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Old November 11, 2011, 04:42 AM   #1
wachtelhund1
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Just picked up an old H&R 700 .22 mag semi-auto for Coyote Hunting

Hi here is a picture of a old H&R 700, .22mag semi-auto that I just picked up:



This is going to replace my H&K 300 which I want to save.


The H&R appears to have been shot very little and no rust. Nynlon buffer slows little sign of firing. Action feels like it isn't even broken in. I took it apart today to clean it, screws look like they have never seen a screw driver. Nice walnut stock, a little too beefy. Barrel 22" long could be a couple inches shorter, may be in the future. Trigger pull was long and heavy, about six pounds. I quickly polished several trigger parts with a dremel tool and polishing compund, and passed the sear over a extra fine diamound steel several times. Which made an immediate improvement. I'll work on the trigger some more next week. Action is the blow back with rails and recoil spring. The rails look some what similar to a Winchester model 100. Rails are held in place with two 5/8" nuts. Trigger pins a 1/8" in diameter. Trigger held in place on grove rails similar to the tip off mount rails on top of a 22 receiver. Overall, seems to be a very well made rifle. Quality is much better than the Ruger 10/22 .22 mag that I once owned.
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Old November 11, 2011, 11:01 PM   #2
hagar
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Looks like a really nice rifle, never seen or heard about one of them. I have a 922M Marlin semi-auto 22 magnum, try and double tap coyotes, works much better!

Leave the barrel as is, you will only reduce the value, and I assume these are not easy to find.
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Old November 12, 2011, 01:14 AM   #3
wachtelhund1
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No they are not easy to find, but I want this for a shooter. First I have to see how it shoots, then try and get an inleted stock and stream line it.
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Old November 12, 2011, 01:52 AM   #4
briandg
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The H&R rifles were a better grade of weapon than the shotguns or pistols. That was one of the few, and maybe the only .22 magnum rifles available at that time. IIRC, they got good reviews. You got an excellent shooter. Don't know that I'd want you using it on coyotes, but what the heck, it's your gun.
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Old November 12, 2011, 02:20 AM   #5
wachtelhund1
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When I'm calling in places were shots will be 75 yards or less, I take a .22 mag. Over that I take a center rifle. I kill several each year just walking through my yard, 4 acres, with a .22 mag. Drops them in their tracks.
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Old November 25, 2011, 12:23 PM   #6
wachtelhund1
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Update on vintage H&R 700 .22 mag

Update on this vintage H&R 700 .22 mag. Finally got to fire it. As I mentioned the gun showed very little signs of use. Fired about ten rounds and firing pin broke. First and only time in forty plus years that I have had a firing pin break. Ordered and received two new ones from E-Gun parts. Tried firing Ficcohi and CCI ammo. First groups were terrible 3 to 4" at 100 yards. Problem was the trigger - terrible a lot of creep and heavy, 6 to 8 pounds, a two stage trigger. I imagine the trigger is a copy from the H&R Resing sub-machine guns from WWII, anyways it is an odd design. After, getting accustomed to the trigger creep, and squessing the trigger up to the stage of engagement, groups tigthen up. Fired ten CCI rounds into a 2.5" group at 100 yards.

I plan to use this gun for coyotes, under 75 yards and want to make it as accurate as possible.

So first thing was to clean up the trigger. Trigger part sides were polished on a extra fine diamond stone and buffed to mirrow finish with dremel tool and polishing compound. The trigger itself has two springs at 90 degrees, each having a small nylon cap for its bearing surface, about 1/32" thick. One pushes down reseting the disconnector and catches the sear after firing. Pulling the trigger lightens the force on the disconnector and pushes the sear forward to relase the hammer. The second trigger spring is the main trigger spring and resets the trigger after firing. To remove the creep from the trigger, I increased the force of the disconnector spring by replacing the nylon cap with a polished RCBS primer remover pin with head, also streched the spring and added a #6 shot pellet in the spring hole. This pushed the trigger back to the engagment point and took up 80 to 90% of the trigger creep. Also, compressed a little of the main trigger spring resistance. Creep is gone and trigger is 5 to 6#. Feels much improved. We'll see upon the next firing.

Next will be a little glass bedding to cut down vibrations when firing, but not in the usual sense. The H&R 700 is a blow back design using mass from the bolt and cylinder hammer with heavey recoil spring between hammer and buffer. Plus a dual recoil rail with second heavey recoil spring. The recoil rail moves back and forth on two square receiver studs, approx 1/2" wide. There is a lot of side to side play here. I can just picture the vibrations upon firing it here, reducing them should improve accuracy. I plan to reduce this adding some bedding compound on the stud sides, coating the rails with release agent and putting them back in place. Upon curring, I'll remove the them, add a dab of valve polishing compound, if needed, and work them until they slide freely, but with out the current play and vibration. Similar bedding has worked on my Ruger #1s and Winchester 100s.
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Old February 4, 2016, 11:32 AM   #7
KBO22HR
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H&R model 700

Hi Dave, I tried to send you a private message regarding your work on the model 700 trigger but the address from the forum comes back as being undeliverable. How can I get in touch with you? Are you still active on this site?
Kevin.
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Old February 4, 2016, 08:37 PM   #8
Mobuck
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H&R 700
I had one of those when they first came out. Gosh awful trigger and mediocre accuracy coupled with poor bullet performance caused me to trade it for a Mini-14(which had the same faults plus cost more to shoot and made more noise).
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Old February 4, 2016, 08:50 PM   #9
Guv
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I had one also and will always regret getting rid of mine. Not your typical H&R firearm, very high quality.
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