H&R 622 .22LR revo: okay cheap plinker?

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MatthewVanitas

MatthewVanitas

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Greetings, a local pawnshop has a H&R 622 .22LR revolver in the case, asking $119 for it. I'm thinking that's way high, and just passed up a chance to buy a decent one on Gunbroker for $67 (shipping included).

If I can get it for around $70-some in trade items, is it a decent little plinker? It's kind of endearing in a crude, boxy sort of way, and seems pretty sturdy. I will, of course, do Mr March's checkup before making an offer. Is there any special 622-specific wear points or commonly-broken parts to watch for? I've heard mention of some plastic part in the mainspring assembly that tends to break.

I figure a man can't have too many little plinking guns laying about, stocking-stuffers and whatnot. Thanks for any info; they stopped making these before I was born. Take care,

-MV
 
Too late...

Traded a bit, so I'm about $65 into it. It's a quirky little thing, but charming in its own way. Though I'm not rich, I'm certainly not poor, and I already own far nicer plinkers, but this little sixgun still pleases me.
 

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Very nice find Matthew :)

damn pawn shop plinkers on the cheap, found an m1 carbine look alike by iver johnson today for 1 bill, the only thing that held me off is its missing the rear iron peep sight because someone had mounted a scope, but never returned it before pawning it :)

seeing that I don't own a semi auto .22 yet and the fact it looks and feels like an m1 carbine in the hands, its got the old schoolness going for it, any ol 10/22 ruger would do, but this being a m1 carbineish lookalike definately would also do too :D

your right, you can't own enough good plinkers and now Im like wanting more, lots more :D :D :D

Im guessing Ill have to make the Austin trip for sure after the first of the year so we can try each others new toys out eh?

Take care bud
J
 
Matt - as a plinker it's Ok but - as I am sure you know - a Single Six it ain't!;)

However - chances are it'll do all you want, tho to me they feel too light!! That said - I expect you will have a loada fun - cheap fun at that!
 
"Lack of quality has a quantity all of its own..."

You think it's light? It weights about the same as my solid-stainless-steel Bearcat. I'm pretty sure that the actual frame on this piece is decently sturdy.

Any advice on maintaining/improving it? Is it safe to dry-fire?

I'd be glad to hear any info or advice you have on this piece. I know it's nothing fancy, and I have much nicer .22s, but there's just something about this clunky little sixgun.

I'll have to go take some more artsy photos of it later on. -MV
 
Well - I was perhaps misremebering re weight - just thought it was a lighter weight deal.

Anyways - dry fire? Well my own mantra for rimfire (even if maker says otherwise) is that it is not too good. Simply because pin has to strike cartridge rim against chamber periphery/breech face - which acts as the anvil. I know Ruger says its OK - and transfer bar systems seem to be OK usually but still - I'd prefer some snap caps - they of course with 22's don't last too long!

Pics would be good - don't have much more to offer as - tho I have fired one - it is not something I have in my collection.
 
Took it out shooting today

Went with a classmate who's Army Reserve, his Colombian student girlfriend, and another Colombian gal. Great time for all parties involved, and first time shooting for the Colombianas.

Being pretty pessimistic, I only tried out the H&R at short range, around 7m. It actually was quite accurate for a short barrel. I'm absolutely horrible at sixgun DA, and even with the H&R's slightly heavy DA pull, I was pretty satisfied.

Downsides: in the at-rest position, the hammer blocks the sights. So if you want to fire DA, you need to pull slightly on the trigger to clear the sights, then pull all the way to fire, or else develop a _really_ quick sight picture as you fire. In order to save on moving parts, H&R decided to avoid the whole "ejection" issue, so the standard procedure is to remove the cylinder after each load, and poke out the empties with the cylinder pin.

Overall, I'm quite satisfied for my $65. Seems like a fun and durable piece of gear, and cool in an odd little way. Will post more pics later on down the road.

-MV
 
H&R 622 was the first handgun that I ever bought. That was about 1972. Since then I have bought and traded probably a hundred guns, and I still have that H&R 622. Years ago it got quite a bit of use, but still looks and shoots great. It is probably the least expensive gun that I ever bought.
 
Im guessing that trip to Austin is unavoidable :D Matthew. After the first of the year like we discussed, I promise. This is just one more thing to look forward to :D playing with.

Glad its worth your 65 bucks.

Cheers
J
 
jeremywills said:
Very nice find Matthew :)

damn pawn shop plinkers on the cheap, found an m1 carbine look alike by iver johnson today for 1 bill, the only thing that held me off is its missing the rear iron peep sight because someone had mounted a scope, but never returned it before pawning it :)

I'd highly reccomend getting that gun for one bill as a rear sight should not set you back very much and if you don't not like the gun after all, you could probably come close to doubling your money on it unless it is thrashed.

The only H&R revolvers I really like are the top break 22lr 999 types but for $65(what did you trade?) I would have almost surely picked it up too. Will be a nice gun to have around but once you get a gun like a S&W mod 17 or 18 you may never shoot the H&R again!
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I traded a Yugo 59/66 SKS that I bought for $79, and the p'shop gave me the H&R and a couple boxes of 9mm.

In retrospect, I should have offered the SKS and a $20 for the H&R and an old Glenfield .22 (Marlin 60 equivalent). $99 for the pair would have been sweet.

I've seen the 999 and such, but they're always more than I want to spend for H&R. I have a Bearcat and MkII, so I'm pretty well covered for all practical intents and purposes.

I've shot a 617, but it was years ago, but I seem to recall that I liked it. I certainly wouldn't mind finding a 63 (stainless .22LR J-frame), but they're getting scalper's prices these days.

I'm not a big guy, so I like Kit Guns and Carbines.

I'll try and take a series of 622 pics, like the one attached above, after the holidays are over. If anyone wants one, I saw one go for $59 + $8s/h on Gunbroker this week, so maybe if you keep your eyes open...

-MV
 
Shelley and I own two "swing out" H&R revolvers in .22 l.r.

We also own two in .32 S&W Long. I wouldn't trade my H&R revolvers for anything short of a Charter Arms, Ruger, Colt or S&W! These are fun revolvers that give us hours of plinking fun. When the occasion calls for it, both the .22 and .32 revolvers serve well as resident "pest eradicators". Reliable and accurate and can be had at popular prices. What more can one ask? :cool:

Scott:D
 
Glad to hear that other folks like their H&Rs

I'm almost tempted to make a hobby of collecting cheap plinkers, but I think I'll just stick to playing with them and then passing them off to Less Fortunate Shooters. I've made a few shooting friends who are in the "starving artist" or student category, so I figure there's always someone who can get a cheap plinker out from under me when I get tired of it.

I was tempted by a $139 Hi-Standard Sentinel recently, but I checked THR and those revos have a really mixed rep; sounds more like an $89 revo the way folks describe it. Too bad, their semi 22s were praised to the skies.

A local gunshop also has a Taurus (Rossi?) J-frame-sized 22LR stainless revo for $199 or so. I'm tempted to lowball them on that one if it doesn't move. But it's harder to get out from under a semi-cheap sixgun. Ironically, probably harder than getting out from under a dirt-cheap or a quality.

I console myself by reminding me that the inexpensive plinkers will eventually be passed along, "for what I've got in it", to Less Fortunate Shooters.

-MV
 
I hope you are satisfied because

MatthewVanitas said:
Went with a classmate who's Army Reserve, his Colombian student girlfriend, and another Colombian gal. Great time for all parties involved, and first time shooting for the Colombianas.

Being pretty pessimistic, I only tried out the H&R at short range, around 7m. It actually was quite accurate for a short barrel. I'm absolutely horrible at sixgun DA, and even with the H&R's slightly heavy DA pull, I was pretty satisfied.

-MV
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I hope you are satisfied because I was crusing through my favorite over priced gun peddlers (Collectors, Houston) to get some ammo for my FN 1922 and......:uhoh: what do I see:scrutiny: a H&R 622, 2 1/2" barrel, blued :what: . It was priced at $130 in very good condition. I looked it over. I had two other H&R/NEF pistols in the past (and a carload of shotguns:p ) the last was more of a single-action style with a 7 1/2" barrel (sold it to a sometime employer:banghead: ). Shot it better than my current Ruger Mrk I, 6":( .
Any way this one went into my perpetual lay-away I have with those guys:D .

kjeff50cal
PS- Now as to the Colombianas:D ....
 
Wow, we have one big family of H&R/NEF revos going on. Mine is still the ghettoest though, what with having to remove the cylinder to unload, etc.

I was kind of hoping someone else would outdo my "artsy" revolver photo. I try to use natural lighting instead of flash, and get some odd angles. C'mon guys, let's get a little more bohemian on the gun pics...

-MV
 
Don't kid yourself...

H&R/NEF are an excellent value for the money! I want a NEF in .32 H&R Magnum with a custom 6" barrel! I believe that it would make a wonderful antipersonnel/small game revolver!

Would anyone care to argue or agree with that postulate?

Scott
 
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That is a fairly ghetto-tastic little number. For years I have thought them far too ugly and crude, but because of this post, I have seen the light.

I must have one... then I am going to have it nickeled or hard-chromed!
 
Grey54956 said:
That is a fairly ghetto-tastic little number. For years I have thought them far too ugly and crude, but because of this post, I have seen the light.

I must have one... then I am going to have it nickeled or hard-chromed!
Click to expand...

Hey, it's solid steel and it goes bang every time. Whaddya want, egg in your beer? *grin*

The whole coolness is that it's incredibly simple yet effective. You pick up some pot metal .25, you can feel it's cheap. You pick up the H&R/NEF, and you feel that it's solid, tight, and doesn't care a whit for anything but projecting lead. Not pretty in the slightest, all business.

Revolver minimalism at its finest.

Don't make me take more hazy artsy black&white photographs to show the raw primal grace of this sixgun!

-MV
 
MatthewVanitas said:
Hey, it's solid steel and it goes bang every time. Whaddya want, egg in your beer? *grin*

The whole coolness is that it's incredibly simple yet effective. You pick up some pot metal .25, you can feel it's cheap. You pick up the H&R/NEF, and you feel that it's solid, tight, and doesn't care a whit for anything but projecting lead. Not pretty in the slightest, all business.

Revolver minimalism at its finest.

Don't make me take more hazy artsy black&white photographs to show the raw primal grace of this sixgun!

-MV
Click to expand...

I couldn't have said it better myself! I am convinced that these handguns can handle the higher-pressure loads that most handloaders, within reasonable pressure limits, can introduce to both the .32 S&W Long and the .32 H&R Magnum revolvers!

One must remember that H&R was the original home of the .32 H&R Magnum (hence the name). :D These are NOT "Saturday Night Specials". Just simple, hard working revolvers, that could be purchased at reasonable prices.

I enjoy my H&R revolvers almost as much as I enjoy my "top end" handguns! :cool:

Scott
 
I've got a 9 shot NEF model (94 I think) that is my compainion in the woods. Works great and I don't mind it getting wet / muddy / whatever. Can't remember what I paid for it but it was cheaper than the .32H&R they had - don't know why I didn't buy the .32, as I've always wanted on. Shoulda bought both, but then I couldn't complain.

Is there anyway to get at the guts of these guns to clean? Or should I not tread where angels don't go?
 
tuna said:
I've got a 9 shot NEF model (94 I think) that is my compainion in the woods. Works great and I don't mind it getting wet / muddy / whatever. Can't remember what I paid for it but it was cheaper than the .32H&R they had - don't know why I didn't buy the .32, as I've always wanted on. Shoulda bought both, but then I couldn't complain.

Is there anyway to get at the guts of these guns to clean? Or should I not tread where angels don't go?
Click to expand...

Take off the grips, turn the revolver over, spray it out with brake cleaner, use gun grease on all the major bearing points. Clean as usual, lubricate well with Break-free, or similar lubricant.

If you can, buy the .32 revolvers (if you can find them.) You won't regret it! (By the way, our .32 Longs are as accurate as the day is long! :eek: No pun intended!) :D :cool:

Scott
 
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