Handi-500

[lizziedog1]

The other day I way looking through the current Harrington and Richarson catalog. You have to admit, their Handi-Rifle does come in quite an assortment of calibers. One caliber really caught my interest, the .500 Smith and Wesson.

I am thinking that firing that caliber in through a 22 inch barrel should make it a real thumper. Add the closed breech, and this might be a great game getter, able to anchor most critters. I realize it won't be a long range number, but up close and personal it will throw a nice chunk of lead.

Here is my question. Does anyone here have experience with the Handi-Rifle chambered in .500 S&W?

[good shooter]

I Bought One As Soon As They Were Available--mag-tech350 Grain Factory Loads Chronographed At 2765 Fps --velosity X Velosity X Bullet Weight In Grains Divided By 450240 -will Give You Your Thump Close To 8000 Yes 8000 Ftlbs With Top End Loads !!!!! If That Aint A Thumper I Dont Know What Is Ps. Mine Has A 24"barrel

[bluetopper]

2765fps..........c'mon now!

[saudst]

Lizzie,

I am going to get one of these barrels for my Handi to match my Smith. I have read that it feels about like their 45/70 with full loads. I have 2 45/70 handis' one regular and a Buffalo Clssic, they are quite a shove and watch where you put your right thumb if your shooting right handed. The brake open lever will bump it prety good. I like em, their a blast to shoot and easy to carry. Good Shooter.

Did you crony the loads yourself? The math seems way off. 350gr. bullet @ 2765fps. is right around 4700fpe. You may have had the chrono too close to the muzle and picked up some of the gasses, I have done this with a 25/06 that read 5400 + with a 100gr. bullet. Not a true reading.You should be getting around 2100-2200+ fps with full factory loads, wich my experience with Mag Tech, they are not.

[Claddagh]

Hand the man a shikari hat and call him "Bwana":D

[Scorch]

8000 Ftlbs With Top End Loads !!!!!Just for grins and giggles, ran the numbers through a ballistics calculator. Using the numbers you provided (350 gr @ 2,756 fps), it comes out at 5,901 ft lbs, not 8,000. No doubt that would make it a real thumper, but here's some food for thought:
* The highest energy CorBon claims for the .500 S&W Magnum is just over 3,000 ft-lbs of energy. How do you propose to gain 50% more velocity than their own loads in order to more than double the muzzle energy?
* Recoil in a 6# rifle will be substantial (137 ft-lbs). How many people will want to shoot it twice?
* How long do you think a pivoting block underlug breech lock can last with that kind of punishment?
* I would seriously question whether a handgun cartridge 1.625" in length can suddenly obsolete 100+ years of big-bore cartridges, including the 338 Win Mag, 375 H&H, 404 Jeffreys, 416 Rigby, 458 Win Mag, and 450 Nitro Express.

[.300 Weatherby Mag]

The highest ft/lb corbon load I've seen for the 500 s&w was 2580 ft/lbs and 1625 fps... Please post the link for the 3000 ft/lb load...

[wyobohunter]

I like em'. I have a handi in .243 win. and it has been a great little gun for the $. I have a S&W wheelgun in 500 S&W so I'm thinking of buying the 500 hanndi for a truck gun. I have the dies and a decent stockpile of bullets for the 500 S&W. I haven't shot one of the handis in 500 S&W but I imagine it'd be less painfull than shooting the revolver.

[bluetopper]

I never have shot a 500 in any platform but one might percieve that both your arms might act as shock absorbers in shooting a big revolver as opposed to shooting the big 500 in a light rifle placed firmly against your shoulder.

Either way, it should make a guys testosterone freely flow.

[wyobohunter]

Shooting the revolver with full power 440 grain cast performance bullets and near max charge of Hodgdon Lil' Gun will get your attention. I can put all five into a 10" circle from 20 yds in a reasonable time (I'm guessing 8 seconds) but my wrist really hurts afterword making it prohibitive to practice "speed shooting" a lot. The rifle is heavier than the revolver and a stronger part of my body would absorb the recoil; I just gotta think the rifle would be more pleasureable to shoot... Extreme example... If some looney made a T.C. Contender chambered in .338 RUM it'd take a gorilla to shoot the thing and not break his wrist, but I could "handle" shooting this cartridge in my rifle pre-muzzle brake. I still want one (Handi 500).

[knight0334]

Some of the guys at another website(will PM link to site) that caters to H&R/NEF have shot their Handi's "loose" from the combined rearward thrust, pressures, and recoil of the 500S&W rifles. The underlug is a softer metal than the barrels, and where it pivots on the cross lug(lack of better word) it gets peened - thus causing the barrel to float between that lug and the breech face, causing excessive headspace problems.

I'm not up completely on the technical issues at hand from the 500s&w and the SB2 guns, but something is exceeding what it can handle. ....even though they can handle 45-70 level 2 and with some individual receivers, the lower to mid level 3(Ruger #1) loads.

[roy reali]

In my old hometown, I knew a guy that purchased NEF is .500 S&W. He could not keep a scope mounted on it. He used every trick in the book to keep the scope from moving under recoil. Nothing worked. Even a third set of rings failed.

[qwman68]

i really like the little handi's but i agree that i dont think they would be able to hold up to alot of shooting.. i could be wrong.

[knight0334]

They will hold up to alot of shooting, just not the 500S&W's thrust/pressure/recoil.

All of my 45-70's, the rechambered 45-120, my 30-30, 223rem, 357max, 22hornet, and 225Win(was a 22hornet) all have ate more ammo than I can ever begin to count. Some have had a fairly steady diet of hot loads.

My 45-120 "Buffalo Classic" has been launching 250-325gr custom made slugs at 2800-3100fps, and 500gr pills at 2200fps for the last 3 years with no signs of loosening.

[Dikran Yacoubian]

I can't speak for the Handi Rifle in 500, but I've I've got a lot of rounds through an Encore rifle with a 16" barrel, and I've played with Handi Rifles in other calibers.

If you're serious about shooting a lot of full power loads, I'd probably go for the Encore.

Dikran Yacoubian
Columbia, SC

[bluetopper]

Don't the HandiRifles have a good warranty and customer service?
I guess if they shoot loose they will fix 'em.

[mikejonestkd]

I'd go with a TC encore if you are seriously considering a thumper caliber in a single shot break action rifle. It'll last forever, a NEF won't...

[uncyboo]

Some of the guys at another website(will PM link to site) that caters to H&R/NEF have shot their Handi's "loose" from the combined rearward thrust, pressures, and recoil of the 500S&W rifles. The underlug is a softer metal than the barrels, and where it pivots on the cross lug(lack of better word) it gets peened - thus causing the barrel to float between that lug and the breech face, causing excessive headspace problems.

This may be accurate, but it would take ALOT of shooting to shoot one loose, especially considering it's a single shot.

[knight0334]

Dig way deep in the posts over at Graybeards. There were a few that shot theirs loose, and it didn't take all that many shots to do it. The underlug is relatively soft compared to the barrel, the receiver, and the cross pin.

We've discuss way to heat treat/temper it without warping the barrel or messing with the temper of the welds.

Some have experienced it too while experimenting with some other hot load cartridges.