7.62x39... I had to buy it...

[eskimo36]

$210...Who among you could have refused? 

I have had several of these guns and barrels over the recent years and have always ended up selling them. Why should i hold onto this one?  What is the cheapest ammo that is reliable?  Will a longer firing pin with a heavier hammer spring fix it?   

I do reload and I have always thought it is the perfect basis for a poor man's 300 whisper, lead bullets and Trailboss powder. 

[quickdtoo]

I'd check firing pin protrusion manually to see if it's long enough to be effective, if it is, just shorten the face of the hammer that stops against the frame, then get the Wolff spring if that doesn't help. Making sure the headspace is minimized would help too, if it's an extractor barrel it's an easy fix. The only problem with shortening the hammer face is it may perforate primers on other barrels.

Tim

[tmccray45]

Congratulations on your purchase.   I have one and, of all my rifles, it's my favorite.  Enough power for deer out to 200 yards (Which is as far as I should be shooting.   Older eyes and unsteady hand - sigh . .) and soft recoil.

One warning:  It seems that the cheap military rounds will not consistently go "bang".   I had to reload my own to make it work.

I found that I had to use CCI primers in my reloads.   I think they must be softer and once I found them, the rifle would fire every time and would give me 1/2 to inch groups.   I shoot .311 bullets and use the H4198 load that is on the Hodgdon site.

Have fun with it.   I think you'll find it will become a favorite rifle.   I did.

[eskimo36]

Tim, what should that measurement be on the firing pin protrusion?  I have never had trouble with any loads other than the Wolf.  Are these barrels .311 or 308?

[quickdtoo]

H&R barrels are supposed to be .311", but it would be best to slug it since there was some confusion as to what they were supposed to be from H&R. Normal pin projection is anywhere from .030" to about .055" with most around .040"-.050".

Tim

[PHATINJUN]

Eskimo36 great find! If you can find some of the Federal American Eagle ammo in 7.62x39 you can hunt with the 123gr soft point stuff but the FMJ shoots the same you can use that for your brass when you start to reload for it thats how I got started with mine. That ammo shot just as well if not better than my hand loads very accurate .I would still be shooting it but there is none to be had in this area anymore and I have not seen any soft point in any of the catalogs in quite some time. But you could get lucky and find some where you are at. Sierra .311 Prohunter bullets are perfect in 125gr or 150gr. Mine shot under 1" after 4 shots and bore sighted have yet to shoot a clover leaf but have been very close many times. I have also thought about working up a "whisper" load. Good luck Kurt

[petemi]

Everyone here has really gotta watch what Tim tells ya.  That guy can make any Handi work well.  H&R oughta retain him as a consultant for $100,000 a year and be way ahead of the game.

Eskimo36, I sure wouldn't mind having one of those as Handi number 9.

Pete

[jy951]

I wonder if putting more weight on the hammer will help.

[Dweezil]

I have one...cut to 16.25 and threaded for a suppressor.  REAL quiet with subsonics, and an AAC Cyclone.  I'ts become my favorite gun. 180gr Rem. Core-lokt RN over 6grains of Red Dot works well.  I'd like to work up a cast lead load but there's no way to clean the leading out of a suppressor. ComBloc Whisper is the way to go.

[wtroger]

I have found that AA1680 works real well in the 7.62 x 39 Look up a load in a loading manual the density is good and the velocity's of 2300 fps are readily attainable