To begin with, I have to state that S&W makes my favorite revolvers, always has. Just want to make that understood; that's why I'm on this forum.

However, as we all know, there are some fine manufacturers out there, past and present. One revolver that I have always liked is the H&R 999. I had a 6" barreled model some years ago, and stupidly sold it. I have wanted a 4" barreled version for some time, and finally picked one up on GB yesterday. Although I love the S&Ws, this has always been my favorite .22 lr/l/s revolver. Pretty excited to have one again, with my barrel choice.

Curious to hear others thoughts on the 999, both pro and con.

Incidentally, the 650 is my favorite .22 magnum. I've yet to find one at a decent price, but will end up with one soon. If H&R had made the 999 in .22 mag, I have to wonder about my loyalty here, too. Fortunately, I don't have the choice.

__________________
Si vis pacem, para bellum

Very nice, I have a pre 999, it's a Sportsman with 6 inch barrel.

Yep, nothing wrong with the H&R's, nice one you have there! Had one a long time ago and it was an entirely serviceable revolver. If I ran across one like yours it would more than likely go home with me.

__________________
Stay safe people!

I share your like for the H&R. I have one just like your pic, it is quite accurate and fun to shoot. It lives in the top drawer of the table beside my recliner and has dispatched one coon(I live in the country).
Bob Ray 1815

I'm another H&R 999 fan. Just something very cool about a top break revolver. Have a similar passion for the S&W Schofield revolvers. Here is one I recently picked up:

I have a 4" like yours. I like the break open action and the nine shot capacity. My only complaints are a heavy trigger pull that the gunsmith said couldn't be reduced, and rear sight screws that easily shoot loose.

Looks to be a trigger stop in the trigger guard of these guns. Is it adjustable?
Never owned one but that could change.
What did you pay for the 4" one, if you don't mind.

I've replaced a fair number of rear sights on my 999s. Thankfully Numrich's always seems to have them in stock

In 1964, when I was twelve, my father decided that we needed a "house gun" since he worked at night and my mother and I were at home on our own when he was at work. I went with him to a local department store and he picked a six inch H&R 999...He knew somebody who had an old breaktop H&R when he was a kid(born in 1913) in rural NC and that was his idea of a good pistol...Back then, a city permit was required to buy a handgun in the city we lived in and it took a couple months to get it.

He was a fine shot and we took that revolver out to the "country" and shot cans and other things with it. Later, when I was in high school I did some trapping with a friend and I carried that revolver in a cheap holster. It made a good gun for finishing off trapped muskrats as well as killing cans and dirtclods...Those were days when seeing a teenager in the woods with a revolver on his belt was nothing to cause upset.

My dad died back in 1976. He was never one to buy much for himself so what I inherited from him was that H&R Sportsman. Its in my safe now and I still have the holster. It was always properly cared for and is still in nice condition. I even have an HKS speedloader for it...The part that looks like a trigger stop is the trigger. What appears to be the trigger engages that "sub-trigger" when it is pulled back and its the small trigger that releases the hammer...That old H&R won't be going anywhere except to my daughter when I go underground.

I has one of those as pictured. I believe it was the worst revolver that I ever owned. The trigger pull was so heavy that after a box of 50 .22 LR rounds, my trigger finger had a blister on it. The timing was also bad. I wanted to like it, but it just didn't work out........

I have owned two 999s. I had a little snub nosed one that I gave to my last father-in-law (I've had 3; don't ask! ) for a car gun. It was fun but I wasn't crazy about the way it fit my hand and I wasn't crazy about the trigger. My other 999 was a 4 inch and it's arguable if I still own it or not. I gave it to my current girlfriend.....it's in her apartment somewhere...........

I felt the same way about the 4" as I did it's little brother but I DID LIKE the 9 round capability.

***GRJ***

That "sub-trigger" is called the sear. Different arrangement than other designs, but still the sear.

__________________
Pisgah

It's funny, the "cheap" guns of 50 years ago are the collectibles of today!

We always had one or two rimfire revolvers in the house when I grew up, either a Ruger or an H&R.

Here's a Sportsman with a S&W holster ...

... and you can shoot "S, L & LR" through it.

GF

Ralph, I'm too embarrassed to say what I paid. I should have bought one years ago, and those 4" barreled ones go for premium. If you want one that's really nice, you almost have to start at $500 and expect to go up. I just couldn't wait any longer to try to get one for any less. However, the good news is that it seems that the 6" barrel models will go for less. I'm kicking myself for not keeping the one I had, especially seeing some of the fine examples that others have posted.

Top breaks are a rarity, which baffles me. Anyone ever seen what the NAA Rangers go for? Astounding, yet people are willing to pay $1000+ for one of those (I'd like one too, but am not that desperate, my regular NAA does just fine).

And one of these days, the Schofield will be next

__________________
Si vis pacem, para bellum

Never owned one but always liked the look of em. That 4" is sweet, Larry

Big fan of the 999. It's shoots very decent groups at 25yrds, though it can't match my Ruger MKII most of the time. Still, it's fun, shoots the cheap stuff with flakey primer better than my other guns (heavy hammer fall/stiff trigger) and I loc tited the rear sight so it doesn't spontaneously disassemble.
Shown with my other 9shooter Taurus 94.

I have a pre-WWII 999 just like the one in Marine24s picture and in the same shape too. I think it was made in 1938. I hate to say that I purchased it in 2001 and paid all of $150 for it. About a year after that the prices on this model started going up and going up rapidly. It was H&Rs top of the line pistol for 50 years.

I also own an H&R 22 Special top break, the earlier 7 shot version, which was made prior to the 999 Sportsman and does not have adjustable sights. It also shoots really well.

I have to say that the Iver Johnson Super Sealed 8 top break that I own is also great. It actually shoots better than my Sportsman and I think the balance is also better.

I love top break 22s!!!

That is a right nice old gun. I didn't know they made that model with a 4" barrel. I'm keeping my eyes open for a nice 6" gun.

"the 650 is my favorite .22 magnum"

I have a Model 649 - not sure what the difference is - looks the same to me.

I gave this gun to my father-in-law for Xmas in 1981 to shoot (at) rabbits in his garden. I also included a few boxes of assorted ammo.





The gun and the ammo came back to me this year when he died. There were 6 rounds of .22 LR missing from one of the boxes. So, the gun has been fired 6 rounds, and the magnum cylinder had never been installed. It's like brand new.

__________________
Lorin

Even though I'm a hopeless S&W addict, I've always had a soft spot (more in my head than my heart) for these H&R top breaks and coveted one for quite a few years. With these revolvers, the "older is often the better", so when this 1936 Sportsman became available I quickly jumped on it...



Purchased from the son of the original owner, it was a Christmas gift from wife to husband, and came with the original box and the early Michigan "green card" registration form. This example has the adjustable front sight (elevation) and rear sight (windage), the early one piece checkered grips held on by a single screw along the backstrap, hammer mounted firing pin, rod style cylinder release on the right side of the frame, and etched rather than roll marked "H&R SPORTSMAN" and "Double Action" along the left side of the barrel.



Unlike later versions (999) that had pretty rough and heavy triggers, the DA pull measures a smooth 9.25 lbs on my trigger gauge and the SA breaks at a crisp, clean, 2 lbs on the nose. Prior to 1940, H&R was producing what has been called the most accurate .22 pistol of that era, the Single Shot Target Model USRA. The story is that the Sportsman barrels were rifled with the same equipment used on the USRA, resulting in excellent precision and superb accuracy. That may very well be true, since this old gal will consistantly put a cylinderful under an inch at 25 yards, as accurate as any of my beloved K-22's'



Congrats on your find.

Roe

This is a photo of a 649, in .38 Spl. As I understand it, one can also get it in .357 Magnum. It's a J-frame, but I don't know that S&W ever offered it in .22 magnum.



This is a photo of a 650, exactly like I would like one day, to include the 3" barrel. It's a J-Frame too, but I think they look quite a bit different.



Both are excellent S&Ws!

__________________
Si vis pacem, para bellum

Yeah, I forgot about those stupid opposing set screws in the rear sight, and that they wouldn't stay tight. I'm surprised that I never lost the rear sight blade because of that. I'd much prefer a Model 17 or 18 every time.....

I have a few h&r 22cal revolvers in different models of course. I have the s&w k22 and the colt officers target model in the 41 frame. But the kids can plink with the h&r revolvers. There really unique too. I picked one up the PO thought it was nickel because it was yellowed and so dirty. After a good cleaning and some Simi chrome polish she has a 99% chrome finish.
These guns have sat in stock draws for so long.

I find some guns to be hardley shot too.