I like Handi rifles but could never afford them. The first one I bought for my kids, a Pardner youth 410. 15 years ago. I had it drilled and tapped and put a cheapo red dot on it so as the kids would come deer hunting with me. 41y in the woods. The next one was a NEF nickel 410/45 survivor. It was drilled and tapped from the factory, standard 4 holes. I put Grandpa’s 3X9 Bushnell on it and the boys could hit a pie plate at 50y most of the time. I liked that gun but couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn door with it. Shot shells were terrible. They all grew up and graduated to video games except the youngest, 19 now. These were my guns now and rusting in the closit. I started reloading to try to improve the survivor. Lee hand loader and brass shells. Very disappointed for a lot of work. I still liked that Pardner. I had the choke bored out, put Choite surviver stocks on it and 4X pistol scope. 8” at 75y. Still not happy. I traded that survivor in on Classic 45 colt. Now I had something. Got a press, dies, and shot the hell out that colt. 6” at 100y with 454C loads. I then traded in the Pardner on a NMBH 45 colt. I now had a matched pair. Next a 223 bull barrel, dies brass and powder. Choite surviver stocks and a bipod. Money was an old issue and bothered me. I sold the parts and kept the barrels. I now have 6 barrels and one frame. I have a 12g cut down and sites mounted, another 410 tamer barrel, drilled and tapped, choke bored out. A slugger. I bought a ruined 45/70 barrel and as a project made it/had it made into a muzzleloader. Smokeless powder. I recently got a 270 barrel, brass, bullets, dies, powder. Hand loaded different light and heavy loads. That gun shoots great. Better than the 223. Am I a Handiholic? Is this a disease? I went to Gander the other week and there was a 20g topper used. I bought it. Mounted the 45LC on it. Pretty. Sold the barrel. It is my new camp gun. I don’t want that 223 anymore. 270 will do anything it can do better. I am a user, hunter. I don’t cut paper for fun. The 45LC pair is the only thing I don’t use for hunting, but it will kill an elephant close up and I always carry the pistol. PS I bought a 41mag S&W Classic hunter. What a handgun. 50C piece at 50y every time. That’s the handgun hunter. The BH is for lions and tigers and bears, oh my. I have spent couple of thousands dollars on these guns in the past two years. Do I have to seek help?
