[RS]

A few years ago I bought this H&R 999 from a friend that
bought a small collection. The bore is excellent and action
is tight, it is single action only with a very nice trigger. The
height of the front sight is adjustable with a screw. I believe
this revolver is from the mid to late 1930's and found it in a
1939 catalog showing five different types of grips you could
install. The pin on the left side will remove the cylinder when
the action is open. I have shot 22 long rifle at the regular range,
it also likes 22 longs when you can find them. Recently I found
a box of CCI 22short target and tried this out at 15 feet.

 

[Richard in NY*]

Very nice!

 

[Shoots High]

That's a nice shooting revolver you have there. Too bad H + R is out of business. I think we have Remington to thank for that.

 

[iskra]

Hi RS & contrats on a nice gun! I can't speak to the very early - pre WWI - H&R or Iver Johnson genres in centerfire chamberings. But from pre WWII up to whenever for IJ and into early eighties for H&R, they reflected quite decent price competitive guns! They crafted fun as functional handguns in economic reach of many folks. I have some quite decent Colts and S&W handguns, but also a few of those more than 'also-ran' breed of handguns more price-point friendly. My observation as a genre, their greatest weakness as pesky, "triggers", often long, heavy & uneven pulls. I've never tried a SAO trigger on one, but sounds like maybe toward solving the DA pull problems. Any case, learn to live with whatever trigger (or more often not even realizing 'better out there') they were great guns of their price point niches.
Lesser known, H&R made some damn nice rifles incorporating such as FN mauser actions or final act, Zavasta equivalents. I have one such Zavasta in 7mm, with a fabulous - likley Bishop contracted factory stock. But getting afield here.
My viewpoint made!
Best!
John

 

[frick]

Yes the "Rare" target model that's single action only, I have one as well.

Went through a stage with these, got one, and one for my dad and uncle, both remembered them from being young and shooting them.

 

[GuitarmanNick]

Very nice, sir.
Bought one new around 1979 and had problems with the rear sight breaking and falling out of the gun. Sent it back twice and lost the sight again before I fired the first 9 rounds.
The bottom of the sight had two skinny little legs that would snap off. Very poor design that could have easily been corrected by beefing up the part.
Instead, H&R bought the gun back under warranty.
Never got a chance to find out what ammo it liked.
Looking back, I wish I had kept it and fabricated a new rear sight.

 

[Gunhead]

Helllo,I had a 999 22 cal. but it was not a break open. It was a pull the pin to remove the cylinder type. very nice It was hard to use the notch rear site set up with a round almost 1/2 penny size front sight. It was DA & single. Your is A differant setup but very nice indeed!!

 

[pak75]

Very nice! I was looking for one of these when I found my High Standard Sentinel Deluxe. I still want a top break open revolver in .22lr.

 

[iskra]

Commenting re a few Posts...
My first own handgun an H&R -as I recall Model 922, a cylinder pin removal gun w 4" barrel. Decent but never like the pin removal necessity to reload!

"G" man, a bit disheartening as my 1980 vintage 999, pix below, almost surely the same "flimsy" as your context unless 'a quik fix' by the factory which I doubt! A "pretty face", cheap price... as "Hey Sailor" & I was easy!

Just recalled I have a 10 Ga x 3.5" Mag single shot H&R with 36" barrel. "The Intimidator" - my name for her! "It's what's up front that counts!" Great home defense gun but for... Suck away in gun safe somewhere. Don't recall seeing shells for it whereabouts in the house in last decade. Imagining middle of night rushing from the bedroom, catching that barrel in my robe & poll vault down the stairs. Any intruders, 'disabled' by rolling on floor... in laughter!

Best!

 

[Steve-OH]

A few years ago I bought this H&R 999 from a friend that
bought a small collection. The bore is excellent and action
is tight, it is single action only with a very nice trigger. The
height of the front sight is adjustable with a screw. I believe
this revolver is from the mid to late 1930's and found it in a
1939 catalog showing five different types of grips you could
install. The pin on the left side will remove the cylinder when
the action is open. I have shot 22 long rifle at the regular range,
it also likes 22 longs when you can find them. Recently I found
a box of CCI 22short target and tried this out at 15 feet.

Are you sure it's single action only? You might have something rather rare. I've read that H&R made some sa only 999's. I've never seen one myself. Great little guns.. Glad I got mine before prices went crazy on them. I see guys on GB asking up to $700 recently. People must be losing their minds I tell ya!
Edit: I see yours is a bit different than mine. Like I said, never seen one sa only.

 

[JB White]

I always wanted one and bought one in their final days of production.
I liked top breaks. The 999 was the 35th one in the cabinet.
Same complaints. Horrible trigger and the flimsy rear sight. Broken and replaced but it was a piece of chintz in my opinion.
Years after letting it go it was suggested I might have been able to fit a Ruger rear sight blade with some tedious fitting. Anyone ever heard similar?

To this day whenever I see a 999 I still want one. Hasn’t happened yet.

 

[RS]

I always wanted one and bought one in their final days of production.
I liked top breaks. The 999 was the 35th one in the cabinet.
Same complaints. Horrible trigger and the flimsy rear sight. Broken and replaced but it was a piece of chintz in my opinion.
Years after letting it go it was suggested I might have been able to fit a Ruger rear sight blade with some tedious fitting. Anyone ever heard similar?

To this day whenever I see a 999 I still want one. Hasn’t happened yet.

The left side of my barrel is marked H & R SPORTSMAN "single action only"

 

[JB White]

The left side of my barrel is marked H & R SPORTSMAN "single action only"

Curious. Are you emphasizing “single action only” or is it actually marked as such?

If your is 1930’s vintage then there is no comparison to the one I had circa 50 years younger. Still getting quality at a lower price point actually existed back when.
The later one I had was made when H&R proper was on a downhill skid to bankruptcy and shutdown.
Somewhere around the time certain popular H&R models were produced under the NEF label, and finally the resurrection as the H&R 1871 branding.
Under new management the quality improved a bit. However the “old 999” such as you have today never really arose from the ashes. Sad really, but the design itself didn’t lend itself to quality expected within its targeted market. So their focus leaned more towards the Handi-Rifle and not the top break revolver. Had they been able to mass market a similar revolver in 32 H&R Mag retailing less than the Ruger…??

I did buy a “Remington and Richardson” Handi in 45-70 though. About a year before their demise. Still have it with no plans to move it along. That’s a different story.

For now our focus should be on your 999. More pics along with answers to questions like:
How’s it shoot?
How’s it feel?
Ya like the trigger?
Where might I find one for $129 again?!

 

[Steve-OH]

The left side of my barrel is marked H & R SPORTSMAN "single action only"

I wonder just how many were made that way. Me thinks it's time to do some research to find out.

 

[free1954]

you can tell by looking at the trigger it's single action only. or it has the shortest pull of any double action revolver i ever seen.

 

[sean4570]

I got my 999 SA only back in 75-80. I also have a 199 as new in the box with $129.written in pen on the box!

 

[iskra]

Congrats! I'd love to have one of those 'SAO' guns genre reflected here! Early Post WWII, S&W offered such SAO in their Target K Frame .22 & .38 chamberings! I have a few of the traditional DA of that era. The SAO's are rare and $$$$. None the less, I'd be about acquiring one of those IJ Models... But for... Age where asset disposition overshadowing asset acquisition!
Not that anything of such sort on my mind nowadays, of course!
Best!
John

 

[capnduane]

My H&R 999 single action. It is superbly accurate and has a sweet trigger. I've had it since the early '80s. Used it as a camp gun and backup on Javilina hunts. Sweet little pistol.

 

[Fushigi Ojisan]

I've been on a .22lr revolver kick as of late, and it looks like some kind of H&R would be a wonderful addition to the fold.

So would you all recommend looking for a 999, or are other models also worth considering?

 

[sean4570]

I've been on a .22lr revolver kick as of late, and it looks like some kind of H&R would be a wonderful addition to the fold.

So would you all recommend looking for a 999, or are other models also worth considering?

An H&R 999 would be hard to come by today. I got mine back in the late70's-early 80's. They are bringing big money now, but not as much as a S&W model 17 dash 1,2,3.
I sold off my 17-3 last year for $750.00 (because I had gotten a 617 the year before).
As they say buy once cry once.
But the best you can afford (name brand) not hi-point, you will not lose money.
When I was young I never had money to put in the bank but always had money to buy a new gun!