Author Topic: great handi range day turned to crap@#$%(UPDATE)broke again this stinks! (Read 2403 times)

indydave · « **on:** October 04, 2008, 06:20:07 PM »

well my range day! it started off great!
got my 223 bull barrel on for testing first 3 different test loads all fell into a sub 1 inch group then tested load #4 24.7grains benchmark win once-fired case trimmed deburred in/out, full length resized win SR primer 55 grain hpbt 5 shots WENT INTO A .167 group @ 100yrds then tried string#2 same load 5 shot .169 group woo-hoo right!!!!!!! switched over to my 308 win barrel shot 2 back to back .447 and .468 groups with
5 shot strings@ 100 yards yea baby then my day went to CRAP!
switched over to my 500 S&W factory barrel shot 5 shots HORNADY factory ammo horrible group next 5 shots cor-bon on shot#9 great group around 3 in @100yrds I cannot open my gun AGAIN just like last year right before season took it back to my dealer on the way home told them to fedex the SOB in and ask if they can fix it AGAIN so I can maybe kill a deer with the NEW gun this DECADE
I gotta tell ya i was real upbeat till this happened and i am pissed this is the same gun that failed last year at the beginning of our first deer rifle season in my home state and i never got to hunt with it last season at all and i am sure thats whats gonna happen again this year i am so fed up lost TIME,ammo,gas,range fees,lost hunting season uuurrrggghhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!! up

indydave · « **Reply #1 on:** October 04, 2008, 06:25:04 PM »

guys sorry to vent I am quite upset frustrated after i got this gun bought a ton of expensive factory ammo and a ton of money in 500s&W dies brass bullets this has got in my craw!!!!!!

LONGTOM · « **Reply #2 on:** October 04, 2008, 07:14:18 PM »

I guess you could do like a fellow at the range the other day did with his brand new NEF 223.
He bought it to shoot 45 to 55 grainers in it and after almost 5 & 1/2 hours and 11 difference brands and loads of factory ammo and three different scopes he was no closer to a group than when he started.
I came in just as he was trying to sight in the third scope and after hearing some words I don't care to repeat I asked him what was wrong and he gave me the whole spill.
That is when I told him it was a 1 in 9" twist and it might not ever shoot the light bullets and to try some 60 to 70 grainers, that's when he went off.
He very quietly took off the scope and layed it on the bench and got up, reached over and picked up the gun and started towards his truck when I heard a very distinct sound of breaking wood.
As I turned around I just caught sight of the stock flying through the air after being wrapped around about a 14" walnut tree with both hands.
I couldn't believe it.
He took what was left and threw it at the 55 gal trash can, walked back, picked up his scope, got in his truck and left.
It was a foot race by me and two other shooters to the can to see what was left.
I won!
The only thing salvageable was the scope mount screws, forearm screw, sling studs, and the recoil pad which one of the other shooters got.
It split the forearm, broke the stock completely off bending the stock bolt, bent the hammer and barrel latch, the barrel, the scope mount, and even bent the right side of the receiver!
There was nothing left!!!
We just stood around the rest of the evening trying to decide what kind of nut it takes to do something like that.
Heck any one of us would have bought it off him.
I guess it's safe to say he will never buy another H&R/NEF.
Now that's a bad range day!
I wish I would have had my camera or had thought to bring it home and took some pics to post here for you guys.
I went back the next evening to get it but the trash truck had already been there that morning and all was gone.

LONGTOM

trotterlg · « **Reply #3 on:** October 04, 2008, 07:21:23 PM »

So tell us, how many times are you going to let this thing burn you? See you here next year? Larry

indydave · « **Reply #4 on:** October 05, 2008, 12:07:08 AM »

i guess the thing that gets to me the most is the 223 and the 308 are nail drivers and dependable as all get out i have shot them both all summer 308 has 140-150 rounds the 223 maybe 200-220 does great i shoot the 500S&W it breaks twice. I talked to my buddy Doug who runs the gun department@ the shop and he told me he has sent approx 10-12 of the 500"s back either for popping open(2 did it on him sighting in customers guns) or accuracy issues yet they sell 200+ handi"s a year and the only real problems seem to be with the 500 mags I love the gun for varmints in 223 and out of indiana huning with the 308 other than this so what do I do? after they fix it sell the 500 barrel and all the stuff for loading for a loss and get a 44 mag barrel (have dies for it and 357) It bugs me that the factory did not fix it right and is it just a fitment problem with the 500 barrel lug? the 223 and the 308 have not had one problem just the 500, I got the gun in 500s&W to hunt with here in indiana and of course read of the hit or miss accuracy with the 44 mags thats why i picked it over the 44. i almost got rid of the whole thing after last years fiasco but after i got it back and shot the 223 and the 308 figured it was ok.
i will see if i can get a 44 barrel fitted quick and sell off all my 500 stuff as a package, does anyone know who is now in charge of customer service? Mr Haskins did not move with the plant and he was my previous contact and what # do i call now?

LaOtto222 · « **Reply #5 on:** October 05, 2008, 12:23:07 AM »

I thought you were going to shoot some lower velocity cast bullets in it this year $:-\$ Do you know what broke? Was it the latch lever, I can not remember for sure what it was last year. I bought a 44 mag last year for two reasons. There have been issues with the 500 S&W and lug set back and because I was already set up for the 44 Mag as far as dies and loading supplies, well three - I bought the 44 for $50 less than a 500 S&W. I have just recently reamed my 357 barrel to a Maximum and it shoots real well. You might consider having a 357 or 44 mag barrel fitted while it is at the factory and selling the 500 - just a thought. You could have a 44 reamed to a 445 if the 44 is not enough for you. You can do it yourself. It took me about 5 minutes to ream the 357, once I was all set up. On the plus side for the 44 and 357, even if reamed, you will not need the recoil suppressor. I really hope it works out for you OK. There is nothing more frustrating than a gun that breaks down on you a few weeks before the season, unless it is opening day. I hope it works out for you OK.

Your neighbor to the North - LaOtto222

You posted just as I was going to send this off. The new 44 mags shoot much better than the older ones do. I got sub 1" groups at 50 yards with cheap Winchester 240 solid points (white box) with my 2007 barrel.

Badnews Bob · « **Reply #6 on:** October 05, 2008, 02:47:54 AM »

What broke? I really feel for ya, REM is being very slow right now and hunting season is here. But I guess I am just lucky I've never had a Handie part failure. I only have one heavy hitter thou that being the .45-70. Do you have just the one frame? If not could you cannibalize one to get the 500 back in action.

Swampman · « **Reply #7 on:** October 05, 2008, 03:02:24 AM »

I guess I'm the luckiest guy in the world. I've owned hundreds of guns and I've never had a bad one. Sorry you had a bad day. I've been wanting a .500 S&W, but I guess the .45-70 will just have to do. It works perfectly.

indydave · « **Reply #8 on:** October 05, 2008, 03:55:46 AM »

the first time it was a spring and a latch lever catch??? and the release lever was flush on the reciever, now the lever is up and when you push it down its hard to push and its like the release lever is not long enough to release the latch i was zeroing my scope so i could test the soft stuff and then have a record of sight settings so i could switch back and forth and i had just shot 25 rounds of 223 and 15 rounds of 308 perfectly
I think i am gonna go with Laotto get a 44 barrel fitted and just sell the 500 and all the loading stuff i have lots of 44 stuff already
this morning i have calmed down some its just upsetting to buy all the crap and i probably will not get to use it for a 2nd season in a row
last year gardner did go the extra and fit some` extra barrel for my trouble and the223 and 308 are stellar performers i will have to see how it pans outwith the new green folks, maybe i can get it back in time to use

quickdtoo · « **Reply #9 on:** October 05, 2008, 04:27:56 AM »

Sorry to hear about the repeat problem with the 500, but here's another option for ya Dave, get the 45 Colt BC carbine barrrel and handload the 250gr or 300gr Hornady SST. If that's not enough for ya, rechamber by hand to 454 Casull which is about 1.4" long. That's what I'd do if I lived in Indiana.

Tim

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,124487.msg1098436387.html#msg1098436387

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,123810.msg1098431266.html#msg1098431266

Spanky · « **Reply #10 on:** October 05, 2008, 06:52:58 AM »

You know, it really is too bad about the .500 Handi's

For the guys required by law to use pistol cartridges, this should have been the answer to their prayers.

Instead... A big huge headache for most people that shoot them.

I really hope the factory gets their act together when it comes to this one.

At least the .44 magnum is shooting well now and the .45 LC can be loaded to decent levels in a Handi.
The .357 magnum seems to be a good shooter as well for the medium bore guys.

Spanky

dpe.ahoy · « **Reply #11 on:** October 05, 2008, 07:39:36 AM »

I'd like to see the 480 Ruger chambered for the Handi, might give fewer problems than the 500 S&W.

DP

indydave · « **Reply #12 on:** October 05, 2008, 11:26:07 AM »

well i kinda fixed it i just found an HX serial 44 mag sb2 NIB reasonable i will hunt with it hope the 44 barrel fits my old frame when i get it back after season send the new frame on in and get a 223 or 22-250 barrel fitted for my dad

if it does not then i will ask the factory to replace my 500 barrel with a 44 i may ask for it anyway, i will not sell that problem 500 to another fellow shooter its not right. i was amazed at what the 223 bull and the 308 std grouped the 44 will kill deer to 150yrds or so

bartman · « **Reply #13 on:** October 05, 2008, 03:19:50 PM »

It sucks you are having all them promblems with the 500. i live here in indiana to. i also got one for the new law here in indiana. but i guess i need to knock on wood cause i have had nothing but good out of my gun. i guess i got a good one out of the bunch.

indydave · « **Reply #14 on:** October 06, 2008, 03:00:05 PM »

well i talked to customer service today faxed them all the stuff from before and now talked to a nice fella Mark Johnson he is a CSR manager over h&R he sent me a nextday shipping tag for my gun and says he will put a new barrel on it and have it test fired a bunch to break it in and to check it and he offered to ship me some of the ammo that the factory tests with
hopefully it will be fixed He says that its my lug they cut it wrong?

he says they know how to fit a new factory barrel so it will not do that, I hope so I love the 223 and 308. we will see according to the invoice they just fixed my broken parts NOT what caused it at gardner plant.. crossing fingers for opening day!!!!!!!!!

jy951 · « **Reply #15 on:** October 06, 2008, 04:53:02 PM »

dave:

good luck with that. i'm here with you in IN also. i've been thinking of the .357 max alot lately. sounds like you handload, so ammo wouldn't be a problem. i've got an encore in .500 S&W, and considered getting a handi in 500 also just for the heck of it. I keep thinking twice after reading stories like yours. Maybe i'll just get a 44 mag or 357. Good luck.

CrimsonTide · « **Reply #16 on:** October 08, 2008, 02:27:05 PM »

I hate to hear about the trouble with your rifle. The first time I shot my .22 Hornet, the fired case stuck in the chamber. I did not take a cleaning rod with me to the range. I broke the tip of my benchmade pocket knife trying to get it out, and if there had been a tree close, I would have wrapped it around a couple of times and left it too.

When I got home, I cleared it with a cleaning rod, cleaned the chamber with a wire brush, and tried again in a few days. What I got was one of the most pleasant surprises I have had in some time. That little rifle has turned out to be a family favorite.

Hopefully they will get you set straight and you can go out and kill a pig this season.

indydave · « **Reply #17 on:** October 31, 2008, 01:08:27 PM »

Update!!!!!! from Mark Johnson today!!!!!!!!!

Dave,

Barrel catch and barrel have been replaced. There was a problem with the lock up. Gun is now in the gallery for test firing. Spoke with one of the gunsmiths that came over to us from the original Gardner plant who had some experience with the round. He stated the best accuracy he had received was with the Cor-Bon ammo. A link to the ammo at Midway is below

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=427559&t=11082005

wow well maybe i will get to kill a deer with it !!!!!!!!!! crossing fingers

Troyboy · « **Reply #18 on:** October 31, 2008, 02:42:22 PM »

Sounds like cs is doing there part.

Troy

Default · « **Reply #19 on:** October 31, 2008, 08:18:52 PM »

mental note to self : Dont move to indiana anytime soon ....hahah

Sorry i have never heard of that till now ..... pistol calibers only for hunting white tail

when i first started reading this thread my thought was "why the 500 S&W over the cheaper 45/70 "

I hope all works out for you indy , firearm malfunctions always stink , but twice just before hunting time ?? man i really feel for ya brother

If i were closer i would say stop by the house i have the 357 shooting fast and flat with a new load ... and a new 44 mag that needs someone to go break it in

Hope all turns out well,

Default

cptmclark · « **Reply #20 on:** November 02, 2008, 03:04:28 AM »

INDYDAVE, we comiserated last year about this time. My 50 finally went back after a huge amount of time spent with it. The 44 they replaced it with still had latching problems and went back again. This month I took it out again with several new test loads and after unlatching on firing a couple of times it siezed closed. Turned out to be a piece broken off that was making metal shavings in the lockup. I fixed it with parts from another handi and now it latches and holds just fine. I have the broken parts in a baggie and I guess I'll just order new to get the other gun operating again. Just have to figure out what to call them.
Only problem now is the great vertical stringing you can read about in my other thread that I'm trying to correct. My friend got a 50 and we work together trying to get one hunting gun out of two or three. He just sold his 50 yesterday, not willing to invest any more saturdays in it. Niether of us so far have been able to achieve 3 moa with any of these. I'll agree to just being dumb since so many other guys on this forum seem to do wo well with theirs.
I suspect the problems are recoil related, since all of the mouse caliber guns written about do wo well. My buddy (aforementione) has a hornet that shoots great.
Concerning Indiana hunting, don't lose sight of the fact that slug guns may still be the best bet, as they are now capable of 2 moa with lots of power (overkill). No fun shooting a lot though since sabots are dreadfully expensive and handloading is not an option for most. FYI, (off topic) my 870 stays in 2 moa with the Lightfield 3" Elites, which toss a 1 1/4 oz (540gr?) bullet at 1750 fps. Kills deer just fine, but just not satisfying as a rifle.
I will keep tinkering with my Handi just because I like it and the joy it will bring if I ever get it to shoot. I will love it if I can get it to hold inside 2 inches at a hundred.
QUESTION: has anyone sent one back after rechambering it? My guess is that I voided the warranty when I did that, but I would just love to give the factory another shot at getting it right. Thanks for any news or ideas about this.

indydave · « **Reply #21 on:** November 09, 2008, 08:49:55 AM »

got it rescoped 59 shots broke again wish the heck i would have never bought it just wrote to remington I told 'em i want a 44 barrel fitted instead when it goes back after all of this i guess i should have bought an ENCORE they guys @ the shop are trying to find me somethingto hunt with they feel awful about it and they are really pissed too! shot 3 boxes of factory stuff this time
what crap they sent me a test target that was 1.5 inches it shot way better than that till it broke too bad some of you were right
I was optomistic well at least my savage ml10 CAN be trusted to work and kill deer anyway
i can Never trust in NEF/remington EVER again T/C and savage will be the ones i trust

indydave · « **Reply #22 on:** November 09, 2008, 09:20:12 AM »

oh and of course they got me mine back so i passed on the nib 44mag SB2 i found now its gone too just gets better and better

PHATINJUN · « **Reply #23 on:** November 09, 2008, 09:41:06 AM »

Get the 45colt mine is shooting a 360gr cast preformance bullet 1575fps right at 1" can't imagine a whitetail walking off gettin hit with that. Kurt

quickdtoo · « **Reply #24 on:** November 09, 2008, 09:45:36 AM »

What broke this time?

Tim

cptmclark · « **Reply #25 on:** November 09, 2008, 09:55:58 AM »

We Hoosiers must be a stubborn lot. Hard to believe we just keep on trying. Don't want to give up I guess, and think there surely is just something simple being missed. A lot of guys have good luck, according to the posts. I wonder if they are not enjoying the gunsmithing, as I have been, up to a point. Today i tried spotting in the latch mating surface, as CW suggested. Pretty bad results, then I realized that was the part I changed out with another Handi just to get it shooting again. Of course it doesn't mate, since all I did was put in another. These have to be fitted

. Mine was broken (off). Not confidence buidling, but no bear is charging while I try to outsmart this recalcitrant rifle, and I do have a slug gun which I will be using again this year since I have not been able to get any Handi-Rifle at all to both function reliably and group. Heck, this will just be my third return. Since I had it rechambered to 445 I'll bet that voided the warranty and I'll have to pay to get the broken parts replaced just so I can return to troubleshoot why it strings vertically so badly. I just don't want to accept that "they just do that". One thing IndyDave, I have seen repeatedly said is that the 44 barrels have never been of proper dimention, and that only max, max loads have a chance of grouping. Don't know if that's true still, but somebody on the site will know if they have been corrected, both the oversize chamber and bore. Whoever knows, please chime in here. I hate to waste my bullets and dies and time I invested, but if the 44s are known to not shoot well I probably would follow quicktodoo's advice and replace the barrel with a 45, and chamber it to 454. Of course if the 45 happened to shoot, that would be a welcome and happy day. By shooting, I mean sub 2 moa groups with more than one good load. If that is not likely, I hope someone will tell me

On the other hand, the company on this site seems to be good

quickdtoo · « **Reply #26 on:** November 09, 2008, 10:08:07 AM »

44mag barrels were overbore until Marlin started making the barrels in early 2007, those made since then have been good shooters, mine included, it slugged at the .424" lands and .4285" in the grooves, not real deep, but nice and tight!!

The overbore barrels shot good with max loads under 300gr XTP, or .432" gas checked cast bullets.

There seems to be a rash of broken latches(barrel catch as they call it) lately, must be a batch of defective parts being used. $:-\$

Tim

indydave · « **Reply #27 on:** November 09, 2008, 10:21:20 AM »

fired it and cant open it AGAIN boy would that be nice with a wounded game animal! well t/c and savage works i am alll but over NEF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fred M · « **Reply #28 on:** November 09, 2008, 03:01:26 PM »

It is too bad they can't make some parts that wont break. There are not that many parts to speak of that they can't make better ones.

Nothing has changed in the last 5 years since I bought my first two
Handi's. I worked on them for a long time and spent a lot of money on them until finally they became shooters. You can look on my web site and read what all I did to these rifles, specially the 25-06 I traded this barrel for a 223 24" bull barrel.

When I am out hunting with my Handi I always have a spare rifle in my jeep. Just in case something goes wrong. Some times I wonder
why I take the Handi hunting because in the back of my mind I don't have 100% trust in it. Alas it has been a fine performer for several years.

Some day I will buy another Handi in 30-30 and play with it and turn
it into an AI, maybe? $:-\$

indydave · « **Reply #29 on:** November 10, 2008, 10:16:03 PM »

called today told 'em crap can the 500 barrel put me on a` 44 mag and a 357 see how it does i am looking for a ruger 44 mag bolt gun for next year i want to shoot it and hunt with it NOT coddle and gunsmith it to death
i will use the 223 and 308 when it comes back they work ok
good luck to all