Old H&R revolver restoration? Please help.

[The Burnside Ninja]

Hey gents. My father asked me to clean some of his revolvers and I noticed that one of them was an old H&R 9 shot .22LR. It's quite old and pitted and the accuracy is horrible. However, since it was my grandfather's pistol- I'd like to keep it for sentimental value and to plink with.

What can I do to improve the accuracy on it? I think it may be a model 922?

It has a four inch barrel, completely detachable cylinder, and looks as if it could shoot .22mags.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I don't know how bad the pitting is but if it is very dirty maybe the rifling in the barrel is fouled. You might have copper or some other fouling and that would effect the accuracy a lot. Clean out the barrel VERY WELL with #9 Copper cleaner of some other quality bore cleaner. Try and clean up the pitting with some 0000 Steel Wool and a good quality gun oil like Remington. What you think is pitting might not be all pitting. anything that's on the surface will be cleaned up without damaging the gun.

If nothing works you might try and find a new barrel for it and have a Smith change it for you. Keep the original or course since it was your Grandfather's gun.

Good luck in getting the gun to where you can shoot it. I'm sure your Grandfather would want that gun used instead of just sitting is a safe somewhere.

 

[mashaffer]

Is that a break top of swing out cylinder? I have a 999 breaktop that I would like to get back in shape. It has a huge amount of side to side play due to worn bearing surfaces on barrel assy and cylinder. The problem is that there is more wear in the bearing that is furthest inside the cylinder so just building up the barrel assy surface won't work. The cylinder needs to be reamed even first. If I could get it done for $100 or so I might give it a whirl.

Try this, cock the hammer and then hold onto the hammer as you pull the trigger and lower the while keeping the trigger held back. Is the cylinder loose in this possition? If not maybe just fire lapping the barrel a bit might be enough. Do rounds fit snuggly in the cylinder? If the throat is a bit worn Paco's accurizer tool may help (www.leveguns.com). It uses a die and punch to fill out the shape of lead solids and as a bonus puts a little cup point on it.

mike

 

[The Burnside Ninja]

Thanks ArchAngel...

Also, no, this is not a top-break nor a swing out cylinder... the pin that holds the cylinder in place pulls completely out and the cylinder is removed completely from the gun. Strange, huh?

The reason I think it's a .22 mag is that the cylinder is significantly longer than a .22lr (about 3/4 an inch) Perhaps if I'm firing .22lr out of a .22mag pistol, the LRs are hitting the rear of the barrel before entering it... thus drastically effecting accuracy.

 

[Old Fuff]

Also, no, this is not a top-break nor a swing out cylinder... the pin that holds the cylinder in place pulls completely out and the cylinder is removed completely from the gun. Strange, huh?

No, the design was common during the latter 19th century, and up past World War Two.

When H&R went out of business, most of the remaining parts were sold to the Numrich Co. in West Hurley, NY. Go to www.e-gunparts.com

You can buy most everything to restore your grandpa's gun, including a new barrel if necessary.

I think that the revolver is most likely intended for regular .22 rim fires. The model 942 was similar but chambered in .22 WRM.

If you buy parts, be sure to include the serial number of your revolver (use xx for he last 2 numbers). They will need this information because over the years some parts were changed.

 

[The Burnside Ninja]

I don't have a serial number... the only thing I can read on it is on the bottom of the grip. N66- but then the other numbers are completely faded.. You said the 642 is chambered in .22WMR? Does it have a removeable cylinder and 9 shot capacity? I stil haven't been able to ID the exact model of the pistol.

 

[Old Fuff]

The serial number may be stamped on the side of the frame, under the grips. If the revolver is a post-World War Two production the model should be stamped on the barrel. The models 922 and 942 were identical except for chambering. The model 922 was made before World War Two, and I'm not sure how those were marked. The pre-war guns most likely had black hard-rubber or wood grips. most of the post-war guns had brown or black plastic ones.

 

[420Stainless]

A 922 I bought from my buddy for pocket change last year has H&R 922 engraved into the left side of the barrel and what I assume to be a S/N 1752XX on the bottom front of the grip frame. If that is where your S/N was, its easy to see how it may have worn off. It is similar in construction to the one you described. It was also very inaccurate when first tried, but after a very thorough cleaning (as mentioned by ArchAngelCD) it started shooting 3" groups from 25 yards. The revolver may be capable of better accuracy, but I have not been practicing enough to keep my skill level up .