Handi-rifle question

[Retsof]

I'm starting to get ready for the upcoming deer season, including sighting in my rifles. This year MS allows a special primitive weapons season starting on Nov 8th which is almost a full 2 weeks prior to the start of the regular gun season. In fact the MS regs state something to the effect that the State has a surplus of deer. I never thought I'd see that in print. Anyway, I noticed something about my Handi 500 S&W about I need advice. In the Handi Basics 101 it states that the barrel release should be snug, when the barrel is open but loose when the barrel is closed. However, my barrel release is just as loose, when the barrel is open, as when the barrel is closed (and I do mean loose). I haven't shot this Handi in about 9 months, though I was planning to do so in the next few weeks. Is this something I need to be concerned about? In truth I never really noticed this before but I don't shoot this rifle all that much. So, I guess it's possible that it was loose all along.

[quickdtoo]

Normally when the action is closed, the barrel release will be loose enough to rattle if you shake the rifle, if it doesn't rattle, that would be a problem most likely, but I wouldn't be too concerned about what it does when the action is open.

Tim

[Retsof]

Thanks, Tim.

It should be good to go then.

[petemi]

Go shoot it.  Deer season will be here before you know it.

Pete

[Retsof]

Go shoot it.  Deer season will be here before you know it.

Pete

Amen to that, though it can't get here quick enough.

[wreckhog]

It is my understanding that the more the latch is pushed in, the more the barrel release wiggles. The latch needs to be pushed in to provide tension, which helps keep the action closed in the same way every time. Is that right?

[quickdtoo]

The barrel release moves independent of the actual latch holding the barrel in battery, when the action is open, then latch moves all the way forward which moves the release all the way to the end of it's upward travel which jams it and keeps it from wiggling, when locked up, the release is loose because the cog it meshes with on the latch isn't a tight fit, it has one "tooth" between two teeth on the top of the latch, with lots of lash between them. As long as the barrel is tight when locked up, no movement at all, the latch engagement with the latch shelf should be sufficient for proper function, the only way to know what kind of engagement the latch has is (1) to look thru the view port on 2006 and later frames, or (2) smoke the latch per the barrel fitting info. If the release lever is loose all the time, it likely means the fit between it and the latch isn't normal, but it's really not important if it functions properly. It may mean it's worn and may fail to release the barrel at some time tho, so it may not be a bad idea to order an extra or just replace it, I would think it would wear much faster than the hardened latch, Brownell's sells it for $5.

Tim

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/sid=18056/pid=0/sku/Release_Lever

[BIGDAVE54]

The release on my 45-70 Handi is perfect.I have never noticed extreme or extra movement in it at all. I think the steel to steel fits on that weapon are the finest fits I have ever seen on anything made from steel. I went to a state college and have a 2 yr.degree in Mech.Eng...so I have seen a lot of machine type fits. That is not that big of a deal in acadamia,but it means your whole working life is spent in the shop or factory floor working instead of sitting behind a desk. I thought one thing that made my 45-70 special was it was made I believe just a few weeks before the Gardner,Mass. plant closed.It seemed to me some of those old timers up there turned out the finest weapons I had seen come from there the last little bit they were open there. My .410 is very tight and has great fit and finish too. Not as I would call perfect like my 45-70 ,but it is good.......... I then bought a 20 gauge from the New York plant. It may be my imagination,but I don't think so. The first thing I noticed was the extraction of the empty shell. It would stick and I had to dig them out with a small pocket knife. It failed to fire the first few rounds until I pulled the hammer back and let it drop a few times. I had cleaned it thoroughly when I bought it too. The release lever seemed too loose from day one on it. I noticed the edges of the receiver around the area just in front of the firing pin all the way down were super razor sharp to a point that I had to sit one evening and stone them down and cold blued both sides. After a half box or so of shells the hulls seemed to extract better so I did not have to dig them out with a small pocket knife. Eventially everything sort of wore in until the shotgun fired and ejected shells normally. There was one spot on the stock about as big as my thumbnail where the finish and stain were missing. I noticed a little knot in the wood there. I put my initials on it and took some clear laquer nail polish(sneaked from my wife) and covered it over. I still have a lot  of movement in the release lever. The whole weapon just has a cheap feel to it. Not at all like the other H&R weapons I had bought from the Gardner plant. I just wondered if they had a problem at first getting started. My friends have bought 12 and 20 gauges since the factory there opened and they swear by them. I have one friend that has an older single shot 12 gauge H&R he takes to shooting matches and cleans up with. He has Browning shotguns,but swears by his old 12 gauge single shot for matches.He says his new single shot 12 H&R is just as good as his first one.