Curious Relics #073: The H&R 733 Guardsman Part IV
Sam.S 09.20.23
Welcome, if you are a newcomer to this fun bi-weekly segment of AllOutdoor.com! The last time around I covered the history, variations (Part II), dating, specifications, and aftermarket parts/accessories (Part III) of an American revolver that played a board game proudly. In this article, we are closing out the H&R 733 with a range session. Let’s see if its dead accurate or a shot in the dark!
Other H&R 733 Curious Relics:
- Curious Relics #070: In The Hall with The Revolver – H&R 733 Guardsman
- Curious Relics #071: H&R 733 Guardsman – A Trusty Sidekick
- Curious Relics #072: The H&R 733 Guardsman Part III
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!
Range Time: H&R
Not long after I picked up my H&R 733 I had a chance to bring it out to the range. Luckily I had ordered some 32 S&W Long before it arrived so I was equipped on that end. The ammunition I used was some 98-grain Magtech wadcutters. In case you do not know what a wadcutter is just picture a soup can as your bullet rather than a conical rocket shape.
Let’s begin with the feel and manipulation of the H&R 733. Grip wise it is very comfy and full. It does however feel like it is just shy of being too short. I can imagine the older variations with the rounded end would feel a little too small for the frame size they were presented in. The saw handle (upper portion of the double action style grip)sinks a little too far into my larger hands. Even still I do picture it having a similar sort of slipping issue under recoil no matter the hand size. It is a very slight wall, more of an abrupt slope.
The trigger distance is just fine, nothing to complain about there. The trigger pull in double action is VERY heavy. The single-action trigger pull is not the lightest in the world but it is a sturdy six-ish pounds. That may sound heavy but believe me it makes the double action feel like 30. The action cylinder movement is very assured. There is no play and the travel is short. It jumps straight to attention so to speak.
The method to release the swing-out cylinder is achieved by pulling straight out with the center pin. This is just firm enough that it will not bounce away on its own under recoil, so it is pretty effortless. Speaking of effortless the ejector is very soft and easy to push but is true and quick upon return.
The sights are very likable. I say this after just about every set of iron sights I have toyed with for Curious Relics has been pretty poor, hard to see, or a terrible design. These are a straightforward boxy rear square notch and square-faced front ramp. The Rear sight is windage adjustable but I never bothered to play with that. It is just two screws. One on each side of the sight blade. One is loosened while the other is tightened in order to adjust one way or another.
Actively shooting the H&R 733 was sort of eye-opening. It has a snappy bit of recoil to it which is surprising given its heavyish package. It is a dense gun and yet it had a recoil impulse similar to a carry size 9mm handgun. As far as putting holes in paper I shot two groups to showcase accuracy or lack thereof. One was in double action while the other was in single action. It performed admirably enough but shot a bit high. Higher than I thought it would be since the front sight is already tall.
Final Thoughts: H&R 733
That is all she wrote on this movie star. It is/was an affordable little revolver. It is heavy enough that carrying it would get old and I can see why they never bothered making a barrel longer than 4 inches and even more why it took them so long to do so. Only odd folks like myself would have been asking them to make a carry gun into a range toy. Well made but cheap. they can still be found here and there today for prices under $400. I recommend looking out for the 4-inch models since they are rarer annnd you can say “This is the gun they used in the movie Clue”!
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.
