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Handi 300 BLK Action opened at the shot.

4K views 52 replies 19 participants last post by  Jdcujo 
#1 ·
Hello all: I have had this Handi rifle for a number of years now. My 9 year old son & I may be doing a mentored deer hunt this season. The Handi in 300 BLK looked to be a good option with the youth stock due to fit and weight. Well I was attempting to work down a good plinking load for him to get comfortable with.

While working down this load I Had the action open at the shot. Bullet stayed in the barrel due to the brass being ejected at the shot. caught the brass low in the eye brow and messed up my eye in a substantial fashion. Ended up with a few stitches an eye that was so swollen that I could not open at all for 3 days and a trauma induced Cataract. just thankful to still have sight in this eye.

Needless to say I have no desire to allow my son to shoot this rifle going forward. Glad I was the one experience this unfortunate event as opposed to my son.

Still I hope to attain a better understanding of the Handi rifle, as well as how this rifle should handle a over pressure load. I am questioning if I had a secondary explosion perhaps causing my unfortunate experience. Wish to evaluate this rifle for faults or failure and I suppose I am seeking a bit of guidance here as well. Certainly do not want to pass this rifle on to someone else to experience a similar issue in the future.

Thank you for your input.
 
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#2 ·
Some powders aren't made to be loaded light. I'd say the bullet not exiting caused a pressure spike forced to the rear. As you found out the painful way it can be as bad as over loaded loads.
 
#3 ·
I'm sorry to hear this. More experts will be along to help you with this situation. If you elect to still part with it, I would be more than happy to take a chance on the rifle. You are welcome to PM me to negotiate a deal on it.
Thanks
Stew

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#5 · (Edited)
We need more info about the load. If the rifle never opened upon firing before this was a one-off based on something other than barrel to latch fitment. I suspect you were working with subsonics where the first rule is to start high and work your way down. That's the reverse of what we've been taught with supersonic loading and where some may experience problems. You say twice that you were working a load down so maybe you started too low.

DON'T PART WITH IT! You need to find out what has happened and determine if it's still safe to shoot. I recommend sending it to an authorized service center or test firing it several times with a 50ft string until you feel confident you have solved the problem and test firing shows it's safe to fire. Then and only them would I recommend sending Stew a PM asking $450 for the rifle. He knows they're rare and worth alot more than what they sold for in the past.

Do you reside in South Dakota?

Thanks, Dinny
 
#6 ·
Another thing to think about is how well the barrel is matched to the receiver. If the lockup is a bit too tight, the receiver's barrel catch will barely catch the barrel lug. I've seen this multiple times in barrels and receivers I have mated. If it's barely catching, it might appear to be locked up, but in fact it is not fully locked. That could cause it to pop open when fired. It's easy enough to fix with some light stoning on the rear of the lug. The thumb plunger for the barrel release needs to pop back up when the barrel closes and locks. If it doesn't, you're not really locked up.

And if you don't want it, I've been looking for a 300 BLK Barrel for awhile, so I'd buy the barrel or entire gun from you.
 
#7 ·
Allow me excuse myself. I was half asleep when I posted last night. Welcome to GBO and I'm glad your injury wasn't any worse than it is. Like you I have a young son and would have been sick to my stomach if it would have happened to him.

You've come to the right place for all things Handi. Our membership consists of a number of people who are knowledgeable and caring and a few who forgot how to send certain things via PM.

Thanks, Dinny
 
#8 ·
A few replies before I am off to work. Excuse me if I do not catch you all right now. Yes I am from South Dakota for starters:)

There was only one bullet in the barrel

Load data not to be reproduced for obvious reasons was slightly less than half a charge(7.5 GR) of Vitivori n120 pushing a 125 gr Hornady SP lit with a WW small rifle primer.

I have been experiencing difficulty getting the action to close. I was contemplating head space as the Issue. No such difficulty closing the action was apparent on the shot that did the damage to self.

Off to work! more later.

Thanks for all the input again!
 
#9 ·
My guess is maybe you didn't have it closed all the way or the latch is faulty. id say the bullet stuck in the barrel and the case flew out not because of detonation or a squib load but because the pressure of the burning gases is the same everywhere and the case has less friction holding it in then the bullet. Especially since you said you've had problems closing the action id about bet it never closed properly. Not handy but the first shotgun I ever had was a single shot savage and after some years it didn't latch properly and would open when it was fired and eject the shell out and it didn't have an ejector. But with the lighter pressures of a shotgun it just kind of popped out and fell on the ground. After a year or so of that dad sent it in to savage and they replaced the latch and it never did it again. Told dad it slowed me down for a second shot:tango_face_wink:
 
#42 · (Edited)
My guess is maybe you didn't have it closed all the way or the latch is faulty. id say the bullet stuck in the barrel and the case flew out not because of detonation or a squib load but because the pressure of the burning gases is the same everywhere and the case has less friction holding it in then the bullet. Especially since you said you've had problems closing the action id about bet it never closed properly. Not handy but the first shotgun I ever had was a single shot savage and after some years it didn't latch properly and would open when it was fired and eject the shell out and it didn't have an ejector. But with the lighter pressures of a shotgun it just kind of popped out and fell on the ground. After a year or so of that dad sent it in to savage and they replaced the latch and it never did it again. Told dad it slowed me down for a second shot:tango_face_wink:
Looking through everything here and examining the rifle I am of the opinion Lloyd has the answer fairly well summed up here. I have experimented fairly extensively with this rifle and dummy rounds. As long as I hear the distinct click of the action closing I am not able to force the action open. After thorough examination I am clear I could & likely did make the mistake of pulling the hammer back without the action having locking closed. Pull the trigger without the action locked & the butt of this youth stocked gun not tightly against my shoulder & bad things can and unfortunatly did happen.


My memory may not be the greatest yet I do not recall hearing the distinct click when closing the action. I do not believe the action was fully closed & most importantly latched. SEE may or may not have been part of the equation. In my mind. I am of the belief this would not have happened if the action had been fully closed & latched.
 
#10 ·
Take a q-tip and rubbing alcohol and make sure locking shelf is clean, both receiver side and barrel.


If your going to play with cat sneeze loads I strongly recomend getting yourself a stash of Red Dot.


3 to 6 grains will give you good accuracy, very light recoil, moderate speed, which along with a nice big chunk of lead is more than enough to give a deer a bad hair day.


I've had a few actions pop on firing, but never stuck a round in the barrel or got brass in the head.


Best of luck to you and heal fast.
Just N of you in Fargo ND
 
#12 ·
I was also thinking oil on latch shelf, and as Dave stated about the oversized COAL. I had the same problem making dummy rounds for my maxis as well. Had one just a little too long and would not eject immediately but did after a delay

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#13 ·
That can only happen if it's not latched completely or the latch spring is weak. Slam it shut the same way every time, making certain it's closed. I know, too late but wear eye protection- we're all guilty of skipping that step sometimes.

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#14 ·
Ok I agree sending this in to authorized service center may be prudent. As competent as this crowd seems to be about all things NEF I am hopeful that a suggestion on a preferred service center or two may roll out here. Hoping some may have a suggestion based on super service provided as opposed to contacting Remington and dealing with a more random chance of receiving optimum service with this matter.

BTW I was wearing glasses when the incident occurred. Don't care to imagine the outcome if I had not. The impression of the base of the cartridge in the lens is how I was sure I took the brass in the eye as opposed to the scope.

I am a machinist by trade so there is a big part of me that wishes to dig in to this on my own. At this point & under the circumstances I'll feel much better having the right seasoned eyes looking this over.

Cant put into words how much I appreciate the input by all!
 
#15 ·
I doubt you'll get any recommendation for a specific service center because everyone that's use them wasn't happy with the service, and that was before H&R stopped production in 2015, what you'll get now is anyone's guess, you'd be better off having a local smith check it out, there's no warranty on it any more if that's a consideration. We used to get excellent service from Gardner and Illion, Gardner closed in 2008, and they closed Ilion in 2015 and sold or scrapped all the equipment.

Tim

https://www.usacarry.com/directory/category/gunsmiths/
 
#16 ·
Just a few thoughts for consideration, if it was mine, and if the stuck bullet has been removed and there's no damage to the bore from the removal, and the barrel still locks up nice and tight, I'd shoot it with normal loads, you might want to do as Dinny suggested and tie the gun to a tire and fire it remotely just as a precaution, but more than likely it wasn't damaged if the barrel still locks up tight on the frame with the forend removed, the mounted forend can make it appear tight when it isn't. We've had some serious "blow ups" for lack of better terms, but the gun was usually undamaged. One member had a friend chamber and fire a 7.62 Russian round in his 243 Handi, the bullet exited the bore and they couldn't open the action, it was sent to H&R, they replaced the barrel because it set the underlug back(which would make the barrel lose on the frame), but the frame was fine. I've personally cut and crowned a barrel for a friend that left a short brass rod in the barrel after removing stuck brass from his 223, he fired a round which left a walnut near the muzzle, gun was fine after the cut and crown.

Tim
 
#18 ·
Wayne York would be my first recommendation. Oregunsmithing is his shop name.

Thanks, Dinny
 
#21 ·
Has anyone ever seen one of them little 300 AAC Handi's that shot worth a darn? Of the ones I have seen, not a one of them made their owners all that happy in the accuracy department.
 
#23 ·
If shooting handloads Handi's are very picky about the brass being too long. It was bad in my .270 until I realized how long the brass would stretch after just one reload. You can bet that I measure and trim any 30/30 A.I. brass that I fire now, altho that seldom if ever stretches. But I do have a LOT of rounds that I loaded up many years ago as plain jane 30/30 rounds, and some of those will stretch.
 
#24 ·
I have heard that Wayne York as Dinny and Tim stated is really great. I have a factory Maxi that he trimmed the barrel and re crowned. Excellent work. Just scared for you this time of year you may not get this rifle back in time for this year's deer season. Another option is a Ruger American 300 BLK for about the same money as the value of your AAC Blk. I currently am looking at the Traditions G2 300 BLK. Much more affordable and a fluted threaded stainless barrel

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#25 ·
It's also possible that that one case was a bit long so it felt tightly locked up but wasn't. I'd ditch that load and fire a box of factory ammo through it (tied to a stump and fired with a long string) after doing the other recommendations.


I had this happen to me but it was just long enough that it wouldn't fully close. I pulled that round down and it was the only one like that.


Ttony
 
#26 ·
Very sorry to read of the problems.

Guys have many plausible reasons this could of occurred.

Reminds if of the poor bugger who had the ar style junk stock collapse on him. He also lost an eye too..

VERY SCARY. SO GLAD TO READ it was not worse! (PLENTY BAD ENOUGH) Hope it's not to dibilating and that you heal fast!

As for the gun...

First is it factory fit to the receiver? Is it engraved with the receivers SN?

I ask because some dont properly fit a barrel to a receiver and problems such as this are prone.

Our First thought when ever I read of pop Opens is a dirty/oily shelf and latch. You cannot see under the latch without disassembly. Its easy enough to clean with a Q tip as suggested. Then barrel shelf and rest of latch with clean patches.
This can easily occur simply by sitting with a oily bore. The oil migrates down the barrel into the action via that shelf and latch.

Closing problems...

Is that empty and loaded or just when loaded?

Are you shooting hand loads or factory?

Does this hard/difficult Closing occur with all ammo?

CW
 
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