New Handi-Rifle: VERY DISAPPOINTED

[Tommie D]

Picked up my new Handi-Riffle in .22 Hornet Saturday. It's a Christmas gift from my son to me. He did not figure it would take five weeks to get it as it was a special order and they told him two weeks tops, but it's here now. Boy am I very disappointed. This is the second gun from H&R/NEF we have purchased, The first was a NEF .410 I bought for my son about eleven years ago for passing his Hunter Safety Class. That .410 had the nicest wood set I have ever seen on a H&R/NEF. The whole gun was nice and tight and just down right beautiful.
Now for the new one.
Upon opening the box, I first noticed that the instructions for the Marlin lock were ripped and wadded up and stuffed in the "box" part of the Marlin lock. No Big Deal but you would have thought they would have packed it better.
Now it goes from not so bad to worse.
#1. Front sight was just laying in the box, looks like the screw is broke off down in the hole with about one thread left showing but the screw that's sitting in the front sight has not been sheared off or anything. I'm hopeing this is just a very shallow blind hole that has not been tapped very deep.
#2. The Bluing is, well Very Very Light on the first three inches of the muzzle end of the barrel, but the rest of it looks good.
#3. The release lever is loose and kind of rattels around. it's a little better when you open the action but not by much.
This one does not even come close to being as nice as that little .410, Maybe I'm just nitpicking but I think it should have been in better shape then it was.
All this was just in the first few minutes of getting it home and opening up the box. I got so PO'ed I put it back in the box and have been sitting stewing over this the last 48 hours. Maybe in the next few day's, i'll chill out and get it back out and go over it again with a fine tooth comb before I call customer service.

[S.E.Ak]

I never walk out of a shop without looking at the gun good.Heck it has to come out of the box to fill out the 4473

[trotterlg]

If it makes you feel any better, the release latch lever should be loose when the action is closed.  Larry

[FLNT4EVR]

Just a bit of advice. When you call customer service try to keep your emotions in check.If you are calm and curtious the people on the other end of the phone will do everything they can to make it right.You will become the customer they actually want to help.It realy works, courtesy and respect go both ways even on the phone.I learned this myself by many interactions with customer service employees from many different companies. You will be the bright spot in a day of complaints and unruly annonomus customers.

[bikerbeans]

I think the light bluing is from putting the gun in the cardboard packing w/o first putting the gun in protective plastic.  I believe a fellow down in the Bama Swamp had this problem on a new gun. 

BB

[petemi]

If it makes you feel any better, the release latch lever should be loose when the action is closed.  Larry

+1 on what Larry said.  The latch lever should be loose when closed.

H&Rs blueing leaves something to be desired.  Some of mine are actually pretty crappy.  If ya wanna make an issue over the sight screw, go ahead, but it is easier to simply fix it.

Pete

[cwlongshot]

I never walk out of a shop without looking at the gun good.Heck it has to come out of the box to fill out the 4473

I agree, you didn't notice these things before leaving the store? See, if you had noticed before the gun was transferred to you, you could have refused it and had the dealer get you a replacement. Now I am sure that CS up in Ilion will take care of you as obviously its bad and shouldn't have left the factory. Now its on you to handle these things.

Its certainly a disappointment to hear of these problems. Its not the norm.

There is a company man here abouts, I don't remember his "handle" but his name is Brian. Hopefully he will see your post and comment. Again, I am certain that Remington will make this right.

CW

[Big Blue]

I also had one come through with a broken front sight. I pointed it out to the gun dealer and he called and got them to send me a new sight. With mine the screw wasn't snapped off so the fix was easy.
Best advice I could give is to say let them have a chance to make it right. Call CS and let them know that your not happy with the uneven blueing and that you'd like the sight repaired. I'm sure they'll do right by you if given the chance.
I can also commiserate with your frustration after the long wait, but things happen.
Don

[gendoc]

I think the light bluing is from putting the gun in the cardboard packing w/o first putting the gun in protective plastic.  I believe a fellow down in the Bama Swamp had this problem on a new gun.  

BB

i shur did BB !!! and they made it right in lil less thana week !!! sent me a new one in 6 wd's.
tommie, does the serial# start with H or N ??
might be after they knew they lost there jobs !!!! what a piddy  
thats wer i was at... but tha big green made it all gud !!!!
the lock beat tha hell out of the barrel and the muzzle had very lil blue'n left on it.
i can say, i have bought several since and never had the slightest prollum.
i thank you needta call CS and report kinda nice. you mite get lucky.
sorry ta hear your disappointment........ i hadta copy your word and add "ment" to it
i'da jus said... VERY PO'D
i hope you get all fixed up soon, cus a gift from your yung-un  hasa special place in my heart !!!!

[Concho Mike]

Yep,
My .223's blueing was light on the end of the barrel also and you could plainly see it was chafing in the cardboard barrel retaining block. 
Since it doesn't affect the gun itself and its not a wall hangar I could care less.

[Jimbo47]

That's the nice thing about these Handi rifles!

They aren't the worst by any means, but they aren't the best for their great fit and finish either, and are the one reason they are so affordable, and why most of us don't feel so bad when we bump it or ding it, while out in the field.

The Handi Rifle is more of a tool, and it gets treated pretty much like a good tool.  Use it a lot, wipe it down now and then, and keep it handi so you can use it often!

Like others have said, you do have a pretty reputable customer service that will make it right if you contact them.

[bigbird09]

The way I see it if I was wanting pretty,  I would have saved a few more nickels and dimes and bought a savage or marlin,  but I wanted a gun that did what it was suppose to do, cheaply and effectively, the handi was that.

[Darreld Walton]

Check what's left of the front sight screw with a magnet.  I've seen quite a few, perhaps a lot, maybe universal, use of plastic screws in sights and filler screws.  Might be worth a couple of bucks for a replacement steel screw.  Dittos on the blue and the latch lever. 
If it was a new Dakota or even Model 700, with blue issues, it'd never have left the shop, but we're talking Handi Rifle.  Let 'em know about it, and if they hear enough complaints, they've eventually GOT to do something about it and change the packaging.

[Big Blue]

That's the nice thing about these Handi rifles!

They aren't the worst by any means, but they aren't the best for their great fit and finish either, and are the one reason they are so affordable, and why most of us don't feel so bad when we bump it or ding it, while out in the field.

That also accounts for so many of the painted and modified Handi rifles. I wouldn't think of painting an expensive rifle, but a Handi, why not? They are meant to be utilitarian so we make them look and work the way we want them to be. Short of the AR, these are probably the most modified rifles going.
Don

[gcrank1]

AR?
 

[bikerbeans]

AR?
 

Hey guys, be careful what you post around gcrank1, he has yet to accept that smokeless powder can be used in a firearm.  If you expose him to the concept of autoloading rifles he may go on mental overload.

BB

[gcrank1]

I just recently came up to speed that the century had changed; I can hardly wait to see what the 1900s have to offer!