H&R Firearms

Last updated
Harrington & Richardson
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryFirearms
Founded1871;153 years ago (1871)
Headquarters
Key people
  • Nathan Harrington
  • William Augustus Richardson
  • George F. Brooks
Products
  • Single-shot, pump-action, and semi-auto shotguns
  • Single-shot rifles
  • Muzzle-loading rifles
  • Revolvers
  • Single-shot target pistols
Website H&R Website

Harrington & Richardson (legally, H&R 1871 LLC) is an American brand of firearms and a subsidiary of JJE Capital Holdings. H&R ceased independent production February 27, 2015. [1]

Contents

History

The original H&R firm was in business for over a century from 1871 to 1986. [2]

Frank Wesson, brother of Daniel B. Wesson who co-founded Smith & Wesson, started a firearms manufacturing firm in 1859, sharing an early patent with Nathan Harrington. Wesson produced two trigger rifles and spur trigger pistols and pocket rifles/shotguns popular for short length holster models such as the discontinued topper compact pocket shotguns. He started a brief partnership in 1871 with Harrington's nephew Gilbert Henderson Harrington, as Wesson & Harrington, until Harrington bought him out in 1874.

In 1875 Harrington and another former Wesson employee, William Augustus Richardson, formed the new Harrington & Richardson Company. In 1888 the firm was incorporated as The Harrington & Richardson Arms Company. Their original capital investment was $75,000. Harrington was president, Richardson was treasurer, and George F. Brooks was secretary. After the deaths of Harrington and Richardson in 1897, Brooks became the manager and the company was held by heirs Edwin C. Harrington (Gilbert Harrington's son) and Mary A. Richardson (William Richardson's wife).

In 1894 the company opened a new facility on Park Avenue in Worcester, Massachusetts. The factory was expanded again after a few years. Original rifles and shotguns from these dates are scarce because of their limited production and discontinued parts.

In 1950 the company opened a new facility on Cockburn street in Drummondville, Québec, Canada.

In the 1960s H&R was acquired by the Kidde corporation and run by the Rowe family. Warranty cards were sent to 'Industrial Rowe', Gardner, Massachusetts. [3] The original H&R company went out of business in 1986, and the building was demolished. [4]

A new company, H&R 1871, Inc., was formed in 1991 and started production of revolvers, single-shot rifles and shotguns using original H&R designs. H&R 1871, Inc. assets were subsequently sold to H&R 1871, LLC., a Connecticut LLC owned by Marlin Firearms Company in November 2000. H&R 1871, LLC. did not extend their product warranty to H&R guns made prior to the LLC's takeover.

Marlin, including all its H&R assets, was later acquired by Remington Arms Company in December, 2007. H&R 1871, LLC production was moved to Ilion, N.Y. (the site of Remington's original manufacturing plant) in late 2008, while their corporate offices are co-located with Remington Arms in Madison, N.C. (HR1871.com and Remington.com). [ citation needed ] Remington, along with its Marlin and H&R subsidiaries, are now part of the Remington Outdoor Company. H&R 1871 production ceased 27 February 2015.

In the bankruptcy auction of Remington Outdoor Company the company was sold to JJE Capital Holdings, LLC. [5] This sale, however, still needs court approval. [6] JJE currently owns several firearms manufacturing companies, including Lead Star Arms and Palmetto State Armory. [7] Though there has been no official statement, Palmetto State Arms' social media indicates that JJE may produce M1 Garand rifles under the H&R brand. [8]

Locations

Some of the other factory addresses that Harrington & Richardson has used:

Military contributions

H&R built flare guns during World War I and a variety of military firearms during WW 2 including the Reising submachine gun, and a .22 cal training rifle for the USMC called the Leatherneck in several models. H&R was granted a contract to produce the M1 rifle during the Korean War, but the first deliveries of the rifles were not made until after the armistice. H&R was the exclusive manufacturer of the US test version of the FN FAL, designated the T48 rifle, in the trials to select a replacement service rifle for the M1 Garand, but the US Army Ordnance Department instead adopted the M1-derived T44 as "US Rifle M-14", awarding H&R one of three contracts to produce the M14 rifle during that rifle's production cycle (1959–1964). H&R also manufactured M16A1 rifles during the Vietnam War and is one of only four manufacturers (along with Colt, Fabrique Nationale, & GM Hydramatic Division) to have ever made an official M16 variant for the U.S. Military. [2] Due to their relative scarcity, all H&R military weapons are considered highly desirable by collectors.

Miscellaneous

Handcuff patents

Products

Revolvers

H&R Revolver of Top-Break design H&R Top Break.jpg
H&R Revolver of Top-Break design
Early break-action model with factory pearl grips. H&R TopBreak, Pearl Grips.jpg
Early break-action model with factory pearl grips.
H&R Revolver of Top-Break design with knife H&R Knife pistol.jpg
H&R Revolver of Top-Break design with knife
The 3rd model of the .38 S&W H&R Hammerless Safety came out in 1909. Flat springs common to the first two models were replaced with coil wire. Hless safety.jpg
The 3rd model of the .38 S&W H&R Hammerless Safety came out in 1909. Flat springs common to the first two models were replaced with coil wire.
H&R Vest-Pocket Self-Cocker (Early model) H&R Vest-Pocket Self-Cocker, old type.jpg
H&R Vest-Pocket Self-Cocker (Early model)
H&R The American Double Action H&R American DA right side.jpg
H&R The American Double Action
H&R Double Action Safety Hammer H&R Double Action Safety Hammer right side.jpg
H&R Double Action Safety Hammer
H&R model 900 9-shot .22 Revolver H&R .22 Revolver (8277131674).jpg
H&R model 900 9-shot .22 Revolver

Note: Pre-1898 solid frame revolvers were designed for use with black powder loads. Using smokeless powder rounds with these revolvers may cause damage to the revolver and/or injury to the user.

Note: Many of the above guns are stamped as "H&R .22 Special" / ".22 W.R.F." or ".22 Winchester Rim Fire"

Pistols

H&R Self-Loading (Automatic) Pistol H&R selfloader.jpg
H&R Self-Loading (Automatic) Pistol

Handy-Guns

H&R Handy Gun H&R Handy Gun.jpg
H&R Handy Gun

Shotguns

20 GA NEF Pardner shotgun Pardner.jpg
20 GA NEF Pardner shotgun
H&R Tamer Shotgun 20 GA HR-Tamer-20.jpg
H&R Tamer Shotgun 20 GA

Rifles

H&R Handi-Rifle .44 Magnum with scope HR-Handi-Rifle-44mag.jpg
H&R Handi-Rifle .44 Magnum with scope
H&R Ultra-Varmint-Rifle .223 Rem with red dot sight HR-Ultra-Varmint-Rifle-223.jpg
H&R Ultra-Varmint-Rifle .223 Rem with red dot sight

Muzzle loading firearms

H&R produced muzzle loading firearms under the Huntsman and Sidekick models, during two different periods. The first period of muzzleloaders used a push in style breech plug and was available in 12-gauge, .58 caliber,and .45 caliber. After reports of hang fires causing injuries and mishaps this model was discontinued in the late seventies.

The Huntsman name returned on a newly redesigned muzzle loading rifle in the mid-nineties, there were two models produced in this period, marketed under both the H&R and New England Firearms brands as the Huntsman and the Sidekick. Both were based on the new threaded breech plug design; the Huntsman had the same lug pattern as the Pardner Shotgun and Handirifle lines produced at the time allowing for the Huntsman Barrel to be fitted to those actions while the sidekick had a shorter lug to pivot pin distance. The difference in the barrel lug position made the Huntsman applicable to standard firearms laws requiring a background check as centerfire and shotgun barrels could be exchanged on the same receiver, while the Sidekick was considered a muzzle loading firearm and did not require a background check for purchase. The Huntsman and Sidekick models were available in blued and stainless finish, fiber optic sights, and 24" or 26"(magnum) 1 in 28" twist barrels.

The Huntsman barrel was available through the barrel accessory program on rifle or shotgun frames

Ramrod

The Huntsman and Sidekick muzzle loaders used a telescoping threaded ramrod that was designed to be able to be placed forward of the forearm lug and still match barrel length. The rod would be used to place the projectile the majority of the way down the barrel with the rod collapsed, then the rod would be extended in order to fully seat the projectile on the charge.

Breech plug design

The new breech plug design utilized an orange Zytel plastic primer carrier that aligned the primer over the breech plug, could be removed easily with gloved or cold hands, and served as a flag indicator that the firearm was primed. There were two different threaded breech plugs that were designed for the Huntsman and Sidekick lines, one 5/8 and the other 7/8 that utilized a proprietary tool to fit in a slotted head. The 7/8 was introduced first and was redesigned with the later production utilizing the 5/8 design.

Numerous aftermarket breech plugs were designed and marketed for the Huntsman and Sidekick line offering the ability to use a bare primer, percussion caps, musket caps, and primed pistol cartridges like the later introduced Remington 700 ML.

  • H&R Huntsman: (first design, produced in the 1970s) Push in Breech plug design, available in 12 Gauge, .58 caliber,.45 caliber.
  • H&R / New England Firearms Huntsman: (second design, produced in the 1990s) Threaded breech plug design, available in .50 caliber.
  • H&R / New England Firearms Sidekick: (second design, produced in the 1990s) Threaded breech plug design, available in .50 caliber. Modified version of second design Huntsman with shorter pivot pin to lug distance.

Barrel Accessory Program

H&R1871 offered a barrel accessory program that allowed owners to send in and have additional barrels fitted to their existing frames. The program offered rifle, shotgun, and muzzle loading barrels to be fitted to receivers produced after 1987. The barrel accessory program was discontinued in 2014.

Military

Reising Submachine Gun Model-50.jpg
Reising Submachine Gun

Cartridges

1889 Hartley & Graham Catalog, .32 cal central fire cartridges, marketing the 32 Harrington & Richardson Cartridge. Note the charge of 15 grains of black powder under an 88 grain projectile, and the groove depicted on the bullet just outside of the neck of the case. The .32 S&W Long is not depicted here as it was invented until 1896. 1889 UMC Hartley Graham.png
1889 Hartley & Graham Catalog, .32 cal central fire cartridges, marketing the 32 Harrington & Richardson Cartridge. Note the charge of 15 grains of black powder under an 88 grain projectile, and the groove depicted on the bullet just outside of the neck of the case. The .32 S&W Long is not depicted here as it was invented until 1896.

In the mid-1880s, Harrington & Richardson developed the proprietary 32 Harrington & Richardson (.32 H&R) cartridge for their large frame 6-shot .32 cal revolvers, specifically the Manual Ejecting and Automatic Ejection Double Action Revolvers. [9] [22] The 32 H&R cartridge was dimensionally longer than many other contemporary .32 caliber pistol cartridges, including the .32 S&W, .32 Short Colt, and .32 Long Colt, and was loaded with a stout 15 grains of black powder over an 88 grain projectile (compared to the 10 grain charge of the contemporary .32 S&W, or the 13 grain charge of the contemporary .32 Long Colt). This hot loading at the time made the .32 H&R almost as powerful as the .32-20 Winchester rifle cartridge. The cartridge can also be identified by a distinct groove cut into the lead bullet just outside of the neck of the case.

Like the .32 Long Colt, The black powder .32 H&R was eventually rendered obsolete by the popularity of the .32 S&W Long introduced in 1896 and the development of smokeless powders. Note that the black powder .32 H&R developed in the 1880s should not be confused with the modern smokeless powder .32 H&R Magnum, developed over 100 years later in 1984.

In 1983, Harrington & Richardson worked with Federal Cartridge Company to jointly develop the .32 H&R Magnum. [23] The .32 H&R Magnum is produced by lengthening the .32 S&W Long case by .155", to 1.075".

The .32 H&R Magnum offers substantially more performance than most other .32 caliber handgun cartridges, such as the .32 ACP, and is considered an effective small-game hunting cartridge. Its higher velocity [24] offers a flat trajectory, while the light weight of the bullet results in low recoil.

See also

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References

  1. H&R Firearms Reportedly Stops Production, Now Only an Importer, By Foghorn – November 2, 2015
  2. 1 2 "About Us" Archived 2007-08-09 at the Wayback Machine by Harrington & Richardson at the H&R 1871 website
  3. Molina, Roger (2011). My Life, Our Lives. iUniverse. p. 652. ISBN   978-1-4502-9649-6.
  4. "Walgreens Pharmacy Locations in Worcester, MA | Walgreens". www.walgreens.com.
  5. "IN THE UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ALABAMA NORTHERN DIVISION|In re: REMINGTON OUTDOOR COMPANY, INC., et al.|Chapter 11 Case No. 20-81688-CRJ11" (PDF). thetruthaboutguns.com. September 27, 2020. Retrieved 2020-09-29.
  6. C, Luke (2020-09-27). "A House Divided: Remington Asset Bids Come to Light". The Firearm Blog. Retrieved 2020-09-29.
  7. "Portfolio Companies". JJE Capital Holdings. Retrieved 2020-09-29.
  8. "Can we discuss JJE/PSA's acquisition of Harrington & Richardson? UPDATE: PSA responds... GARANDS! - AR15.COM". www.ar15.com. Retrieved 2020-09-29.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Flayderman, Norm (3 December 2007). Flayderman's Guide to Antique American Firearms and Their Values. Gun Digest Books. p. 274. ISBN   978-1-4402-2651-9.
  10. Schroeder, Joseph (24 August 2007). Gun Digest Handbook Collectible American Guns. Iola, Wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. p. 77. ISBN   978-1-4402-2663-2.
  11. "Handcuff". patents.google.com. December 18, 1934. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  12. "Handcuff". patents.google.com. February 9, 1926. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  13. "Handcuff". patents.google.com. November 13, 1945. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  14. Warner, Ken (1990). Gun Digest 1991 45th Annual Edition. DBI Books. p. 292.
  15. Smith, Walter Harold Black; Joseph Edward Smith (1968). The W.H.B. Smith Classic Book of Pistols. Stackpole Books. p. 739.
  16. The .410 bore and 28 gauge H&R 'Handy-Gun' are smooth bore pistols, regulated under the National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA), and must be registered with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) as an "Any Other Weapon". "Any Other Weapon", as defined in 26 U.S.C., § 5845(e), means any weapon or device capable of being concealed on the person from which a shot can be discharged through the energy of an explosive, a pistol or revolver having a barrel with a smooth bore designed or redesigned to fire a fixed shotgun shell, weapons with combination shotgun and rifle barrels 12 inches or more, less than 18 inches in length, from which only a single discharge can be made from either barrel without manual reloading, and shall include any such weapon which may be readily restored to fire. Such term shall not include a pistol or revolver having a rifled bore, or rifled bores, or weapons designed, made, or intended to be fired from the shoulder and not capable of firing fixed ammunition.
  17. A rifled-barrel H&R 'Handy-Gun' is not subject to the National Firearms Act of 1934 unless accompanied by a shoulder stock.
  18. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-08-07. Retrieved 2011-08-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  19. "Advanced Armament Corp. Announces Handi-Rifle Chambered in 300 AAC Blackout". Ammoland. September 17, 2012.
  20. 2010 Standard Catalog of Firearms, 2009, Krause Publications, Inc.
  21. Excerpted from The M1 Garand: Owner's Guide, 1994, Scott A. Duff.
  22. "HARRINGTON & RICHARDSON". GunData.com.
  23. "The .32 H&R Magnum". shootingtimes.com. 15 March 2019.
  24. Ballistics By The Inch .32H&R results.

2014 H&R Arms Company 1871-1986 A Historical Reference for the Modern Collector https://www.gunshowbooks.com/cgi-bin/webc.exe/st_prod.html?p_prodid=GS44305 (William Goforth) Gun Show Books Publishing

Sources