Curious Relics #072: The H&R 733 Guardsman Part III
Sam.S 09.06.23
Welcome, if you are a newcomer to this fun bi-weekly segment of AllOutdoor.com! The last time around I covered the history and variations of a Harrington and Richardson revolver that had a short staring role in a dumb 80s movie, “dumb” in a loving way. I of course am referring to our H&R 733 Guardsman. Today we are going through its dating, specifications, and a list of after-market parts and accessories. Let’s dive right into part three of the H&R 733 Guardsman!
Recent Curious Relics Coverage:
- Curious Relics #071: H&R 733 Guardsman – A Trusty Sidekick
- Curious Relics #070: In The Hall with The Revolver – H&R 733 Guardsman
- Curious Relics #069: High Hopes – H&R Young America Part IV
- Curious Relics #068: Not so Young Anymore – H&R Young America Part III
- Curious Relics #067: Is That a Youth Model? – The H&R Young America Part II
Welcome to our recurring series of “Curious Relics.” Here, we want to share all of our experiences, knowledge, misadventures, and passion for older firearms that one might categorize as a Curio & Relic – any firearm that is at least 50 years old according to the ATF. Hopefully along the way you can garner a greater appreciation for older firearms like we do, and simultaneously you can teach us things as well through sharing your own expertise and thoughts in the Comments. Understanding the firearms of old, their importance, and their development which lead to many of the arms we now cherish today is incredibly fascinating and we hope you enjoy what we have to share, too!
Dating: H&R 733 Guardsman
Much like the H&R Young America that I covered before this old piece, much of the “dating” can be carefully deciphered by looking at the slight changes in variations. By just doing that (with our last article) I can conclude that my personal H&R 733 was made between 1975 to 1981. BUT understandably most of us want to narrow things down further. Luckily for us, 733 owners Harrington and Richardson made a rather modern move and had discernable serial number blocks all decodable by the one or two-letter code before a given serial number. Allow me to lay out all serial number dating out for guns made 1940 and later.
My serial number begins with AT so that means that my particular H&R 733 is from 1979.
1940 -1986 H&R Serial Number Dating:
Specifications: H&R 733 Guardsman
The H&R 733 commonly referred to as the “Guardsman” or “Sidekick” was made from 1958 until 1986 when Harrington and Richardson shut down. It had quite a life living on through several variations and notable design changes such as barrel geometry, grip panel materials, finishing processes, and grip shape. heck, they did not even produce a 4-inch model until the end of its production.
All specifications are year/variation specific.
- Years Produced: From 1958 to Roughly 1986
- MSRP in 1969: $52.50 ($438.92 by today’s purchasing power)
- Operating System: Revolver, Double Action/Single Action
- Chambering: 32 Smith & Wesson Long (Can Use Short)
- Barrel Length: 2.5 or 4 Inches
- Capacity: 6 Rounds
- Single Action trigger Pull: ~ 6 lbs (My Personal 733)
- Front Sight: Fixed Front Ramp
- Rear Sight: Windage Adjustable Square Notch
- Grip: Checkered Black or White Plastic.
After Market Parts & Accessories: H&R 733 Guardsman
Right off the bat unfortunately there is very little in the way of H&R 733 accessories. However, there are a bunch of parts out there. Some are from sources I have bought from and others I have not starting off with the stops that I have hit would be the obvious Numrich which always has a good chance of having parts you need and a handy parts diagram. then there is of course Jack First as well as eBay. Beyond that, I found some parts at Hog Island Gun Parts and Schluder Shots.
End of Part Three: H&R 733 Guardsman
The old H&R 733 Guardsman has quite the story from its start in 1958 through the end in 1986. You can figure out the year of manufacture through serial numbers and design changes over time. These handy double-action revolvers shot .32 S&W Long out of short 2.5″ or 4″ barrels with adjustable sights. Even though accessories are scarce these days, you can still find parts to keep your 733 shooting for a long time to come. See you folks at the range in the next one!
In closing, I hope our Curious Relics segment informed as well as entertained. This all was written in hopes of continued firearm appreciation and preservation. We did not just realize how guns were supposed to look and function. It was a long and tedious process that has shaped the world we live in. So, I put it to you! Is there a firearm out there that you feel does not get much notoriety? What should our next Curious Relics topic cover? As always, let us know all of your thoughts in the Comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.
