ARs are just kinda boring. At this point, I often have a hard time caring. The AR world is most certainly full. I came into this industry already, and I’m a bit bored with AR as a rifle. Five years in the Marine Corps would do that.
I’m rarely ever excited by something in the AR world. However, the revival of Harrington and Richardson, or H&R, by Palmetto State Armory has been the first thing I’ve ever been genuinely excited about in the AR world.
Remington drove the H&R name into the ground a few years ago. It, and most of Remington’s brands, went up for auction, and PSA got its hands on the H&R brand. At the same time, they also acquired a smaller brand called Nodak Spud.
Nodak Spud was known for creating incredibly accurate retro AR lowers, uppers, and more. Some internal movements turn H&R into PSA’s retro brand, which Mike Wetteland, the former owner of Nodak Spud, would helm.
We saw a small tease at SHOT Show 2023, where I was able to meet and chat with Mike, who seemed optimistic about the brand. By 2024, it’s easy to see why he’s so optimistic. H&R had a massive showing at SHOT Show 2024 with a ton of retro ARs, some that went into some very odd territory. This includes some esoteric ARs like the Colt DOE SMG and the M16 as a light machine gun. Since then, the brand has steadily grown.
Why Is H&R So Cool?
The first thing that makes H&R so damn interesting is that they are producing ARs we can’t get anywhere anytime soon. There are plenty of retro-style ARs out there, but they are mainly concerned with the M16A2 and maybe the M16A1. Anything outside of that can be tough to find. H&R is making the M16A2 and M16A1 for sure, but they’re going beyond those two full-sized retro rifles.
They are dropping into some more obscure weapons that haven’t been produced for decades. For example, the H&R 635 SMG is a 9mm Colt SMG clone that’s a direct clone of the original Colt 635 SMG. Except it’s not full auto and features a brace rather than a stock. Speaking of that brace, the HAR-15 brace attempts to look like a CAR-15-style stock while being a brace, and it’s a spectacular creation.
This allows us to get some of Colt’s old carbines without breaking the retro look. This includes the 733, which H&R calls the H&R 733. They aren’t shy about matching the model numbers to what Colt or the military called these weapons. The HAR-15 graces guns that clone the XM177E1, the 723, the 635 SMG, the 733, the 654, and more.
As you can see from all the models I’ve name-dropped, H&R is making a diverse number of weapons. These are carbines that have long been out of production, and some were rarely ever available to the average Joe. Let’s face it: NFA items weren’t that popular during the years Colt produced the 733 series.
The Past Is the Future
Most gun owners have the AR they need for self-defense, competition, and the end of the world. If they don’t, dozens of companies still produce fantastic guns for those more serious roles. I have my Colt/BCM clone, and it’s great, but it’s boring. At least to me it’s very boring. I need it, I have it, and I’m good with using it, but it doesn’t excite me.
Being able to obtain something new that’s also old is nice, especially when it may have never been available for the average Joe in the first place. How do I recreate Heat if I don’t have a 733? How do I get a 733? I could painstakingly find the parts and create one, or I just hit buy it now at H&R and PSA.
It’s nice to be able to step back and handle guns I’ve always wanted to own without having to spend a ton of money or time trying to hunt them down. I recently obtained an H&R 635 for review, and it blew me away. It’s a fun gun that’s painfully accurate in the world of the Colt SMG. If H&R is producing all of their guns as nicely as this 635, I have high hopes.
I think a 733 is next on my list, and it’s because of H&R that I can own such a gun. I can’t wait to see what’s next. (I really hope it’s the DOE SMG; I need it so badly.)
For more information, please visit PalmettoStateArmory.com.
