[Striker]

All of the recent discussion on the goodness of H&R/NEF single shots has me wondering if anyone has experienced any significant problems. I know about the recoil issues with the 12s and that dry firing is a no no, but has anyone had any other issues worth noting?

Also, would be interested in thoughts on how many rounds it would take to break one and if there are any inside tips worth knowing. (Steve, Roy?)

Everyone chime in please.

[Dave McCracken]

Here's my experience so far.

The 16 gauge H&R I started with had a fair amount of rounds through it. Besides being my father's first shotgun, his four sibs used it also to start with.

I personally put at least 500 rounds through it. It would still be chugging along if a relative of limited intellect hadn't taken it to the beach for a summer and didn't protect it with lube. It was ruined when I saw it last.

Son's NEF 12 has maybe 300 rounds through it, most 7/8 or 3/4 oz reloads.

I have seen one old H&R that had locking probs. The old style lever was way over past 6 o'clock. Owner stated he had a "Couple thousand" rounds through it at trap.

HTH.....

[sm]

Striker,

I go way back with these, and some I bought to do some load testing with and exposed some to testing and loads some will never subject one too.
All using safe methods of testing, and the like.

Tough guns!

I was raised to not dry fire these , unless there was at least a spent hull in the chamber.
Snap caps, either store bought or homemade is better.

Rock salt gets damp, or wet and instead of "rock salt pellets" one gets a "rock salt slug".
There is a reason one is not supposed to shoot some loads through too tight a choke.
So I bulged a barrel with a rock salt load.


I have busted stocks breaking ice, wood ones, synthetic ones, and those on these single shots just as I have other shotgun platforms.

Single shots do seem to ,make better paddles.
These area easier to use one handed and scuttle a jonboat , or run a canoe.

I have some high round counts through these guns.

Seriously I have run 50 slugs and 50 #3 buckshot in one day, more than once.
4 rounds of skeet (100 rds)
Been known to have two or more folks use the same single shot, and shoot 4 rds of skeet, so there is up to 400 rds in one day, on one occasion.

The folks I run with...
Heck, who knows how many shells in a bucket or a tote. Still some folks run through all these loads and repeat again.

One grandpa had 1k rounds of .410, both new and reloads and he and his grandson went through those pretty fast, and have reloaded and fired then some more.

WE just prep the guns when new, and just do a normal inspect and maintain.
RIG +P is great for hinge pin, as is STOS , even lithium grease is fine.

Case hardening, deserves the same respect on these as they do any firearm, so avoiding some of the cleaners , solvents and methods is best advised.

Mine has RIG +P on the hinge pin and lubed with Kleenbore Formula 3.
This one I keep at home and don't tote out anymore.

One just like it I use is lubed with Hoppe's Lubricating oil ( orange bottle) and if memory serves has STOS on hinge pin.

28 ga single shot that belongs to a kid, is getting near 2000 rds, and is lubed with RIG +P and Formula 3 .
[Young lady seems to want to do as I do].

She kept random notes, and all these rounds fired since she got the gun getting close to a year now.
A kid, shooting 2k round in less than a year, now ain't that something?

Don't ask how many .22 ctgs, she goes through those something fierce!

One has 10k rounds, or thereabouts.
Idea being when used, just scribble down , or toss in a box top or something with an idea of how many rounds fired.
Just one kept available for anyone to use and we all did.
Gun is still running, just we hit 10k and saw no need to keep track anymore...
Been some years ago...good thing guns can't talk , and what are the statue of limitations again?

[plumberroy]

I have a older 30/30 that had I weak hammer spring I change it my self I saw a 410 with a broken hammer spring That is the only two problems that where not do to abuse or user error I have heard of transfer bars breaking never seen it in person I have extra hammer springs since I have 10 H&R's I figure I could swap parts in an emergency
Roy

[sm]

plumberroy,

Is there anyway you could do a thread(s) on take down of these H&Rs and changing out hammer springs and the like?

While most would be better off letting a qual'd gun smith do this, with proper tools , there are some with the tools and skills sets, that could benefit.
The education factor for all would be great!

Many look down on these guns, being so simple. Still they are a proven design for a reason.

Just like many break open guns do not get the respect they should, still many do not understand why top competitors often choose these old designs, and put the high round counts through them they do.

Many a H&R Topper took the prize money from others with nicer guns shooting trap for instance.
Not that I would know anything about Mentors that hustled games at trap or anything mind you...*wink*

[joshk-k]

Why, exactly, should I not dry-fire my H&R single-shot? It is a center-fire, and I thought the main issue with dry-firing a gun was the firing pin hitting something and being damaged, an unlikely thing to happen if there's an empty hole that the pin can go into.

Is there something I don't know?

Josh

[plumberroy]

I got my imformation from this website
http://perkloafm.com/projects2.html
He has all kinds of imfo on H&R's
Roy
As usual I will help anyone I can Perklo explains it better than I can

[plumberroy]

If you go to the above web site He has pictures and complete instructions on how to disasemble and reasemble H&R trigger asembly and how to do a trigger job while you are at it There ia a lot of good imfo at graybeards outdoors forums on h&r/nef guns

[gp911]

Re: Firing pin damage

1 possible reason is that the pin itself is part of the transfer bar system. The hammer hits the transfer bar and the transfer bar is what finishes the job. The transfer bar is probably smacked around a good bit by dry-firing, in a different fashion than actually firing the gun.

Just a theory...

I agree with plumberroy about the greybeard forums, there are a _ton_ of Handiholics and single shot shotgun enthusiasts over there in their H&R/NEF section. I have gained a ton of useful information through that board. Once I get some more time with my current arsenal I plan on picking up a Handi on sale and sending it in for various barrels like I did my NEF shotgun.

As for inside tips, the shotguns are pretty straightforward but the rifle versions, hoo-weee! Guys take a $150 rifle and start playing around with glass bedding, barrel burnishing, etc. etc. and the next thing you know they have a $150 rifle with a $250 scope that shoots like a $700 bolt gun.

As someone else on here once said, sm uses these for everything but stirring drinks with, and I suspect that is simply because he doesn't clean the bores on his shotguns anymore... :D


gp911

[sm]

As someone else on here once said, sm uses these for everything but stirring drinks with, and I suspect that is simply because he doesn't clean the bores on his shotguns anymore...

I clean chambers...

I don't drink anymore, but when I did it was Scotch, or Straight Burborn Whiskey with a splash of water or ice cube, never both, that takes up too room for the whiskey.
I drink my coffee black, my tea unsweet...

What the heck do I need a stirrer for? *smile*
You folks should listen to me about keeping stuff simple.

I was a littler kid once and Mentors "let" me clean their guns.
We did not have cordless drills and all back then.

So , I pass forward like Mentors did me.
First I pass onto kids to do stuff the basic , correct way, and not learn on a crutch.

Then they get to use a cordless drill with a rod, to do chambers, and hit the bore if need.

Moms are not perfect and do not know everything, contrary to what everyone is led to believe.

So the sharing was about that time mud got into a barrel, and all in a pump gun, and I and mine went to a small town car wash to clean guns.

Lessons on barrel obstructions and in a back yard, using a the picnic table, garden hose, trigger sprayer, and paper towel to replicate "mud".

Granted it was only 35* F outside, but this is like going duck hunting, like the day it happened so...

"What are you doing with my kids playing with the garden hose in this weather!" - Mom, that showed up, who continued with " You were supposed to keep Steve out of trouble! Speaking of which, where is he anyway?"

I had gone to get a stick out of her view, whittling with my pocket knife....

"Look mom, this is one way you can get mud out of a single shot barrel, and we are going to learn how to use a stick" - kids.

"Are you crazy!". - mom

"Darlin' we are wearing jackets, you are the one in a short skirt, hose, heels and no coat on, didn't your mom teach you to dress for the weather and wear a coat outside?" - me.

*grin*

The mom got into the lessons too, once we kids sent her inside to get some decent clothes on, and get a coat on, and wear them old tennis shoes.

Trust me, if a shotgun gets that much mud in a barrel, the sprayer at a car wash with that pressure will loosen up and clear the mud.


I have no idea what Sarah Brady was learning coming up, but I was having a helluva good time.
Makes sense to me, to pass on as passed to me.

"This is like shooting spit wads through a straw" - one of the kids remarked when the paper towel shot out.

[Avenger29]

One of the things that I have been told is that what wears out a break open action is slamming it shut and flipping it open. So treat it gently.

My dad does know of one fellow who can run shells through a Topper right quick.

I wouldn't mind a single shot in 28 gauge and one in .410- provided I was set up to reload...

[sm]

Break open guns in general need to be respected.

That hinge pin is a high stress area, and one should use a high pressure grease.
I prefer RIG +P.
STOS distributed by Ponsess Warren is a good one too.
Lithium grease works.

Often times break open guns are hard to open, some guns are worse than others.

H&R / NEF are designed to wear in, like nicer shotguns are.
Some imports are designed to wear out. Meaning they go from hard to open to sloppy.

These guns are tough, just like finer break open actions, still one is NOT to slam these shut, nor jerk these open.

Just me mind you - still in a world where everyone is in a hurry going nowhere, busy trying to buy skill and targets, so busy trying to impress everyone, having to be a member of the silly tribe of the week ...

Some things just "are" and Single Shot Shotguns such as H&R, NEF, Savage/Stevens, Winchester...don't have to jump up and defend themselves, qualify anything, present no rationale to nobody.

These guns are proven, have and have a history, going way back before many companies today were a itch in the founders britches.
Proven by shotgunners (not those that have a shotgun, there is a difference) shotgunners going back before folks today, their daddy and their granddaddy were a itch in britches.

Honest to Betsy, sometimes one has to wonder with all this Progress with new and fangled if we are indeed Progressing backwards.

I remember a time when society did not spend so much time wiping dumb drooling down and off their chins. - Mentor