Newbie with a dumb question

[minnesotashooter]

I have somebody giving me a Handi Rifle barrel in .308.  I have been looking at several rifles in .308 or 30-06.  If I buy a new one in .223 and I have the .308 barrel, my main question is why do I have to send it to the company to fit the new barrel, especially if I don't have to send the barrel along?  Probably a dumb question, sorry!!

Kevin

[Graybeard]

Answered in the FAQ where fitting directions are given in detail. Personally unlike the majority here I'm not fond of the idea of home fitting and for that reason am very reluctant to buy any used Handi unless it comes with the original box to prove to me it's as it was issued.

But most here don't share my feelings on the matter and fit barrels themselves all the time using directions in the FAQ. More knowledgeable resposes will no doubt follow.

[petemi]

I put together a half dozen of them and only had one I had to tweak with a shim on the pivot.  That's my .357 and it is probably the most accurate of all of them.  I also swapped my .45-70 ejector barrel for another member's extractor and both barrels fit their new frames well.

Then, I was going to give a buddy a spare '06 barrrel for his .280, and it wouldn't lock up at all on his frame.  So, I guess you never know until you try it. 

Buying a used Handi, you can tell if the barrel and frame are factory matched because the last 3 digits of the serial number are engraved in the barrel's underlug.

Pete

[minnesotashooter]

I will be buying a Handi in .223 probably and then using the .308 barrel.  I guess we'll just have to see.  It is hard to say no to a free barrel.