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37-454: The original H&R firm was in business for over a century from 1871 to 1986. 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

74-509: A lever-action pistol and the first repeating rifle —the Volcanic. Production was in the shop of Horace Smith in Norwich, Connecticut . Originally using the name "Smith & Wesson Company", the name was changed to " Volcanic Repeating Arms Company" in 1855, with the addition of new investors, one of whom was Oliver Winchester . The Volcanic Repeating Arms Company obtained all rights for

111-476: 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. Daniel B. Wesson Daniel Baird Wesson (May 18, 1825 – August 4, 1906) was an American inventor and firearms designer. He helped develop several influential firearm designs over

148-414: 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

185-466: 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&R1871 offered

222-463: A small revolver designed to fire the rimfire cartridge they had patented in August 1854. This revolver was the first successful fully self-contained cartridge revolver available in the world. Smith & Wesson secured patents for the revolver to prevent other manufacturers from producing a cartridge revolver – giving the young company a very lucrative business. At the age of 65, Smith retired from

259-564: A summer home in Northborough on land partially belonging to his wife's family, which was completed in 1886 a cost of approximately $ 300,000. It is an example of shingle style architecture . The house had 17 fireplaces and 32 rooms, along with elaborate carvings, stained glass windows, and gas-lit chandeliers. Water for the house and grounds was sourced from a nearby pond, with a pumping station and cistern, fed by approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of pipe. After Wesson's death in 1906,

296-499: A year by 1865. The couple had one daughter and three sons: Sarah Jeannette Wesson (1848–1927); Walter Herbert Wesson (1850–1921); Frank Luther Wesson (1853–1887); and Joseph Hawes Wesson (1859–1920). Frank died in a train accident on the Central Vermont Railway . Walter and Joseph became executives at Smith & Wesson. In 1854, Daniel B. Wesson partnered with Horace Smith and Courtlandt Palmer to develop

333-704: Is listed on the National Register of Historic Places . Wesson also helped fund construction of the French Congregational Church and South Congregational Church , both in Springfield, Massachusetts. Wesson lived and worked in the city of Springfield, Massachusetts, building hospitals and a home there. Wesson’s primary home was located at 50 Maple Street in Springfield and was the city’s most extravagant mansion. Wesson hired New York architect Bruce Price to design his residence in

370-541: The .32 ACP , and is considered an effective small-game hunting cartridge. Its higher velocity offers a flat trajectory, while the light weight of the bullet results in low recoil. 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" H&R produced muzzle loading firearms under

407-514: The Hampden Homeopathic Hospital in Springfield through a donation of $ 100,000 in 1904. The hospital, later known as Wesson Memorial Hospital, switched from homeopathy to modern-day medicine in 1923, and became part of Baystate Medical Center through a merger in 1976. Grandson Douglas B. Wesson worked in the family business and helped create the .357 Magnum in the 1930s. Great-grandson Daniel B. Wesson II followed

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444-587: 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. As of September 2020, this sale, however, still needs court approval. JJE currently owns several firearms manufacturing companies, including Lead Star Arms and Palmetto State Armory. Though there has been no official statement, Palmetto State Arms' social media indicates that JJE may produce M1 Garand rifles under

481-547: 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. Due to their relative scarcity, all H&R military weapons are considered highly desirable by collectors. 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

518-644: 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

555-673: The H&R brand. Some of the other factory addresses that Harrington & Richardson has used: 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

592-454: 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 1970s. 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

629-433: 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

666-599: 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). Remington, along with its Marlin and H&R subsidiaries, are now part of

703-484: The Manual Ejecting and Automatic Ejection Double Action Revolvers. 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

740-518: The Volcanic designs (both rifle and pistol versions were in production by this time) as well as the ammunition, from the Smith & Wesson Company. Wesson remained as plant manager for eight months before rejoining Smith to found the " Smith & Wesson Revolver Company" upon obtaining the licensing of the Rollin White "rear loading cylinder" patent. In 1856, Smith & Wesson began to produce

777-637: The age of eighteen, when he apprenticed himself to his brother Edwin Wesson (a leading manufacturer of target rifles and pistols in the 1840s) in Northborough, Massachusetts . Wesson was married to Cynthia Maria Hawes, May 26, 1847, in Thompson, Connecticut . Hawes' father objected to the couple's engagement fearing that Wesson was a "mere gunsmith" with no future, forcing the couple to elope. Wesson's salary at Smith & Wesson amounted to over $ 160,000

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814-542: The building was demolished. 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

851-559: The company and sold his share of the business to Wesson, making him the sole owner of the firm. In the late 1800s the company introduced its line of hammerless revolvers, a style that is still produced. In 1899, Smith & Wesson introduced what is arguably the most famous revolver in the world, the .38 Military & Police (renamed the Model 10 in 1957). This revolver has been in continual production since that year and has been used by virtually every police agency and military force around

888-423: 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

925-559: The course of his life; he and Horace Smith were the co-founders of two companies named "Smith & Wesson", the first of which was eventually reorganized into the Winchester Repeating Arms Company and the latter of which became the modern Smith & Wesson . Daniel Baird Wesson was the son of Rufus and Betsey (Baird) Wesson. Daniel's father was a farmer and manufacturer of wooden plows and Daniel worked on his father's farm and attended public school until

962-560: 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 . 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

999-587: The early 1890s. The design was published in The American Architect and Building News in 1893. The house was three and a half stories in height and constructed of pink granite with a red slate roof and bronze cresting and finials. Stylistically, it was adapted from the French chateaux of the Renaissance. Completed in 1898, the house cost between $ 350,000 and $ 450,000. Following Wesson's death,

1036-577: The family tradition, working in the family business for 30 years and then founding his own company, which later became known as Dan Wesson Firearms . Wesson was involved in the construction of 13 houses. One that is still standing is now known as the Grand Army of the Republic Hall in Worcester, Massachusetts , which was built for his daughter Sarah and was designed by Calvert Vaux . It

1073-907: 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

1110-473: The house stayed in the family for a few years then was sold in 1910, and subsequently went through multiple owners. It was used as a restaurant as far back as 1946, as a restaurant and function hall until 1985, and later just as a function hall. It was again put up for sale in January 2014, and closed to the public in December 2014. Due to lack of a buyer, it was scheduled to be demolished in 2016. However,

1147-699: The mansion was turned over to the Connecticut Valley Historical Society in 1911, contingent upon the society raising $ 100,000 for maintenance of the property, which they were unable to do. In 1915, it became the clubhouse for the Colony Club of Springfield, remaining as such until fire destroyed the building on February 20, 1966. Wesson had apprenticed in Northborough, Massachusetts , at his brother Edwin's gunsmith shop, and met his future wife there. The business moved to Hartford, Connecticut , in 1848. Later, Wesson built

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1184-406: The projectile on the charge. 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

1221-691: The town of Northborough voted in April 2016 to purchase it. The town approved funds to purchase the property at 167 Main Street for $ 1.75 million, plus additional funding for future development, with a total allocation of $ 2.4 million. The house is known locally, and was operated as a restaurant and function hall, under the name "White Cliffs". The origin of the name has been attributed to the White Cliffs of Dover area in England. Either due to Wesson having

1258-536: The world. Wesson remained active in the firm until his death. Wesson died at his home in Springfield, Massachusetts , on August 4, 1906—following a four-year illness, he succumbed to "...heart failure, superinduced by neuritis ." His wife had died the month prior. The Wessons are buried in Oak Grove Cemetery in Springfield. Wesson, a strong advocate of homeopathy , had funded a new building for

1295-471: 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

1332-419: Was available through the barrel accessory program on rifle or shotgun frames 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

1369-641: 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. The original H&R company went out of business in 1986, and

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