44 Mag Rifle SB1 or SB2

[rpharder]

Trying to decide between the SB1 or SB2 in a 44 mag. Which do you all think would be the better way to go?

[LaOtto222]

SB2 - there are lots more options with it when it come to barrel selection.

[JerryKo]

SB2 - there are lots more options with it when it come to barrel selection.

My choice too.  SB1 limits you to shotgun, muzzle loader, and lower pressure pistol cals.  Go with the SB2 receiver especially since it won't be too long before you want another barrel after getting the Handi.
Jerry

[quickdtoo]

There's no choice as far as what's being produced, you'd have to get one from existing inventory somewhere, the SB2 44mag is no longer made, but you can get an accessory barrel added to an SB2 frame. I would caution you on getting an older rifle, I wouldn't get one older than 2007(HX or NX serial number prefix) and even then you may get a pre-Marlin made barrel, the accessory barrel is the best option to insure a tight bore.

Tim

[rpharder]

Thanks for the info. One of my distributors has a few left and he said they were HX prefix. I think I'll take a chance on gettig a tight bore.

[MS10point]

There's no choice as far as what's being produced, you'd have to get one from existing inventory somewhere, the SB2 44mag is no longer made, but you can get an accessory barrel added to an SB2 frame. I would caution you on getting an older rifle, I wouldn't get one older than 2007(HX or NX serial number prefix) and even then you may get a pre-Marlin made barrel, the accessory barrel is the best option to insure a tight bore.

Tim

I bought my son a .44 for Christmas. It has an HX serial # and says .44 mag SB2 on the barrel. Have they just recently stopped making the SB2 .44?
This rifle should have the good barrel (tighter bore ) shouldn't it?

Just curious,
TP

[Busta]

There's no choice as far as what's being produced, you'd have to get one from existing inventory somewhere, the SB2 44mag is no longer made, but you can get an accessory barrel added to an SB2 frame. I would caution you on getting an older rifle, I wouldn't get one older than 2007(HX or NX serial number prefix) and even then you may get a pre-Marlin made barrel, the accessory barrel is the best option to insure a tight bore.

Tim

I bought my son a .44 for Christmas. It has an HX serial # and says .44 mag SB2 on the barrel. Have they just recently stopped making the SB2 .44?
This rifle should have the good barrel (tighter bore ) shouldn't it?

Just curious,
TP

Unfortunately the New SB1 framed .44's still have barrels that are stamped SB2. This could get very confusing to those not in the know, so they STAMPED a big disclaimer on the right side of the frames. It seems to me, it would be much easier, less confusing, and cost effective to stamp SB1 or SB2 on the receiver. Oh, by the way, the price on the SB1 is as much or more than the SB2 rifles I have seen. The new SB1 models have the newer synthetic Monte-Carlo stock and forend.

[LaOtto222]

I bought a "special" 44 Mag at Gander Mountain last fall. It had the plastic stocks and fore end. I do not like the plastic, but it was $50 cheaper than the wood ones right next to it. I ordered checkered Cinnamon Lams for it right away. It is a SB2 frame. I do not think any of the new ones (SB1) were available before the first of the year. I am not sure if they are yet available or not. If you want to make sure about your frame, look in the FAQ section at the top, and in there you will find pictures telling you how to tell the difference. I checked mine out a s soon as I found out they were going to the SB1 frame on the 44 Mags. I thought maybe that Gander Mountain made a deal with H&R for them and that was why they were cheaper and I got an early model, maybe. It was definitely a SB2 frame, whew.

[Busta]

I bought a "special" 44 Mag at Gander Mountain last fall. It had the plastic stocks and fore end. I do not like the plastic, but it was $50 cheaper than the wood ones right next to it. I ordered checkered Cinnamon Lams for it right away. It is a SB2 frame. I do not think any of the new ones (SB1) were available before the first of the year. I am not sure if they are yet available or not. If you want to make sure about your frame, look in the FAQ section at the top, and in there you will find pictures telling you how to tell the difference. I checked mine out a s soon as I found out they were going to the SB1 frame on the 44 Mags. I thought maybe that Gander Mountain made a deal with H&R for them and that was why they were cheaper and I got an early model, maybe. It was definitely a SB2 frame, whew.

LaOtto222,

The Sb1-S44's are out, I handled one over a month ago in a Mid-Michigan Sporting Goods Store. I bumped the post up to the top, but here is what I wrote on February 23rd. Looked just like this.

Re: New 44 Mag Rifles
« Reply #4 on: February 23, 2008, 04:24:54 PM »   

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I also handled one of the new SB1-S44's yesterday. It has a H&R HY (2008) serial # frame, the barrel is marked Handi SB2, the receiver is definitely a SB1 casting and has verbage stamped into the right side of the receiver. Not a direct quote, but close to this "Do not use any barrels other than .357 mag, .44 mag or shotgun barrels that were installed on this frame", I really butchered that, but anyway you get the idea. They are obviously going to be using that frame for the 20ga slug/.357 mag and 12ga slug/.44 mag Combos as well. It does have the NEW Monte-Carlo stock and longer forend with the molded in checkering, and I am happy to say it does look nicer than they do in the pictures. The angle of the recoil pad in the pictures seems to be exaggerated, and the pad is not ventilated but is of softer material. Definitely not a Limb-Saver though.

The price was $250 for just the .44 barrel on that basically dedicated frame, I wonder what the Combos will cost? I can't believe they are getting $250 for a .44 barrel on a SB1 frame with Tupperware stocks. This place usually has pretty good prices on the H&R/NEF guns, but noticed they ALL went up considerably in price.

I would have bought that .44 mag if it would have been on a SB2 frame and had sights like the HX (2007) models do. I may never find one of those with the good bores.