I Love the H&R USRA

[red9]

Being partial to singleshot target pistols, I collect USRA's, along with Smith, Stevens, Colt and European. I just added a put together package of 7" pistol with non matching box and paper. This included the first test target I have seen. I know that the USRA was claimed to be the most accurate of the period, but I am still impressed with this 5 shot, 20 yard group. Wonder what it would have done with Eley pistol match?

Bob

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

Nice gun! Is that 7", or something else?

Oops. Just re-read your post.

 

[forindooruseonly]

I am also a fan of the single-shot target pistols - very nice! When I find the right H&R I am going to get it. I've passed on a few in the past and regretted now buying them. At least then I'll have the three big ones from the period: S&W, Colt and H&R..

 

[6string]

Very nice. I never knew they did a test target!
There's a good write up (in German) in Die Scheibenpistole by Bruno Brukner and Ott Halfmann.

Jim

 

[BigBill]

These old h&r guns are awesome. Don't tell everyone the cost will go up.
I think that h&r made the most 22 cal in different revolvers than the other manufacturers.

 

[weatherby]

Love that test target.
Mine is a premie doesn't have the USRA stamp.
Just going by the trigger on yours looks early also....mine is # 300

 

[ShivasIrons]

Please educate me on these.

What exactly were they used for? Parlor Guns? or was there a specific competition?

I have always thought they were neat little handguns.

OK. I did some research and it looks as if they were used for a slow fire match sponsored by the USRA? United States Revolver Association, but these are not revolvers...

 

[JayFramer]

Very interesting boy's pistols. Congrats!

 

[Valmet]

Vintage target stuff, regardless if handgun or long gun, is always cool- much more so with original accoutrements. Very nice OP

 

[6string]

These certainly were NOT boy's pistols or parlor pistols.

They were intended for the 50 yd slow fire precision match governed by the United States Revolver Association.
Hence the name USRA pistol.

If you are unfamiliar with these please have a close look at the cross section diagram I posted above. The trigger mechanisms work the same but the position of the return spring, sear engagement, and fulcrum points are different. The hammer geometry is also different.
You could achieve a safe 1 lb trigger with reliable ignition.
H&R hired Walter Roper and gave him free reign to design the gun. Not surprisingly, Roper designed several grip options for them.
However, for all of it's qualities, they never were truly competitive with the best European single shot "free" pistols, such as the Üdo Anschütz Rekord of Rudolf Hämmerli's MP33.
These pistols had true micrometer sights, extremely fine set triggers adjustable to a fraction of an ounce, very fast lock times, and even better anatomical grips made to measure for a glove-like fit.

Nonetheless, for their intended purpose, a single shot designed for competitors whose primary arm is a revolver, the H&R USRA pistols are exceptionally nice.

Jim

 

[deadin]

The USRA is one I need for my small "sub-collection" of pre-war single shot target pistols. Here is my current collection:

Of course I still need a 3rd Model S&W, a Straightline and a Colt Camp Perry in addition to the USRA.
I decided to avoid the myriad varieties of the Stevens top breaks until I get the rest of the collection completed.

(That kind of means I will never need to look for Stevens top breaks....)

 

[ol777gunnerz]

USRA

My USRA was made towards the end of production so has all the latest improvements, it was esimated with all the changes & options over its production run, no more than seven were alike. The USRA models also featured an ejector that will throw the mt round several feet, the one's made after Walter Roper took over production will have an "R" stamped on them on the underside of the chamber, opposite side from the serial number. The pistol's also have an "Olympic" chamber, drop the ctg. in, closing the action shoves the ctg. the rest of the way into a short chamber, forcing the bullet into the rifling, which was first used by H M Pope in S&W single shot pistols, then copied by S&W itself in some of their's beginning in the 3rd model single shots. Mine also came with a Lawrence USRA holster & rig for it.