Seems to me it's about $160 or so for a comparable accessory barrel after all is said and done.

Thanks John! 

Tim

[Spanky]

See that fella's... I been tellin' ya that them Rossi's were alright.
Keep us posted on your progress Tim.

One question though. Is it gonna be a Hossi or a Randi or H&R&R or



Spanky

[quickdtoo]

Dunno what to call it, but do hope to be able to call it a good shooter!! 

Tim

[Brian56]

         Good going Tim! I didn't know that a Rossi barrel would fit on a Handi.  Please send some photo's and a range report when your done. oh, by the way we still have (40) 7.62X39 barrels left.
part# FR03490.


                                                                                                      Brian@Remington:

[LONGTOM]

Dunno what to call it, but do hope to be able to call it a good shooter!! 

Tim

Just as long as they don't start calling you TRADER!!!
Just kidding!



LONGTOM

[Jimbo47]

I like H&Rossi pronounced Har-see!

That's pretty cool, so now we just need someone to offer a forend/shim conversion kit!

Any takers out there?

[quickdtoo]

         Good going Tim! I didn't know that a Rossi barrel would fit on a Handi.  Please send some photo's and a range report when your done. oh, by the way we still have (40) 7.62X39 barrels left.
part# FR03490.


                                                                                                      Brian@Remington:

They won't last long now!! Thanks Brian!

Tim

[quickdtoo]

I like H&Rossi pronounced Har-see!

That's pretty cool, so now we just need someone to offer a forend/shim conversion kit!

Any takers out there?

That shouldn't be too hard to do, one simple method would be Larry's clever idea of a barrel band mounted stud, another would be to drill and tap a mounting hole and use a pillar under the barrel, but on this one, since the chamber swell is longer than on a Handi, gonna try a hanger bar.

Tim

[trotterlg]

Easiest thing to do would be to use one of the sling swivel studs that clamp on a shotgun barrel, they make them in different sizes so it would be easy to measure the barrel diameter and pick the proper one.  Larry

[bikerbeans]

Tim,

Could you modify a Wizard forestock to fit a Handi receiver?

BTW,  knowing the our Handi God is playing with S. American imports makes me feel a little better about lusting over a semiauto 243 Win.

BB

[quickdtoo]

I thought about that, but would have to look at one to check it out,  the only Rossis I've seen around here are the older models like larry has worked with. Their forend isn't the nicest looking either, and the matching stock is even uglier, but the camo pattern would match a camo syn Handi stock. Getting a forend from Rossi would be the next trick to make that happen.

Tim

[quickdtoo]

Here are a couple comparison pics.

Tim

[Jimbo47]

Sorry!....Senior moment!

[Goatwhiskers]

Tim, another idea on attaching a forend: I had to come up with a way to attach the forend on my Maxi Martini and used a piece I cut out of a 12ga shotgun barrel with a vent rib to make a saddle that I soldered under my barrel.  I used a part where the rib attaches to the s'gun barrel so I would have a nice lug to tap into for the attaching screw.  Seems to work pretty good.  Goatwhiskers

[quickdtoo]

Yes, that's one of the methods that I proposed in one of the shotgun discussions recently, it would be easier on a shotgun barrel due to less mass to heat tho. I have some ¼"x ½" 4140 alloy steel that I thought I'd work with to make a hanger bar, would just have to inlet the forend to make room for it.

I'm thinking on cutting the barrel to 18" or so to cut some weight, it has a plain crown, just flat with a slight recess, not the nice recessed crown like on H&Rs. I used to have a Rem M760 30-06 with a shortened barrel that hunted real well, killed several deer and elk with it.

Thx,

Tim

[bikerbeans]

H&R forget to patent their underlug/extractor?

[Big Blue]

We ain't gonna lose Tim to a Rossi Forum are we? This is like Bizarro world. 
It's amazing how close the Handi and Rossi barrels are, almost like they bought the tooling from H+R.
Don

[quickdtoo]

We ain't gonna lose Tim to a Rossi Forum are we? This is like Bizarro world. 

No way, just checking out options for US!! 

Tim

It's amazing how close the Handi and Rossi barrels are, almost like they bought stole the tooling from H+R.

[quickdtoo]

Sometimes the solution to a problem isn't too complicated, a longer forend is all that's needed, the checkered syn forend will work fine with a new hole drilled just behind the sling swivel stud, the barrel channel must be enlarged slightly to accommodate the longer chamber swell. The only other thing I'd do is add a nylon pillar to the hole for reinforcement, I used a pan head metric screw from the Optima Elite, not sure what it is, but I think it's a 6x1, it's comparable to a ¼"-28 thread.

Tim

[lee1954]

Thanks for the idea Tim .....Is it possble that the off set .22 RF rossi might work also.

 I took a 1/4 threaded thingamabob of a wood palet use to bolt down the load --- looks a lot like a forarm holder (with spurs).  could this be silversoderd on the barrel  I can send or post a photo.... maybe just the right name would help - hardware stores carry them...   


                                 Dan

[blind ear]

Eye bolt perhaps? ear

[quickdtoo]

I've not seen the Wizard rifle, but if they use an offset bore on the rimfire barrels as opposed to a selectable hammer, it should work fine. I'm not keen on soldering on the barrel unless it doesn't discolor the bluing which I don't know if 500º will do or not, given the choice I'd rather drill and tap, or cut a dovetail.

Tim

[blind ear]

Doesn't look like it gives us the chance to keep the 45LC  alive in the Handi unless I missed something, (which I hope I did). ear

[Littlepage]

OMG  I'm shocked.  First you can make a wizard barrel fit.  Second H&R still has (or maybe had) 40 7.62x39 barrels that we didn't know about.

[jw1044]

Would the Rossi 357 mag barrel work on the Handi?

[Spanky]

Why not just knock the forearm lug off a handi barrel and solder it in place on the rossi barrel?



Spanky

[quickdtoo]

It's a lot easier to drill a hole in the forend, plus:

I'm not keen on soldering on the barrel unless it doesn't discolor the bluing which I don't know if 500º will do or not, given the choice I'd rather drill and tap, or cut a dovetail.

Tim