Does anyone have the old Harrington Huntsman?

[Old and Gray]

I'm talkin bout the .50 cal with the press in breech plug.  I've read the history of how it caused several deaths and bankrupted the Harrington & Richardson firearms co. but it is one of the most accurate BP guns I have ever owned.  I would like to find a manual for it but H & R won't even confirm that they ever made that gun, part of the lawsuit resolution I hear.  Anyone here have the manual?  Thanks
Bill

[quickdtoo]

H&R1871 won't confirm they made it cuz they didn't, it was made by H&R Inc that went out of business in 1986, the current company isn't the same company, H&R1871 didn't exist until 1991, see the H&R history time line sticky in the H&R Misc forum. The manuals sticky at the top of the H&R Huntsman/Sidekick forum has the 45-58-12ga version which has a screw-in plug, that's as close as we have for ya, if someone has the manual for the push-in breech plug Huntsman, please post it or email is so we can add it to the stickys.

Welcome aboard Bill! 

Tim

[Busta]

They never made a .50 cal with a push in breech plug either, at least a production rifle that was for sale. I read of one death with the old push in breech plug.

[Sprint]

Busta is right about H&R, Inc. never making a 50 caliber "press-in" breech plug version. I have never heard of any deaths occurring with that style plug and was not the reason H&R, Inc. went into bankruptcy and eventual closure.
 
Sprint
 

[PHATINJUN]

The manual for the push in plug is the same as what is already posted...at least from what I can tell . If it was threaded I would think it would say something about putting grease on the threads??? No there never was a .50 cal from the mid 1970's era muzzle loaders. I thought at one time someone posted the article about the law suit pertaining to the pop out plug... but it may in fact be a urban ledgend. There may also of been something printed explaining that the only way a pop out plug can be removed was by diassembly and any others we modified but if that were the case mine have all been modified so I don't know what that was all about. Kurt
After rereading mine it appears to be the same as posted and it was in the same box that came with one of my .45's that was a push in plug that was all new in the box. Don't know if it was added or what ...but maybe there is another one out there just for the push in plug guess that gives me something to keep my out eyes open to look for. kurt

[quickdtoo]

Thanks Kurt. 

Tim

[Hillbilly Jim]

I have two 45 calibres with the push in breech plug.  Never had a problem and some years ago killed a deer with one.
The death of a shooter was always alluded to but no person was ever identified, probably a urban legand.
I would shoot and enjoy, just never open after a misfire for a couple of minutes.