I think it is funny they have decided to go after the Handi the way they have. They really aren't being 100% truthful in their advertisement by comparing recoil pads with their synthetics and H&R's..and also they are forgetting one major mitigating factor in their comparison...Only one of these are fully built in the USA,and only one of these companies has to prove they are safe to a lot of people...including their very own mainstream dealers.
While the Bergara Barrels are indeed good barrels,they have had dimensional issues with them,just as H&R has had,and they have had problem with their lock up on them too.Some of them can be awesome shooters straight out of the box,but you will be very limited to correcting anything that goes wrong with them,save for sending them back in for warranty repair.
Their idea is sound though,and as I said a long time ago when I was shooting the Optima Elites,and just as I said this to them then..if they ever decide to design some decent wood for them and offer some quality open sights,and actually decide to increase the dealer distribution numbers,they might actual capture some of the Handi's market share..but..if they fail to correct the stagnation of different calibers and barrel lengths being offered as well doing many public demonstrations on how strong the rifle is,people won't respond the way they want them to. They have to overcome what has happened before,and that won't be easy,not only that but the other issues I already mentioned.With out this change from the company, I look for these to go the same way the Optima Elites,and that is to have a good start initially but through failure to understand the center-fire market become a discontinued model and re released as a much cheaper version than they originally were to recoup some of the cost.
Also,if they kept their barrel locking feature,then that is a very good thing,because if they ever actually do decide to show the public they are perfectly safe and they manage to get many barrel choices on the dealers shelves instead of the very limited numbers they did with the Elites..they might actually have a chance. IMHO that will be the only way they can ever do this..prove beyond a reasonable doubt that their guns won't blow up and make them readily available. To me this doesn't seem to difficult,especially if they ever want to overcome the old CVA's past mistakes.
Truthfully I don't see them willing to do any of this this time around since they wouldn't listen when the Optima Elites came out.Public perception is a funny thing..having a top barrel designer is a awesome idea for the company and certainly is good PR,but for a company with past issues not having public demonstrations on just how strong they are..people will always have their doubts..no matter how good they are or how accurate they are..the burden of proof is on them to prove they are safe so that any naysayers have no argument. Toyota figured this out real quick,that's something CVA never did.
The Handi is an Icon in the single shot world..funny as that may sound.They are the most prolific single shot available to the US market,and their position is enviable and certainly worth going after. It up to Remington to keep it so,and only time will tell if that happens.
The Optima Elites I had were top-notch BTW..and exceedingly accurate right out of the box..with only very little minor forearm fitting needed to be 1 hole shooters.Some others weren't as lucky .I never understood why they wouldn't take on all the past negativity and show the public that they were stronger and superior to anything else in their price range..
Mac
