Anyone ever had a barrel blank done for a Handi.

[Cookiemann]

Any idea of the cost of putting a lug on a barrel blank and fitting it to a Handi rifle.  Saw a 45acp...18 1/2 " barrel on ebay.  would make a nice Handi.

[MSP Ret]

I have not but some here have. By the way, that
would be a fun Handi, a .45 ACP!!!....<><.... :grin:

[Cookiemann]

I thought so too.  And a ONE OF A KIND.

[Cookiemann]

YEESSS !  This is another good reason for NEF/H&R to open a custom shop at the factory.  The possibilities would be endless.

[Paul5388]

The Montanan sent out some plans for building a lug, so you don't have to mess up a barrel to get one.  Of course, 12 gauge barrels are pretty common and you can probably buy a whole shotgun for less than a lug would cost to make.

A .41 Mag does sound pretty good in something besides a micro groove barrel!   :-)

[JPH45]

I could be completely full of it, but earning my living as a welder for the last 30 years, I suspect that any carbon stell worthy of being a barrel would need to be heat treated after welding. 4140, a very common variety of steel used in gunmaking will develop cracks just on cooling down without treatment. Taking any 'ol barrel and welding on it is risky on a good day.

I still think the best way to get a barrel on a Handi is to sacrifice an existing barrel., cutting it off just forward of the lug and reaming \and threading it for another barrel. This is a good method, just takes a competent machinist. For most of us, time we buy a barrel blank and have a gunsmith/machinist turn it into something useable, we'd ahve the best part of another rifle invested.

A reboring joib may be the best alternative, start with a 223 bull barrel and  work from there. Fred has shown the way in this.

[Fred M]

JPH is right you can't weld on a barrel without some sort of treatment and procedure. The way H&R welds the lug is a fusion weld very short duration with high voltage. The weld is done on both sides in one zap.

It is done in a jig so nothing can move or warp. Welding this lug with an electrode would perhaps ruin the barrel. This is not for me, nor is the threading into a stub. Besides the cost be way out of line for what you get.

There might be a cheaper way of doing this by boring the stub to 1/10 wall thickness and glue in the barrel with the special high tech epoxy bonding which is heat cured at 250 f. as stong as a thread with a 4.5" stub and max barrel  thickness of .910"

[Woodbutcher]

Thank you Fred. So that's why rebarreling a Handi is such an issue. I needed that.                                        Woodbutcher

[Donaldo]

Hey FredM.
I know a lot of things are glued together nowdays, such as airplanes and such.  Is there an epoxy that would be strong enough to not shear if you glued a barrel into say a 12ga shotgun stub?  What about an interference fit.  Not sure how much you could get by heating the stub to about 300 degrees and freezing the barrel.  Should be able to get 2-3 thousands or more.  Maybe that would work.  Whata ya think.

[Ricci Price]

Being a maintenance tech. at large paper mill, we have learned here that you can weld hardenable (4140,4340,tool steel) steels without it cracking, but you gotta be set up for it, preheating,cooling times and so on. I just got done redoing my under-lug on my barrel I built it up and remilled it to a tight fit, I was worried that it might crack but it has not turned loose yet even with some super hot test loads. There is a way but you better know what you are doing.