when was 7.62x39 available?

[Ol BW]

Hello everyone
I am new to this page and I am so glad I have found it!  I have had my Handi Rifle so long I can't recall the exact date I bought it now, but it was somewhere in the mid '90s.  It was the first rifle that I ever bought.  It was the first high powered rifle I had ever shot as I chose 30-06 chambering.  Needless to say it holds a special place in my gun cabinet.  It has given me a reputation with my hunting buddies of always having one shot kills.  One of my friends even went and got himself one in 270 and loves it!  I also bought one for my former step-daughter, and step-son in 243. 

To get to the point, I'm hooked, and I'm glad to have found a place that has people that have experienced the same.

While looking over this site I saw mention of the Handi-Rifle chambered in 7.62x39.  When was this offered, or was it an aftermarket barrel?  I wanted to experiment with this chambering, so I got a chamber adapter and inserted it into my little Handi-Rifle, but it has its drawbacks, and I would like very much to find one chambered for this little cartridge.   

[Old Grizz]

First of all, welcome to GBO. I'm not sure how long ago the 7.62x39 was offered but I have fired that round and was very surprised how accurate the round is. I'm sure when Tim finds this post he will have an answer for ya. He's kinda like the H&R/NEF guru on here.

[quickdtoo]

Welcome BW! The 7.62x39 was only made one year, H&R discontinued it in late 2006 due to too many complaints from shooters using milsurp that wouldn't fire due to hard, recessed primers, they worked fine with sporting ammo tho, there's info on it in the FAQs and Help, be sure to spend lots of time reading there. 

Tim

[tmccray45]

I was lucky enough to get my 7.62x39 Handi off Gunbroker.   (I cannot believe the guy selling it didn't want it anymore. . .)

It is easily the MOST accurate rifle I own.   More accurate than the 30-30 Handi.   A little more accurate than the Remington .308 or .270 I own.   I am not a hot-shot by any means, but that little rifle just seems to seek out and hit what I want to hit.   I have a picture of a target with 20 holes in it -- no that's not true.    I have a picture that I took of a target with about 4 holes in it -- a one-inch hole in the center of the target and about three other holes that are within an inch of the center.   The one-inch hole in the center is where 16 bullets went through.

I had a little problem at first using the Federal ammo I purchased, but once I went to handloads, the rifle shot every time I pulled the trigger.  (I found that CCI primers worked best in my rifle.)

If you can find a 7.62x39 Handi, I think you will find that you will reach for it more than any other.

[gendoc]

i agree 100%........first grab, one shot......... DRT
ya jus gotta find the sweet handload !!!!

[PHATINJUN]

I know mine will never leave my hands. I slapped a 6x Burris on it went to the range took about 20 clicks and 10 rounds to put a 1" group together with Federal American Eagle 124gr sp. handloads only get a little better. I know they only made them one yr and mine is a 2004 so I wonder if they didn't make a whole boat load of them then and finally discontinue them in 2006 after all the complaints. Any body else know the build yr on thiers mine was factory new that was found on the shelf of a Gander up in Northern WI . I had it transfered to IL in 2008 got a heck of a deal after complaining that it had been pawed over and knocked around the shelves for 4 yrs collecting dust even though I would of given even more than what they were asking if I had to. I know there we quite a few here that were bought as bbl's only so you may not know the build yr and with the way things get assembled at the factory some could be on 2003 - 2006 frames. Kurt

[quickdtoo]

The 7.62x39 was listed as new in the 2006 catalog, any older frame that has a 7.62x39 barrel on it was fitted as an accessory barrel.

Tim

[Hofs01]

My unfired (still in the box) 7.62 x 39 is an NV (2005) model. The more i read about this caliber the more I want to shoot my hens tooth!

[PHATINJUN]

Mine was factory new also I thought it was a NU but after further review it is also a NV so they probly made some in 2005 for new sales in 2006.
You need to shoot that thing Brian. Kurt

[quickdtoo]

I found the reason for the confusion, the 7.62x39 was offered mid to late 2005 as an accessory barrel only, then offered in 2006 as a complete rifle.

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,60044.msg361039.html#msg361039

New catalogs are usually available in November of the preceding new model year, so the first barrels were fitted mid to late 2005, but it was  discontinued by Oct 2006, so it was only available for about a year, the link below is from the FAQs.

Tim

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,99547.msg1098264351.html#msg1098264351

Well, as of last Friday, I was told the 7.62 is no longer available from the factory.   

It looks like I may have to buy from one of the internet sights that have them.  Oh well, if you have one, enjoy it.  Unless you want to part with it of course!

[Ol BW]

Hofs01, you don't have to shoot it, you could sell it to me....