My new to me Handi

[LaOtto222]

Last Saturday I picked up a rifle Topper frame vintage 1971 for a few bucks. I took it home with the idea that I could hook up one of my lower pressure barrels to it. I tried my 30-30 barrel first, no go, was not even close, bummer. Then I tried my 2007 44 Mag barrel...bingo, fit great. I had a plastic stock and fore end off a previous purchase. Went to put on the stock and there was no stock bolt, great! Went to the hardware the next day to get a 4" 3/8" 24 thread bolt...right. None in sight, bummer again, but wait I could get a 3/8 X 6" coarse thread, bought two and took home. Cut the bolt to 4" and then threaded with a 3/8 X 24 die about an inch, maybe a little less. Smeared on some Never-Seez on the threads and bolted up the stock. I put on the fore arm, grabbed a few 44 mags and headed out the door. Shot it 5 times and it fired five times. Getting there...the frame was rusted up pretty bad, so I worked on it and improved it some. Still debating if I should strip it and put another finish on it or not. When I had it out, I noticed the trigger was a little stiffer than I like. I did a trigger job, much easier to do when there is no blasted transfer bar in the way. I have not run any full power loads through it yet, the five I have were 7.6 grains of Unique under a 245 grain cast bullet. I will have to chronograph them to see what velocity I am getting, maybe this weekend. They shot very well. Standing free, I put two shots right over the top of my 3" spinner at 30 yards, I made an adjustment...dead center. Anyway, I thought I would share a picture of my low budget rifle.





Good Luck and Good Shooting

[cwlongshot]

Looks like years of good fun shooting you bought yourself!!

Congrats on a nice rifle!

CW

[Ranger99]

i'm jealous!


man, i'd call it done and start working
on loads.


good luck

[rdlange]

That looks good.  I've gone the other way an am putting a topper barrel on an SB2, because it locks up so good, along with a 357 & 20ga.  Will be my only multi barrel gun.

But, I'm not sure how to do my new158 trigger and my Huntsman trigger.  Not like the faq guidance because it doesn't have the trigger bar.  Is it the same process?


Didn't someone post about how to refinish the case hardened frame?

Thanks.

[LaOtto222]

But, I'm not sure how to do my new158 trigger and my Huntsman trigger.  Not like the faq guidance because it doesn't have the trigger bar.  Is it the same process?

Thanks.

When you take it apart, the part that goes between the transfer bar and the trigger is not there and naturally the transfer bar is not there either. The only thing I did was clip the trigger return spring and stone the top of the trigger, per instructions and hammer sear, again per instructions. Went back together real easy. I used a pair on needle nose pliers to squeeze the two legs of the hammer spring together to get them back into the frame. there is not as much tension on them as a newer single leg spring, because it has a rebounding hammer.

Looks like years of good fun shooting you bought yourself!!

Congrats on a nice rifle!

CW

I like it very much, going to leave it with irons for now, may add a low scout scope later or a red dot. However, the clean lines and lightness are kind of hard to mess with.

Good Luck and Good Shooting

[cwlongshot]

Looks like years of good fun shooting you bought yourself!!

Congrats on a nice rifle!

CW

I like it very much, going to leave it with irons for now, may add a low scout scope later or a red dot. However, the clean lines and lightness are kind of hard to mess with.

Good Luck and Good Shooting

Great to hear!!  Funny you mention "scout scope", I just added a new scope to one of my 45 Colt barrels. I traded another member here a aim point for a wonderful clear little Nikon Buckmaster 1x20. Its got a mile of eye relief so I mounted it forward, looked thru my parts bin for a 82 base, no luck but the H&R base works OK...



It seems really quick, I'll shoot it next week and we will see... I got a box of 250 GD's thinking of loading a 1500fps load... It's a might big HP for my regular 1850fps carbine loading...

CW

[bikerbeans]

Very Nice! 
 
BB

[LaOtto222]

I did a little more work on my "new" rifle. Added a scope and did a little Chronograph work. I got an average of 1082 fps for a 245 cast over 7.6 grains of Unique sparked by a CCI 300 primer.

BTW the scope is an old 1.3X Bushnell pistol scope I've had for years, the mount is a modified T/C mount. It is good for about 50 yards on smallish targets and good for 100 yards for Deer.





Good Luck and Good Shooting

[cwlongshot]

Ooh a Bushnell Phantom!!  I remember those!! 

That aughta work just fine!!!!  don't look too bad either!

I was loading up some loads for mine last night... I found some loads for SR4756 powder... Its a hotter loading, should net me 1400fps form the longer H&R barrel. Best part, I have 3-4# of each of the SR powders!! I don't remember the last time I had a loading for it either! 

CW

[LaOtto222]

Yup a Bushnell Magnum Phantom. I have had it for a bunch of years. One good thing, it does not need any rings and it is always square to the rifle.

I was shooting with irons earlier today and the first group at 50 yards was about 1.25 inches (2 almost touching with the last one about 1" away from the second shot). I then tried a different load, 18.5 grains of 2400 with the 245 cast bullets. I got 1553 fps average, problem was, it started to lead the barrel. After that the groups were not as good. I mounted the scope and bore sighted it. Took it out the back door and got it zeroed pretty quickly, but my groups were still not anything to write home about. I would get 2 almost touching at 50 yards, then the third would be 2" away. I am not sure I am shooting any better with the scope than I did with irons. I have the barrel "soaking" right now, to clean up the lead. I will try again, but it looks like the 7.6 grain load will be a good plinking round and close range varmint/predator killer, maybe even deer if they are not too far away. When I tried 10.0 grains of Unique, I got 1280 with a 245 cast bullet and 1309 fps with a Remington 240 bullet. 2.4 more grains of Unique only got me 100 fps more. I will try some "warmer" jacketed bullet loads a little later, to see if I can get them to shoot well.

Good Luck and Good Shooting
 

[cwlongshot]

When first I shot this barrel about 2" is what I was getting too.



For a NO power scope or even a VERY lo as yours is I think thats acceptable for this gun in this caliber. Better would be nice and I'm sure we will both find better shooting loads. But for me and what I need to do with this gun, 2" at 50 will do 4" at 100... that will kill every single deer I have ever seen.

These where the last three shots at 50, shot off hand. I can live with this one!



As for your loadings, I'm sure any of your loadings will be lights out on a whitetail with in the ranges we are talking about.
1500fps from a plain based cast slug, I am not suprized about the leading.  1200fps range will probably improve leading and accuracy... Have you done anything to protect the bullet base? This could be part of the inaccuracy of your hotter lead loadings...

CW