My NIB .357 TALO Handi Rifle "one of a kind" w/ PICs

[nitesite]

My very first post here.   
 
This TALO Trapper .357 left the factory wearing the usual wood furniture.  But the owner of my LGS saw fit to order and install the Handi-Grip Synthetic Stock and forend for a .243 Lightweight.  When I saw it on the rack this is how it looked, and I couldn't get it out of my mind...
 

 

 
So I went with my wife earlier this week to put it on layaway.  The LGS owner pulled me aside to show me that he had kept the original wood furniture and that it was all included in the sale price.  I thanked him and asked to get busy with filling out the layaway paperwork.  That's when my wife beamed her smile and showed me the receipt where she had been off at the register buying it so I could just take it home!
 
So it's a NIB "one-of-a-kind" in a manner of speaking......
 
So far it's shooting my cast boolits pretty well.  Several more loads to try but damn this is a really fun rifle, especially when I can shoot it almost as cheaply as a .22 rimfire!

[bikerbeans]

nitesite,
 
I hope you didn't buy your wife a new sweeper for Christmas.    Very nice rifle you got there and sounds like a better wife. 
 
BB

[jy951]

Very nice.  I really like short barrels.

[OldSchoolRanger]

Nice looking Handi, wish I had that type of Christmas present.  That's a very Handy Handi!  How does it handle?  I'm guessing pretty easily.
Looks like I'm going to have to try to see if I can pick up a Handi-Grip Synthetic Stock and fore end.
I hope you got the wife something nice for Christmas.

Merry Christmas to all!

[petemi]

Welcome, I think you'll like it here.  I won't bother to wish you a Merry Christmas.........cause I see you've already got it    Best of luck with the new rifle.  Let us know how she shoots.

Pete

[jeepmann1948]

Welcome our new found friend
 Nice looking setup there I think I can say you will enjoy it a lot. My suggestion is go ahead and ream it to 357 Max. Then you have the benefit of 3 different chamberings, all very useful.I really enjoy the new Handi Grip stock on one of my ultralite 357 Max's (middle one) The top one is a really ultralite I built for my Grandson (also 357 Max) and the bottom is a regular Handi for comparison Notice the barrel diameter is a lot smaller that the regular barrel.

[max1138]

break out the max reamer  and the 1.5x5 leupy, wish I had one like it to play with
congrats on the nice rifle.

[mrniceguy357]

First post from myself too, must say that is a very nice rig you have there. I am looking for a similar setup for shooting 148gr wadcutters, since I believe the rossi and pumas have issues feeding them. I woukd really love to know the total weight of it as set up?

[cwlongshot]

First post from myself too, must say that is a very nice rig you have there. I am looking for a similar setup for shooting 148gr wadcutters, since I believe the rossi and pumas have issues feeding them. I woukd really love to know the total weight of it as set up?

WELCOME MrNiceguy!!
 
 The barrels are pretty heavy but I would geuss in the lo 6# range as you see it.
 
Looks great!!
 
CW

[ferryboatcaptain]

Thats a great looking handi. I am intrested in the .44 mag one.   How good do they shoot with the short barrel     Whats a good price for a trapper                   Enjoy the rifle           FBC       

[semperfi1970]

Nitesite, I see Santa was good to you. You will love that rifle, just plain fun to shoot. I have had tons of fun shooting cowboy loads through mine ( 158 grain hard cast roundnose pushed by 4 grains of Unique ). About 1030 fps out of the handi and I buy Magtech bullets for $18 for 500 count sized and Unique powder at $17 a pound ( about 1,500 rounds per pound). For the price of reloading its like shooting a overgrown .22lr. Have fun and good for you.

[nitesite]

semperfi1970~~
 
Thanks for providing the extra loading details.  I, too, love Unique for its versatility.  When I got this rifle I wanted to launch 148-gr DEWCs out of .38-Spl cases around 900 fps but then found that the DEWC bullet was even better with an extra few 1/10 grain of Unique in a .357 Magnum case.
 
But when I checked the chamber length and where the leade ended and the rifling began I found that I needed to to experiment with a 140-gr Lee LSWC that has a crimp groove and three lube grooves.  The rifling allows me a roll crimp in the lube groove just below the crimp groove in a .357-Magnum case and it's set off the rifling by around 0.015"~0.020" so I hope this load shoots real well tomorrow.
 
One-hundred Fed 100 primers had a price tag of $2.55 and 450-grains of Unique costs me maybe a buck-fifty.  Like you said, it's like buying .22 rimfire ammo at that price!
 
Keeping them just below sub-sonic is an extra hoot........
 
 
 
 

Nitesite, I see Santa was good to you. You will love that rifle, just plain fun to shoot. I have had tons of fun shooting cowboy loads through mine ( 158 grain hard cast roundnose pushed by 4 grains of Unique ). About 1030 fps out of the handi and I buy Magtech bullets for $18 for 500 count sized and Unique powder at $17 a pound ( about 1,500 rounds per pound). For the price of reloading its like shooting a overgrown .22lr. Have fun and good for you.

[cwlongshot]

Nite site,
 Beware of pushing a HBWC bullet too fast. I know you said DEWC, but sometimes people mis speak when speaking of this bullet. Generally speaking one os 141 and the other 148. Of coarse depending on the lead mix...
 
Just letting ya know in case you did not know, the "skirt" can come off and get lodged in the barrel if pushed too fast. (More common when the bullet is going thru the barrel gap of a revolver ) If you do indeed shoot the DEWC no worries...
 
Happy and safe new year!
 
CW