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Harrington & Richardson (H&R for short) is a firearm manufacturer.

History[]

Frank 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. Wesson then started a brief partnership with Gilbert Harrison, his nephew, which lasted until 1874 until Harrison bought Wesson out..

In 1875, Harrington, along with 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, with their original capital investment being $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 sister).

In 1894 the company opened a new facility on Park Avenue in Worcester, Massachusetts, which was expanded after a few years. The firearms produced from this time to 1911 carry extreme value as original antiquities. Original rifles and shotguns from these dates are scarce because of their limited production and discontinued parts.

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. In 1986, the original H&R company went out of business.

A new company, H&R 1871, Inc., was formed in 1991, producing revolvers and shotguns using 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 the LLC's takeover.

Marlin and H&R were later acquired by Remington in 2007, with the H&R 1871 product line ceasing production on 27 February 2015.

External links[]

Website

References[]

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