I'm waiting for Cabelas to call as I have them sending a .223 to the Hamburg Pa. store . $229. Things being what they are , and will most likely be, I thought it prudent to get a breechloader that shoots 5.56mm ( I know she'll need a throat job to do so safely).I had a Handi 15 years ago , an SB2 with a 30-30, 45-70, 12ga shot and 20 ga slug barrel, but had to sell her...I'm curious about changes I've seen in the rifles since namely the large round head pin(?) on the right side of the reciever below the breech face.What's that for? Also has barrel quality improved since the Marlin/Remington takeover?My old .30-30 slugged at .3095 and my 45-70 slugged at .456, groove diameters for both. Both barrels were superbly accurate, the .45-70 was a MOA shooter. Also I saw in the 2009 Gun Digest that the 7.62x39 is listed again. Fact or fiction as I love a barrel for that little gem. My ideal would be a 3 barrel set, .223 , 7.62x39 and .308. My funds are extremely limited and I'm hoping that my experiences with this Handi will mirror previous ones. Also what's the twist for the new .223's? I know the old ones were 1-12, which would be fine for 99% of what I want to do with her, but I've heard the new ones were 1-9. If the 7.62x 39 bareels arent available , what are my options? Were they bored for .308 or .311 bullets? Thanks for the help and info.
