The second from the left was yellow tarnished so bad it looked like nickel finish. After cleaning the crud off it’s chrome plated from new.

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Plant garlic in the fall

Circa 1981, I used to have "the bottom one" there: a .22 H&R, 9-shot, blue, 2" barrel. It was a good gun, for what it was.

Note to newbies: some of those H&Rs have plastic "Y" bushings inside them, under the hammer, and some don't. I would try to avoid the plastic-part ones [1].


[1] see Part #5
https://gun-parts.com/harringtonrichardson/feb05_10.jpg


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So very Politically Incorrect

Very cool. Here's mine, a 1938 "Expert":

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What, me worry?

I saw a well used one a few weeks ago for $175. Several years ago I was offered a pristine pair for $600 at a gun show.

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Made it, Ma! Top of the world!

I've owned several of the various models of H&R's over the years, but the only one I currently have is one of the adjustable sight 929 Sidekicks. I've yet to fire it, but plan to dig it out once summer comes and give it a workout.

I think the h&r 22 revolvers with lubing the action will turn out to be good shooters. I have other expensive 22 revolvers but they haven’t seen daylite in decades.

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Plant garlic in the fall

I have the Sportsman passed down from my grandfather. From 10 until 18, my first cousin and I did a lot of small game and deer hunting with him. He also had an LC Smith 20 gauge. If the game was moving, he used the shotgun. If the rabbit, squirrel, or grouse was stationary, he used the Sportsman. It administered the coup de grace to many a deer or barnyard pig. I have no idea how old that pistol is or how many rounds, it has digested. My cousin has the LC Smith. It is pictured below with some of my other top breaks at the bottom of the photo.

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SWCA 3417 HF 642 NRA-TC

Here is my "Sportsman" 9-shot 6" revolver I bought new in 1974 -- my first handgun. It has the all-metal internals and, as it always has, still shoots like a dream.

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The first gun I ever bought about 1966 was an H&R model 900 with "remove to load" cylinder. Outside of the pinned barrel becoming loose (solved with a couple of drops of Locktite) it has been trouble free. It was inexpensive I was a teen with few dollars, so I keep it as my "first purchased gun" the front sight is a thin blade and the rear is a groove in the frame, But I still once in a while bring it out for some plinking for old times sake.
Steve W.

I thought the 9 shot 929 in 2" was right handy. Carried one briefly before the CWP law changed. RSR used to sell the 929 and 732 for $60 and I'd sell them for $100-125 regularly. At the time early '80's-mid '90's) as an 01 FFL if all I had was S&W's, Colt's and Ruger I'd have made half as much. I called the 6 shot .32 Model 732 the "Cheap Special" as it had a nice ring to it. I bet there are a few (now) old folks within 20 miles of here still have them in the nightstand along with the box of Federal ammo that went with it. Joe

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Wisdom chases me; I'm faster

I have a 999 does not see much daylight.. an old friend and H&R collector sold it to me... he also gave my son a 929 4 inch... well built and are what they were intended to be..

I think the h&r guns are over looked by many shooters. I think the cost on them is very affordable still. A 22 cal revolver nowadays can fill in the inbetweens. My little h&er snubbie revolver is six shots the rest are 9 shots. There all double action. The one by itself has a really stiff action. The hammer spring feels way to strong. I’ll clean and lube it first.

My h&r sportsman has no model number?

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Plant garlic in the fall

I got a Sportsman 999 back in the late seventies. I had bought a Bernadelli .22 semi, but couldn't shoot bird shot in it, so sold it and got a revolver. The H&R is stout, and accurate. Still shoot mine.

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Kevin in Oregon

I have a slab sided barrel 929 Sidekick that my Dad left me. It's the handgun he taught me to shoot with. Still an accurate popper, but even after 50 years, DA pull is a tad stiff (9 lbs).

Also have a 99% condition gem in a Sportsman 199 Single Action. Mine is a very early variant from 1933. You can light a match with it at 10 yards if you do your part. It amazes me every time I shoot it.

Some here will consider this blasphemy, but the pre war Sportsman, DA or SA, were every bit as finished and refined imo as the K22 Outdoorsman or Colt Officers Targets and offered solid competition to S&W and Colt. They're VERY well made revolvers.

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I have a 649 with .22 LR and .22 Magnum cylinders.

Bought it for my FIL in 1982 to shoot rabbits in his garden.

HR 649 l bc copy.jpg

He never fired it and neither have I.

I'd really like to find a nice old 999 Sportsman some day.

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Lorin

I really did not set out to accumulate break-top .22's.

The vent rib revolver is a c.1970 H&R M999 .22 6" 'Sportsman' that a friend sold me, as he'd picked it up while working at an LGS we both used to work at p/t.

The other, quite a bit older is an Iver Johnson 'Sealed Eight' .22 that came from my SIL from her Dad. She's one of the 'don't want a gun in the house' types. That gun has the world's smallest set of sights there is.

Just find these 'working man's' revolvers interesting. In their day, they were affordable alternatives to the big name products. They were well made, accurate and reliable.
And - consider there is absolutely nothing on our current market to take their place. No, I do not consider cast-Zamak alloy Heritage SA.22 revolvers to be in the same class.

I occasionally will place the H&R in a period-correct Hunter Field holster for a woods walkabout.
They're great old guns.

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Ret'd LEO
SWCA #2275

I only have 3 H&R's (and no individual pictures)
Here are my 999 and Trapper in among other revolvers. Both are in excellent+ condition.

My other H&R is a Snubby Hammerless in 32 S&W.

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Dean
SWCA #680 SWHF #446

My H&R Premier in .22lr 7 shot revolver. Looks great. But on 25 meter you can not hit anything. But that is not where he is ment for. Close distance. That works well.

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I think this is an H&R. Belongs to my brother who bought it new around 1955. I know it's a 9 shot having shot it myself a few times.

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Here are some of the ones I have.
Top is an early 7 shot 22 Special from around 1926. Next a Sportsman from 1938. Then a nickel Premier from the mid-20s. Bottom a 922 from 1947.

The 922 is very accurate, but the blade front sight is do skinny it's hard to see!

First handgun I ever owned and the first one I sold. I don't miss it much.

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Front sight and squeeze

While looking for S&Ws I occasionally ran across an H&R in excellent condition. I Started buying them and now have a dozen in 22 RF, 32 S&W, and 38 S&W. While S&W is still my goal, collecting and shooting the H&R revolvers has been enjoyable. The quality of many models is often very good.

One thing to note: The saw handle wood grip on Nutsforsmiths's 22 Special (top right) is a very good grip. It fits my hand perfectly and is very comfortable. I have four H&Rs with this grip and am always happy to head for the range with one.

How many more manufacturers of 22 revolvers are there?

Colt
Ruger
S&W
High standard
Heritage rough rider
Taurus
Rossi
Charter Arms
?
?
?

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Plant garlic in the fall

The biggest framed 22 revolver is a colt officers target model. Built on the 41 frame. Someday I’ll post pics. The s&w and colt 22 revolvers aren’t cheap. I’ve seen them as high as $2 k twenty years ago depending on condition.

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Plant garlic in the fall

For those of you interested, there is a book out there about the H&R's. It was written by an author with the last name Goforth I think.

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Why duck?? It's a 9mm!

I tucked a 929 in my back pocket this morning for a walk in the woods.
It was my father in law’s gun, I retrieved it, fully loaded, from his safety deposit box after his death.
Regards,

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turnerriver

I inherited an H&R Special, a 7 shot like the one pictured a few posts ago.
It had a very heavy trigger pull, and very bad sights too. I still have it, and
fired it a few years ago. My experience with that revolver never made me
want another H&R. Maybe my picture will post here, but I am not sure about that? Willyboy

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How about that, my picture posted! Also in the picture is an old handmade holster that came with the revolver when my father bought it. I always
thought it was from the 1930’s or so. Willyboy

One of my h&r revolvers says patent date 1904 I need to look further into it.

H&R Firearms - Wikipedia

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Plant garlic in the fall

Goforth wrote a book on Iver Johnson revolvers. I didn't know about on on H&Rs.

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low speed, high drag

He write Both.

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There have been quite a few over the years....
Iver Johnson made a lot of 22 revolvers, still have one of their long barreled top breaks in the safe. Nice revolver, very similar to the H&R top breaks. North American Arms still makes their little mini revolvers in 22, popular plinkers and often carried as tiny, last ditch hideout guns.

There have been many foreign made 22's on the US market too, some good, some not so much..... Arminius and RG made double action types, lots of single action "cowboy style" revolvers from German, Italian and other makers. Many marketed under US brand names, especially in the 1960's when TV Westerns were still popular. A comprehensive list of companies who made or still make 22 revolvers might be a long one.............

I searched the different manufactures and found the older used revolvers price wise are close to the modern new ones. Of course like older s&w’s there’s no history behind the newer 22 revolvers. It depends on what you want to shoot, collect what ever.

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Plant garlic in the fall

Willyboy, according to the Goforth book, pictured above, the 7 shot version of rhe 22 Special was only around a few years before it was changed to a 9 shot cylinder. I want to say they were gone by 1928.

H&R did comtinue to make the 22 Soecial in a 7 shot into the early 30s, but it was chambered in the 22 WRF round and they are rare.

Thanks for the information on the dating for my 22Special. Willyboy

I bought a M929 a year or two ago that looked new but would snap about half the time. When I pulled out the main spring the plastic "Y" was in 2 pieces. I bought a new complete main spring with a steel end from Numrich and now it fires every time. Larry