H&R Model 402

The Harrington & Richardson Model 402 was produced between 1959 and 1960 with production ceasing at the same time the Models 400 and 401 shotguns were released. All of these models are pump shotguns and remaining stock sold until 1967. The 402 is unique in that the receiver has side plates that are screwed on. I could find very little on this shotgun as it is only mention briefly in my H&R history book and Jack First has a very bad photocopied drawing in their catalog.

The sides of the receiver are made of aluminum and most of the parts are stamped steel. I’ve had two of these come into my shop for cleaning within weeks of each other. Both owners said they were bought at Sears by relatives, back when there was one in our town. Sears closed in the mid-sixties along with Wards. Neither shotgun had a serial number on it. Disassembly As with working on any gun, make sure it is empty before working on it. Remove the magazine plug by unscrewing and pull out the magazine spring.

Undo the screw that holds the magazine mount. Capture the magazine mount key that the screw goes through when pushing the magazine mount forward. The magazine tube and follower can now be removed by pulling forward out of the receiver. Remove the butt pad and with a large flat screw driver, then unscrew the stock bolt and remove the stock. Lay the gun on the left side and remove the four screws in the right side plate. Note which screw goes where as all four are not the same.

Remove the side plate; you may have to rap it like a revolver to get it to come loose. Lift out the safety lever. Pull the bolt to just before battery and lift out of the receiver. There is a spring on the ejector that may fall out when the bolt is removed. Remove the bottom screw in the trigger guard assembly and the screw on the left side that holds the trigger assembly in. Remove the trigger guard assembly; the bolt release lever may fall out when removed. Lift the cartridge cutoff out of the left side plate.

Remove the remaining screws in the left side plate. This will release the slide. Pull the safety pin out of the safety button. Look at the safety spring as one side is straight and goes to the side where the safety lever is con-

nected. With a pair of needle nose pliers, squeeze the safety spring together and unhook from the receiver holes. Push the safety spring to the rear and the safety button will come out. Push the safety spring to the front to remove. The Arrow points to the dog leg of the trigger spring for spare magazines. slide has a nut with two holes in it for a spanner. I used a needle nose pliers in the holes to unscrew it from the slide and to remove the fore end from the slide as the nut is very loose.

Detailed Disassembly Starting with the bolt, remove the ejector and ejector spring if they didn’t fall out already. The bolt has pins that are swaged on one end. Drive the pin that holds the cartridge stop out towards the right side of the bolt. Remove the cartridge stop and spring, then drive the right extractor pin out through the top of the bolt. There is heavy spring tension so control the extractor and spring when pulling the punch back out.

Drive the pin for the left extractor out through the top and remove the left extractor. There is a split pin that holds the firing pin in. Push this out to remove the firing pin and spring. Moving on to the trigger assembly, remove the bolt release by lifting off the stud on the trigger guard and then unhook from the hammer. This is easier if the hammer is in the cocked position. Lift the carrier lifter off the stud in the trigger guard.

The spring is then rotated clockwise over the stud and pulled out of the trigger guard. While controlling the hammer, pull the trigger and release it forward. Using needle nose pliers, pull the mainspring bridge out of the trigger guard. There is some pressure but keeping a thumb on the spring will prevent it from flying out. Push the hammer pin out to the left as this is a pin with ahead and can only go one way. The hammer will have tension on it from the sear and spring. Remove the trigger pin out to the left.

The trigger spring can now be removed. Unhook the trip spring from the trip lever and remove the trigger. Note the orientation of the trip spring on the stud on the trigger. The sear pin is pushed out to the left. Lift out the sear and the sear spring. Do not disassemble the cartridge lever or the bolt release any further unless replacing the springs that are staked to them.

Reassembly Tips When reassembling the trigger assembly, make a slave pin out of 0.124" rod at a length of 0.350" to make it easier to install the trigger back into the trigger guard. Put the trigger spring and trip spring on the trigger, holding the trigger spring in place with the slave pin. The dog leg on the trigger spring goes toward the front. Put the trip lever in the trigger guard and insert the trigger and springs. The stud on the trigger goes in the slot on the trip lever.

Pushing the trigger down into place, push in the trigger pin. The sear is put in next. Drop the sear spring in place. The slot in the trip lever goes into the sear, then push in the sear pin. Hook the trip spring on the trip lever. The hammer is easiest if done in the cocked position. Push down on the hammer a bit and replace the hammer pin. Pull the trigger and move the hammer into the fired position. Put the mainspring strut in a vise, put the

H&R Model 402 (Speci ications subject to change without notice) 1 Barrel and receiver 2L Left side plate 2R Right side plate 3 Cartridge cutoff 4 Trigger Guard Assembly 5 Bolt Assembly 6 Slide 7 Fore End 8 Fore End Nut 9 Magazine Tube 10 Magazine Spring 11 Magazine Plug mainspring on the strut followed by the mainspring bridge. Push down on the bridge and grasp the strut with pliers. Hook on the hammer and slip the bridge back into the trigger guard. Test the function of the hammer and trigger for proper operation.

Reinstall the carrier lifter spring and carrier lifter. Then reinstall the bolt release, by cocking the hammer and hooking spring on the stud of the hammer. Put the bolt release on the stud on the trigger guard. The bolt goes back together in reverse order of disassembly. The receiver also goes back together in reverse order of disassembly.

Ensure the slide is in place before put- 12 Magazine Mount Screw 13 Magazine Mount Key 14 Magazine Mount 15 Magazine Follower 16 Safety Spring 17 Safety Lever 18 Safety Pin 19 Safety Button 20 Trigger Guard 21 Trigger 22 Trigger Spring 23 Trip Lever Spring 24 Trip Lever 25 Hammer 26 Hammer Strut 27 Mainspring 28 Mainspring Bridge 29 Sear 30 Sear Spring 31 Cartridge Lifter 32 Hammer Pin 33 Sear Pin 34 Trigger Pin 35 Cartridge Lifter Spring 36 Bolt Release 37 Bolt ting on the left side plate.

The two small screws are for the lower front holes. The screws with the shoulders are for the trigger guard at the lower rear and the remaining two screws are for the center top. The long screw is for the front of the trigger guard. Install the cartridge cutoff before putting in the bolt. The bolt goes in easiest with the slide pulled forward with the bolt almost in battery. The slot in the magazine tube goes to the front and is held in place with the magazine mount key.

Assemble the magazine mount with the screw and mount key in place. Leave the screw loose and install on the barrel with a twisting motion. AG 38 Firing Pin 39 Firing Pin Spring 40 Firing Pin Pin 41 Ejector 42 Ejector Spring 43 Right Extractor 44 Left Extractor 45 Left Extractor Spring 46 Left and Right Extractor Pins 47 Cartridge Stop 48 Cartridge Stop Spring 49 Cartridge Stop Pin American Gunsmith Reader Services 1.