H&R 949 22 revolver

[Guest 270win]

There is a 22 revolver I have found for sale asking 100 bucks. It is a late 1960's H&R 949 22 revolver. Are these decent for knocking around in the woods, fishing, small game? Or are they poor quality? I would like to be able to shoot rat shot, but can't out of my 22 auto pistol. My gun also won't cycle CB's or shorts.

What is the accuracy of these comparable to? Are they about as accurate as a Ruger Single Six, which is a good knocking around fun gun but not accurate like a Smith K-22.

Edited September 24, 2012 by 270win

[TNWNGR]

The H&R 949 22 has a less than desirable DA pull being on the heavy and gritty side but the SA trigger pull is really nice. It’s a Plain Jane 9 shot revolver whose examples I’ve shot were reliable enough to depend on when used. They’ve been out of production for quite some time now so replacement or repair parts might become troublesome but for the most part are available. If the one you’re looking at has most of its finish left, is intact and functional than I’d say $100.00 is a fair price.

http://voices.yahoo.com/gun-review-harrington-richardson-949-22-revolver-4553039.html

The 949 22 really isn't in the same class as a S&W, Ruger or Colt revolver, it's not bad but priced at what it was worth, people bought the heck out of them because they were affordable.

[Guest 270win]

Yeah I was curious if they are as bad as those Rohm and RG revolvers. If they are that bad, I don't think I'd want one.

[JAB]

Isn't that the model that looks like a single action, came in convertible models but could be shot double action? If so, personally, for a hundred bucks I'd buy it.

I have an H&R 930 (nine shot .22 revolver) that I paid just about that amount for at a gun show a couple of years back. I just wanted a DA .22 revolver and didn't really want to go 'high dollar' so it was a good fit for what I wanted. It isn't the same 'style' as the 942 but I wouldn't be surprised if they are similar, otherwise. As TNWNGR said, the DA trigger isn't the greatest but I wouldn't call it 'horrible' (I have fired a few DA rimfire revolvers that were definitely worse.) Mine isn't what I would call a 'tack driver' but I can generally hit what I am aiming at. CCI snake shot works just fine in my 930 and I would assume the same would be true of the 949. For some reason, my 930 seems to be a lot more accurate with shorts than with LR ammo. I have fired a few types of hypervelocity ammo from it without issue other than the empty casings being noticeably more difficult to extract. Mostly that was just to 'try it', though and I don't plan to feed it a steady diet of the hyper-v stuff.

I hope that helps.

[Oh Shoot]

I have 922, similar gun, just a bit older. Have shot the piss out of it, no probs. I've shot plenty of 1280 fps and less out of it. Even took my HCP with it. Generally just shoot single action for accuracy. Near as I can tell, it's probably worth about $150 or so, so would think a c-note would be a fine buy.

Incidentally, the 922 and 929 have version of hammer block built in (connected to the little lever you see behind the trigger), so they're drop safe with hammer on loaded chamber. Pretty innovative when it first came out.

Mine you have to remove cylinder to load, 929 has swing out cylinder, so that's handier.

- OS

Edited September 24, 2012 by OhShoot

[keeterbird]

The H&R 929 was my first handgun. I can't remember when I traded it. I found one recently and now shoot it once a week-about 100 rounds. It is not nearly as accurate as the Ruger single-six, but a lot of fun and fairly accurate. It takes me back to the days when even as a teen I could afford to go out and shoot it. The single action is good the double is just fun.

I have had only a few rounds that did not fire. It was my rabbit gun, but when I was young most of them were safe.

I think you will grow to love it.

[z90HD]

I bought a 929 1970 model for the wife a year or so ago. Its been a great little shooter. She used it to take her HCP class with.

[K191145]

Yeah I was curious if they are as bad as those Rohm and RG revolvers. If they are that bad, I don't think I'd want one.

They are far better built than the RG's or Rohm's, they just have a hard double action pull as JAB said. One of the first handguns I bought was an H&R Ultra .32H&R Mag with a 2" barrell, my mom,83 years old keeps that gun on her closet shelf now. I actually snipped a couple of coils off the spring on each side, something I wouldn't dare experiment with on a high dollar gun but it really helped the DA pull quite a bit, enough for an 83 year old woman to cycle and I've fired 50 rounds through it since I did the shade tree gunsmithing to it and it works fine. They are inexpensive but I wouldn't classify them as cheapos as far as their quality is concerned.

Edited September 29, 2012 by K191145

[Tennjed]

My first handgun was a 949 that my dad game me. It was the first hand gun he bought with his own money sometimes in the mid 60s. It is still going strong. It has had a lot of rounds put through it. The DA trigger is bad, but it is a good accurate well made gun. It is not as well made as a Single Six, but much better than a rohm

[Sidinman]

Alot better than the Rohm & RG. Not as nice as my Colt or Rugers, but a nice little plinker. I bought mine a couple years back because it was reasonable and well I love 22's, its been a decent shooter. For a 100 bucks I'd buy another.

[runco]

My first handgun I ever shot was my grandparents 929 pistol. I was probably around 8 years old, and how I remember what a powerhouse that awesome pistol was and just how heavy that beast of a gun was. Today, I am now in possession of the gun, still quite heavy, but not quite the powerhouse or beast I remember. About 11 years ago, we had to remove all firearms from my grandmother's house, after she shot at the gas meter man, she had dementia, no law involvement, just a complaint and an escape. Anyway, I now have it. Mine doesn't have the safety feature that Ohshoot describes, so I believe mine may be late 1950s or 1960s vintage after doing some research this morning. The prefix serial number is AF, and has more of round oval shape butt. The gun is probably like 97% with no scratch on the metal or the plastic grips, however this piece will be one of several family heirlooms. Great plinker, shoot em up aluminum cans, etc. kind of gun. My boys (8, 7, 3, and soon to be newbie) will probably shoot this gun first as opposed to my Sigs and Glocks. Grandparents didn't have any Sigs and Glocks, they only had three guns, 12 ga. single shot, 22 rifle and this handgun. Simple collection. I shot 2 of the 3, the 12 ga. was just a sit you on your can kind of gun, and little boys shouldn't shoot such large guns grandma use to say. I was able to get the 22 rifle and pistol, but my uncle got the 12 ga. It was an old H&R too.

[Oh Shoot]

.... Mine doesn't have the safety feature that Ohshoot describes...

I can see it in your picture, the little level or nub behind the trigger.

To test it, just open cylinder so you can see where hammer comes through. Press forward with hammer with thumb. Firing pin built into hammer doesn't come through where it could hit cartridge, right? Now while you still have thumb pushing forward, use other hand to press the lever behind trigger. Now the pin portion of hammer comes through, right?

So unless it's broken somehow, that lever/nub/plunger/whatever you call it has to be depressed or the gun can't fire. That's the hammer block safety.

- OS

Edited September 30, 2012 by OhShoot

[runco]

Ohshoot, can you point it out better for me, I took a couple of more pictures. Also this guy's link talks about the safety feature I thought you may have been describing, it may not be related: http://forum.pafoa.o...odel-929-a.html

(just noticed during the preview post, the digital camera shows greater detail than what the naked eye sees, the appearance of rust or dirt is seriously not seen with the naked eye, but on the monitor/this post it looks horrible, I guess I need to clean better)

[Moped]

If the revolver is in good shape, then $100 is a good price on one. I've seen them as high as $175. They were and are a basic pistol without a lot of bells and whistles. Decently accurate and very reliable. I think they make a good woods/fishing/trapping gun and are great for casual plinking. Are they tack drivers, nope. Is the fit and finish on par with a Ruger/S&W/Colt, nope, but they aren't priced in that realm either.

[Jonnin]

metal under flash often shows what looks like rust. Its an anomaly of the image and optics, and likely, there is no actual rust. I could take a pic of almost any of my guns to show rust that just is not there.

I would look, but do not worry, odds are its just an optical illusion.

[1madss]

My only H&R revolver is a 999 Sportsman with a 6" barrel that I've had over 20 years.. I love it, DA is not gritty, just really heavy. SA is great though and it's pretty accurate. Last week I was shooting clay pigeons off of the 50 yard berm. Did not hint %100, but more hits that misses

Mine is a 1973, this was the transition year from the hammer mounted firing pin to the frame mounted. I would only carry on an empty chamber on this one. I'm dumbfounded what these guns are going for these days. I've seen some mint NIB go for north of $500. Getting up into the S&W range at that point. Parts are getting scarce though.

Here is a good thread with bunch of H&R info as well as DOB info:

http://www.go2gbo.com/forums/index.php/topic,26264.msg503417.html#msg503417

Edited September 30, 2012 by 1madss

[Oh Shoot]

Ohshoot, can you point it out better for me, I took a couple of more pictures. Also this guy's link talks about the safety feature I thought you may have been describing, it may not be related: http://forum.pafoa.o...odel-929-a.html...

Yeah, he seems to be talking about same thing, calls it a "transfer bar". Is actually the opposite, it blocks hammer from going all the way until trigger is pulled, then relaxes to allow it to go the last bit forward. Here, using your own pix:

That is the lever that is attached to the hammer block, it frees the block when trigger is pulled. You'll notice the trigger goes all the way back against the trigger guard before it trips.

That is the actual trigger block. Note that it is rigid, doesn't move in this position. While holding hammer back, pull trigger all the way back and you;ll see it frees, will wiggle. You can't see actual operation of the block, but when free to move it goes forward and/or down into recess in frame some how or other to allow hammer to go that little bit more forward enough to hit the end of the cartridge.

You can also simply do the test I described in first post. The firing pin part of the hammer will not penetrate all the way though the front of the chassis to reach the cartridge unless the lever behind the trigger is depressed. It's possible you can't do that one if having the cylinder flopped out locks the action. My action is still free since the cylinder in the 922 comes all the way out of the pistol and doesn't affect the operation of the rest of the action. But the locking block operation is the same in both our models.

- OS

Edited September 30, 2012 by OhShoot

[Oh Shoot]

.... I would only carry on an empty chamber on this one.....

Nope, the lever behind trigger is attached to hammer block. If it has that, and isn't broken or something, it's safe. You can perform the test I indicated in post 12 to see it in action assuming breaking the gun open doesn't lock up the action.

Any H&R that has that lever behind trigger has the hammer block safety, that's part of its operation or it wouldn't be there. As I said, in this feature, H&R was ahead of its time.

Also, Charter Arms actually had the first transfer bar revolver, at least in nationwide gun makers, although most think it was Ruger.

Ruger's and Charter's bar get "in the way" to trigger frame mounted firing pin, H&R's gets "out of the way" to let hammer firing pin go fully forward.

That's a beautiful heater, btw!

- OS

Edited October 1, 2012 by OhShoot

[runco]

OS big thank you.

[wjh2657]

I learned how to shoot a revolver on my grandfather's 6" barrel H&R 922. Taking the cylinder out to reload wasn't all that big a problem as the gun was a nine shot, so you usually took care of business with one cylinder load. My first shotgun was an H&R Topper 20 gauge. H&R made rugged, well constructed guns that were meant to last. Many, many young boys learned on H&R pistols and shotguns. I have two fairly new NEF (H&R) .410 shotguns in my gun safe right now. Grandkids' guns!

Edited October 1, 2012 by wjh2657

[LCPfraTN]

My only H&R revolver is also a model 999 Sportsman that looks very similar to the one above....beautiful gun and their values have skyrocketed. H&R mostly made very utilitarian guns at very economical prices, but they were still fairly well made.

The question above regarding Rohm/RG and clones in comparison to H&R is like comparing night and day for the most part. The Rohm/Rg guns weren't made for long lasting reliability and most were not all steel like the H&R revolvers. The frames and outer barrels were made from a cheap zinc alloy and they don't hold up to much heavy use. The later Rohm/RG revolvers were a little better, but an H&R is almost always going to be the better gun.