Okay I finally found me a new Handi

[Darryle]

I printed out the "Things to look for" sticky and went to work. I have probably looked at 2-3 dozen Handi's in just about every configuration and price. If I found one that was priced right, it had a mechanical issue or it looked as though it had been drug behind a mule. I was trying hard to be patient and it paid off today.





NEF 22" 243 with laminate stock. No rattles(other than the barrel release), barrel is tight, bore is bright and shiny, trigger is probably the best of any Handi I have ever shot, NT prefix(should be a 2003 correct?), opens and closes with ease, ejector fires the brass well over your shoulder, couple small nicks, bluing is near perfect, no crown damage or machine marks on the chamber. The only real issue I have with it is the recoil pad is ill fitting, proud on the heal and toe but shy of the wood on either side. I am planning on fitting a new pad anyhow, so it really isn't an issue.

A couple o questions. First, the laminate wood isn't the cinnamon like the H&R, it looks like walnut stain, is this correct for the NEF? The 5 pin receiver made in Gardner, better or worse then the 4 pin version?

I want a couple of other barrels, looking at the list I am planning on a 30'06 an a 444 Marlin. I may quit at the '06 as I already have an older Marlin lever 444 or have a 20ga Slug barrel fitted. I am definitely having the '06 barrel fitted though.

Thanks for providing help and making the stickies easy to navigate and the information readily available.

Darryle

[cwlongshot]

Looks like a NICE ONE TOO!!

 The extra ''pin'' ain't a pin at all... Its a viewing port for the hammer sear junction.    No better or worse, just different! 

It is a stained pallet wood laminate. Not as common but good looking!! 

CW

[Darryle]

CW, thanks. I only saw two laminate stocked NEFs, this one and one that had a H&R stock set on it that was not fitted correctly. I always thought the pallet wood reference was aimed at the plain walnut stocks. I have a H&R Ultra in 25-06, but this one is destined to live it's days at the farm above the door. I hate to take a rifle to work, so it will be nice to have one at the ready on those days I head out there after work.

[quickdtoo]

The large "pin" of 2006 and later frames isn't a pin as CW said, it's just a hole plug, provides a view of latch engagement, as I'm sure CW meant, not hammer and sear. 

Tim

[petemi]

Good luck with your new baby.  Be glad you can find a lot of Handis to look at.  I just came home from a gun show, an hour and a half each way, and not one Handi in the show.  There was an AK-47 for 1700 bucks    I asked the dealer if I'd get a Rag Head or Commie former owner thrown in along with it for that price    Not that I have any desire for an AK, or an AR for that matter.  There were two boxes of bullets for reloading in the whole place and nothing I used.  They were selling steel cased Russian 7.62x39 military ball ammo for 25.00 for 20 rounds.....perhaps they were 25 count.  Again, no interest here.  Primers?  There was one ragged old open box of about 80 Remington 209s for 12 bucks.  We decided it was time to get out of Dodge.  Went and had a good lunch and headed for home......stopped to put the cash back in the bank.

Sorry for the rant.

Pete

[Darryle]

I don't have that extra hole, this is what mine looks like:

[quickdtoo]

It's on the right side of 2006 and later frames. 

Tim

[gendoc]

Good luck with your new baby.  Be glad you can find a lot of Handis to look at.  I just came home from a gun show, an hour and a half each way, and not one Handi in the show.  There was an AK-47 for 1700 bucks    I asked the dealer if I'd get a Rag Head or Commie former owner thrown in along with it for that price    Not that I have any desire for an AK, or an AR for that matter.  There were two boxes of bullets for reloading in the whole place and nothing I used.  They were selling steel cased Russian 7.62x39 military ball ammo for 25.00 for 20 rounds.....perhaps they were 25 count.  Again, no interest here.  Primers?  There was one ragged old open box of about 80 Remington 209s for 12 bucks.  We decided it was time to get out of Dodge.  Went and had a good lunch and headed for home......stopped to put the cash back in the bank.

Sorry for the rant.

Pete

sounds like a fun day for patti and you....
if no good guns, thena good lunch + great company = a fine day !!! 

[petemi]

John, it was a fun day.  A break from cabin fever.  Good company, no traffic, nice sun, little wind and a toasty 20 degrees

Pete

[jeepmann1948]

As I type right now in San Angelo Texas it is 92 degrees, really a  pleasant day.
Good luck with your new Handi
George

[YRUpunting?]

You have a pallet wood laminated stock set.  Don't see a lot of them.  Some have complained that they tend to swell in wet conditions.  You may want to give it few coats of Tru oil if you plan to get it wet.


92 degrees in mid-March? Egads what will July and Aug. be like?   

[jeepmann1948]

It will be balmy here around the 100's =+-.


Enjoy the cold 
George

[cwlongshot]

WOW George.. 92 already???  We had about 29 this am warmed to 37 I think... Its back at 32 now..

Warmer than Peter In MI but not a whole lot!

CW

[v8r]

Darryl that is a nice looking rifle. All of mine have the Cinnamon laminate stocks, but I wish I would have picked up a pallet laminated stocked rifle when they still made them. I have always prefered laminated stocks on rifles, and walnut second. I bet a set of Pallet lams stained and finished a little nicer than the factory did could be a happy medium to a walnut stock.

[Darryle]

Well, I guess I need to hit the Handi 101 thread and read all the threads on refinishing. I was thinking it would look good with a better finish.

73 here in DFW @ 11:01 as I am getting ready for work, so we have the weather for it, if the wind will lay, 21mph gusting to 32mph and I live at the top of a hill. No worries about floods, but you can loose a hat right quick.

I have been looking at optics. A long poke at the farm is 125yds, pecan orchard. Has anyone used a shotgun scope on their Handi rifle? Thinking a 2-7 wood be perfect with the heavy duplex. We generally hunt hogs late into the afternoon and evening and I thought the HD would make it easier to see, that or a quality red dot with very low to no power.

I have forgotten how much dang info there is here. My mind might ooze out my ears at work tonight while I watch the presses.

My daughter isn't too fond of the rifle, told me it doesn't hold enough bullets. She likes using her 6.8 AR for pigs so she can shoot more than one at a time. $200 vs $2500, I'm good with one bullet.

[gcrank1]

243 wont need a different pad, but a thinner one would make the LOP a tad shorter and make it a bit more 'Handi'.
I shoulda moved to Texas when I had a chance..........10deg. last night here and still glare white.

[bucco921]

If you are set on a shotgun scope I would go with a simmons pro diamond 4x. Glass aint bad and you can mount them low right in front of the hammer. On sale at natchez for 40$. These scopes are tough as nails.

[YRUpunting?]

I prefer the standard 3x9 40mm on deer caliber rifles.  I don't have a Simmons pro diamond but everyone raves about them.  I received one of these as a warranty repair for a muzzle loader scope I bought years ago.  I'm not a big fan of shotgun scopes but I do like this one. Put it on my favorite Sportster 22lr.   


http://www.bsaoptics.com/scope.aspx?productID=332

[cwlongshot]

I have a couple shotgun scopes and I do like them on close range guns! Leupold VXII SHOTGUN 2x7x33 Matte is a dern nice scope!! 

Only difference in a shotgun scope and a rifle scope is usually a little longer eye relief and parallax set at 75 yards instead of 100+. Many times they have a specail reticule to take advantage of the probable shorter range use.

The Pro Diamonds are nice because they work and are cheap!  Kinda in line with the Handi itself!! 

Doc has one for sale in our classifieds now!!  http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,277188.0/topicseen.html

CW

[Darryle]

I am going to wait on the scope for a bit, the 75yd parallax is perfect for the pecan orchard.

Here is the before on the stock set:





Looks like I may have my hands full. I am using the stripper now as I type. We'll see where I end up.

[rdlange]

I have a PW laminate somewhere and a couple regular laminates in the closet.  They are heavier and appear fatter than older plain PW.

Just fyi... TX has had the biggest drought and heat in history over the last few years.  My AC has been on already several times this year.  Well, I did move to TX because it was supposed to be warmer.

It affects shooting, and I now stick to Hodgdon extreme powders.  Found significant POI change with RL-7 between winter reloads and summer shooting.  Read it's kinda like old time lower power cordite loads for Africa maybe motivating larger calibers. 

Barrel heat is also an issue with Marlins & Handi forend fit.

[Darryle]

Well, the stripper did nothing. Evidently there is nothing more than stain on this stock set. I need to head back to the hardware store and find a stain remover, even the old white vinegar trick did nothing.

[gcrank1]

A lot of the 'new' EPA compliant strippers for consumer use are nowhere near what they used to be. Ive been under the impression that the Lams have an industrial poly finish, maybe sprayed on and/or electro-charged.
Try automotive type lacquer thinner or acetone (pricey)?

[cwlongshot]

Its stain.. there is nothing to ''remove'' its stained the fibers of the wood...its IN the grain. 

Only remover I know of for stain is elbow grease and sand paper... 

CW

[Darryle]

Well, dang. I am going to use the wonko brew, if that doesn't do it, I may have screwed up. I am not against a little elbow grease, since the stock set is so proud everywhere.

[jeepmann1948]

If there is a furniture refinishing shop around see if they can dip the stock in their finish removing vat.The effort is usually worth the small price they charge. I don't know what is in the vat but the one here in San Angelo will eat the balls off a brass monkey .
Have fun nice project
George