Reality Check

[stimpylu32]

I'm as guilty as the next guy , However at some point is all this Re-chambering , Stubbing and Barrel Lining is going to turn out very badly for someone . I think most of us Handiholic's have at some point either done it or at least considered doing it .
 
What we all need to remember is that these are mechanical devices and they have limits to what they will stand , just like the human body , you can only abuse and modify it so much before it all goes to hell in a handbasket . Handi Rifles may be our Lego's but even they get broken from time to time .
 
My point - Please be careful , keep hands and feet inside the ride till it comes to a complete stop ! 
 
stimpy

[jeepmann1948]

I totally agree with Stimpy. Proper care and procedures must be used at all times.I was told a long time ago by an old gunsmith that is was hard to make a living with no fingers or eyes  .


To add to Stimpy's caution statement:
Secure your new creation to the spare tire, attach a string to the trigger and get behind the car to fire it.
 Another safe way to test fire would be to get muslim to shoot it(preferably not at you)

[quickdtoo]

Right on Stimpy, a feller can't be too careful!!  The 499HE will get the first couple rounds fired remotely on Thursday, had to postpone the trip a day due to the ~30mph winds forecast for tomorrow.   

Thanks for the reminder!

Tim

[jedman]

  I have a new chambering that will ready to fire soon.  It will be a thick walled liner inside a 20 ga. barrel with a larger than 20 ga. chamber end.  I have done 10 + liner barrels some are in straight walled pistol cartridges and some in bottle necked and wildcat cartridges.  I dont hotrod them but all have been fired with a proof load fastened to a rest and fired with a string on the trigger for the first few shots and have all been safe.
  The newest project is a 8 mm Lebel in a handi barrel.  It has more case capacity then a 8 X 57 so low end start data for that cartridge will be used as I have found very little load data for the 120 year old round I am playing with. I have some really well made modern boxer primed brass made by PRV Partizan and will be loaded with LP pimers to watch for pressures getting high as the pistol primers seem to show this quicker than rifle primers.
  I do take your message of using caution seriously and hope nobody trys to push these projects to far in the direction alot of us seem to be going.
      Jedman

[wganz]

My point - Please be careful , keep hands and feet inside the ride till it comes to a complete stop ! 

AWWW SHUCKS!!!!!!!
There goes my plans for a HandiRifle in .577 T-Rex. 

[bikerbeans]

I think the main issue here isn't the modified Handi (or whatever rifle) but what is loaded into the modified handi.  Seems the few problem that I know about regarding disintegrating firearms always go back to operator error - either hot loads, intentional or accidential, or barrel obstructions are usually the culprit.  The failures that I have heard about have been stock Rifles, not custom jobs, but then again the population of unmodified rifles is much greater than that of the modified guns. 
 
BB

[stimpylu32]

My biggest consurn here is someone doing a round that either exceeds the pressure or case head thrust that the Handi rifle was designed for , we've all either seen or herd about the guys that try to Hot Rod a 223 or 270 on an SB-1 frame , so what happens when a guy tries to stub a Handi in 338 Lapua or the 300 RUM .
 
All I'm saying is that just because you can stub or line a barrel doesn't always make it safe .    I would sure hate to see someone get hurt for a " Just Because I Can " .
 
stimpy

[quickdtoo]

The 499 Hubel Express and 376 Steyr are both a go, I'm real happy with both of em, the 499 really bucked in the leadsled when I pulled the string, but it stayed on the table with 30lbs of lead on it, plus the 10lb rifle! 

Tim

[dangerranger]

My only sucessful stub project so far has been a 9mm luger handi. I made it for my son who collects 9mm hand guns.  Its shot great and not much chance of over pressuring it either. Next will be for a 30 cal Mauser pistol round. DR

[ratdog]

has any body had the handy receiver set back or  get cracked or  messed up from to much presure.im sure it can be done.or screwed up a barrel.just curious.

[bikerbeans]

I have never had a problem with the breech face of an SB1 or SB2 receiver with either factory chamberings or the rechamber/liner barrel projects.  I have a few of guns that the pivot has loosened up over time.  I think the pivot being "set back" is more a function of the design, the soft steal and the way it is fit by the factory.  I have found visible machining marks in the pivot that further reduce the bearing surface of an already to small pivot.  I think the pivot sets back from opening and closing the action and firing the gun when it smooths out the rough pivot.  But as long as Harbor Freight continues to sell cheap feeler gages all is well.

BB

[quickdtoo]

has any body had the handy receiver set back or  get cracked or  messed up from to much presure.im sure it can be done.or screwed up a barrel.just curious.

Henry1 had a damaged breech face on his 243 Win Handi, he was gonna send it in for repair/replacement, but I don't know if he ever did.

There have been a couple fellas that had the trigger guard blown out of their rifles, but no damage to the frames, one was due to a suspected obstructed barrel on a 223(brass rod for stuck brass), another was from a suspected overcharge of 5744 on a 270 Win "reduced" load and one more of unknown cause.


Tim

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