Single shot rifles!

My local gun shop is running a 20% off sale on H&R Handi Rifles. I ended up picking up a Handi Rifle chambered in 45-70 for $200. I also picked up another 300 blk rifle, a CVA single shot rifle. The CVA was a pretty good deal too, I got it for $235. The CVA comes with a 1:8 twist factory threaded barrel and includes the scope base/rings--not bad for only $235. I figured I could use both of these rifles for developing loads for my cast powder coated bullets. Any of you ever bought handi rifles or single shot rifles before?

Hey, no.  Nothing in single shot, besides a friend's ancient Marlin semi....  Well, there's the M7 Survival rifle, but that's technically a double.

Always had a vestigial hankering for a Ruger #1 in some gawd-forbidding African safari caliber, like Win .458 Mag. I have no idea why. However, your Handi-Rifle in .45 By God 70 sounds really neat.

I've played with this idea many times, but never followed through. I think a Handi Rifle with a decent scope makes a huge amount of sense.

Tennessee Jed wrote:... I think a Handi Rifle with a decent scope makes a huge amount of sense.  

I've been waiting for my scope base for my .223 target rifle to arrive for a while now.  Since I had the scope and rings waiting, I decided to throw them on that handi rifle in 45-70 in the meantime.  The scope I put on it is the Vortex Viper HS-T.  It actually works quite well for the 45-70 cartridge due to the rainbow shooting nature of it--and the fact that the scope reticle has vertical hash marks that go all the way down to the edge of the scope.  Makes for simple repeatable hold-overs once you know which hash marks to use.  Anyways, made it fun this past weekend to shoot light 45-70 loads out to 200 yards and bang the steel.

Gun ain't too fancy, but it is pretty fun. That scope is overkill, but makes the gun funner (and easier) to shoot. Took a few pics:



and


with the sunshade on

I absolutely love those H&R Handi Rifles. light, fun, cheap, and more accurate than a person has any right to expect. They go from looking sometimes a bit...clompy to downright elegant with a change in stock and forearm. I love how versatile they are for changing calibers too. It kinda sucks to send your reciever in to H&R to get a new bbl. fitted every time, but...it does ensure that it works, and you've still got a cheaper, more durable, and reliable weapon that if you go to messing around with Contenders.

I've played with the idea of one in .500 S&W for some time. It's main purpose? shooting at ice chunks and blowing big holes in the mud.

In any case, congrats on owning a darn cool gun!

I almost bought one in 500 magnum, but heard that they kick quite a bit in that light/small of a package. That probably shouldn't have discouraged me, but I think the real reason is that I am holding out for a Big Horn Armory 500 Mag lever action carbine. Right now those Big Horn Armory guns just cost too much for me--but it is definitely on the long list. I am also hoping that a mainstream manufacturer will capitalize on the demand and produce a 500 magnum lever gun--maybe Marlin or Rossi? I don't know, it just sounds fun.

That freaking kills me! Why, Oh tell me WHY has nobody else done ANYTHING with the 500 S&W except for the Handi Rifle, and the uber nice, but expensive BHA? I guess it should be no surprise, seeing how Rossi is the only manufacturer that ever did anything with the .454 Casull. Thinking about it, I don't believe there's been much new under the sun in the way of lever action rifles in quite a long time.

You know what I want to see? The Ruger 77/454! If they made that, I would sell the truck I drive to get the first ones in my state. Or...you know...a 77/500? Maybe a 77/460?

Ah...I'm merely barking and urinating into the wind, but...a fella has gotta dream, eh?

NotThe10thMan wrote:You know what I want to see?  The Ruger 77/454!  If they made that, I would sell the truck I drive to get the first ones in my state.  Or...you know...a 77/500?  Maybe a 77/460?

Now you're talking... If they came out with one in either 460 or 500, I think I would throw the money down right away. I have this weird quirk where I like to match rifles/carbines with the same rounds as my pistols--vice versa. I have done this so far with: .45-70, 45 colt, 44 mag, .357 mag, 9mm, 300 blk, 22 lr, and .30 carbine. I've been looking for a GOOD .45 acp carbine for several years without luck. I've thought about those auto ordnance thompson .45's, but the guns are heavy, the stocks are awkward, and the sights are terrible. Anyways, I think if a mainstream company made a decent 500 mag lever, it would sell like hotcakes.

I've heard Grant Cunningham make reference to what I recall might have been a Marlin 1894 that he'd had converted to accept .45 ACP. I thought that sounded cool. You gotta be able to load fifteen or twenty rounds in the tube of one of those... That sounds kinda cool. Running my Smith 625 revolver as one of my primary handguns I've long kept an eye out for decent. 45 ACP Carbines myself. None of them seem quite....right. Closest I've found to my speed is the old Marlin Camp Carbines, but then I choke a little and back out before I can fork out the $700-$800 for one. I know there's the Just Right Carbines, and the Mech Tech Glock conversions out there, but they just don't quite seem....right to me.

I would love a .500 in a rifle platform that was not either single shot or well beyond my means. I've got little interest in the revolvers, but I think it would be an absolutely devastating short range rifle cartridge.

Seems there are alot of manufacturers playing it safe. just kinda riding along on the big AR 15 wagon, subtly tweaking existing designs, but not really doing much in the way of new development. I hope someone breaks that trend soon, especially Ruger.

I have also looked at those Just Right carbines as well as the Mech Tech conversions. From what I have seen/heard, the Just Right carbines are garbage, and the Mech Tech's are ok. I have never seen one of the old Marlin Camp Carbines, but I heard they worked great. The Beretta CX4 is ok, but the mags they use are the old Cougar .45 mags, and very limited in capacity. The HK USC is way over priced and only holds 10 rounds. It is also very plasticky--feels kinda cheapy. Then, you also have the Kriss Vector carbines--but they cost way too much for what they are. So yeah, right now I am still holding out for a decent quality .45 acp carbine. Maybe eventually Sig will release their MPX in 45 acp. Now that would be pretty sweet.

I'm just reading these entries and nodding my head in total agreement.

Personally, I'm clinging to hope that someday soon Mossberg will come out with something like their 464 30-30 lever action, but in pistol calibers. No, not the anti-zombie rifle (which personally I still think is pretty cool, but that's a different type of market), but a stainless steel version of the wood-stocked simple lever action. Heck, they pretty much ripped off the Winchester 94 design, I don't see why they couldn't do the same with the '92.

Put it out in 357 mag, 44 mag, 45 Colt, 454 Casull and 500, and it would be like printing money.

And don't get me started on the apparent AR fever that's saturated the market. I'm glad everyone who wants one can get one, but I can't say I've ever had much desire for an AR, and I'm getting a little tired of every new rifle being either yet another AR variant or another budget-priced bolt action.

Don't know if I ever posted a pic of my .357 Handi-Rifle yet, so I took one last night. Here it is, with the barrel cut down to 16" and threaded with a Vortex Strikefire red dot on top.


This rifle is my 7 year old son's current favorite. The red dot makes it easy for him to aim (no crosshairs or eye relief to worry about.)