Discussing and shooting a few break-barrel shotguns. Further research on the Topper M48 indicates that they were made from 1943-1957; this one appears to have been made in 1953.
@@MusicLuv80 My grandfather brought a toper model 58, a single shot shot gun way before I was born and I am still shooting this gun. After 20 years of me shooting it, its never been cleaned and it still shoots great
@@alfsleftnut9224 Wow, 20 years no cleaning still working? That is great! I might have to get one. I first saw it in Outdoor Boys channel. He carries it when he goes to Alaska.
With all the shiny, new, high capacity and hi tech firearms on the market today it's easy to dismiss a single shot shotgun or rifle as worthless. I cut my teeth on firearms like this but I too got caught out by marketing and had to have what I couldn't really afford. I pushed my old shotguns and rifles aside and spent money I didn't have. I watched your video and it hit home. To see someone hold a beat up, worthless gun and call it useful. To see you look past the age, cracks or faults and be so happy with it as a "very useful shotgun" brought tears to my eyes and a touch of shame. I thought of how somehow I had stopped being happy with what I have always looking for the next best thing. You sir are a legend! I will push that like button, only because there is not one that says "thank you".
Your comment has brought alot of honor to these forgotten relics of days past. I have one from the 1930s. Its humbling to think that gun was made during the Great Depression and likely relied on to at times, put food on the table. Your comment is just fantastic.
I have the NEF Pardner youth model in 20 gauge with the 22" barrel. Fun gun for young folks but could also be a serious wilderness survival shotgun. Simple to operate, few moving parts, easy to clean, nothing to break in the middle of nowhere.
@@deltadragon2335 Yep I still have my H&R Topper Model 58 12ga. made in 77 was given to me for Christmas of 78 and is still in like new condition and yes I went on and bought a nice set of those Short Lane gun adapters rifled in 8 in. mini barrels in the calibers of .22LR, .22Mag, .38Spec., 9mm, .45Colt, .410bore, 20ga.and also the muzzleloader adapter as well so it is quite versatile and it would be the last gun I'de ever get rid of for sure because it was my first real gun I ever got from mom and dad !!!
I have a NEF 12 gauge single shot handi gun with the interchangeable 30-30 barrel in stainless steel, I have owned it since the mid 1980s and I am still using it today as my go to gun.
Nice. I have an old Topper that has a 20 gauge and a .22 Hornet barrel. I need to make a video of that one. I alsi have a Handi rifle in .357 Mag. It didn't come with a shotgun barrel, but some of my shotgun barrels fit it.
My Dad took me to a local hardware store when I was 12 years old and we bought a 20 gauge full choke H&R break barrel shotgun. It was a good one. I had it for several years.
I have a spanish made AYA single shot 20 gauge, 28" barrel, full choke. It is a very similar break open, manually operated hammer design. Nothing special but I like it for what it is, just a simple, lightweight, inexpensive, reliable gun.
@@Beesa10 I have an AYA 410 Single break open hammer gun. Don't be misled by the simple design, these are gorgeously made little guns. Admittedly mine has colour case hardening on the receiver and looks pretty, but the telling thing with these guns is their quality. Older 12 gauge AYA doubles have been steadily going up in price for years now, but the small gauge singles have been ignored so far. I think this is likely to change some time soon, as the community, particularly collectors realize the quality of these little guns. It's like the small Beretta's, the 20's and 28's are every bit as expensive as the 12's. Small does not mean cheap.
I love old shotguns, especially single shots. You can almost feel the old "country" history seeping out of them when you hold them. Great information and thanks for sharing. You always have interesting videos and great down to earth presentation.
I agree about the character and history of single shot shotguns. I've always been drawn to them, even when I was a kid. Btw, I ordered a new trigger housing for the M48 today after putting it off for several years.
I've got an H&R 1908, I paid around $100 Australian for it. It's a lovely old shotgun. Great video. Nice to see these old single shots getting some use.
Great video, I have an H&R 1908 12ga with a 30 in. full choke barrel. Says 1908 right on the side of the breach. I'm 65 and it was the first shotgun I shot around 10 years old. Kinda did a restoration on it a year or two ago and it looks to me anyway great.
One of the neat things I always loved about these H&Rs was the color case hardened receiver. Most gun companies do CCH as an upcharge, but it came standard on H&R's single shot guns for around $100 at "WAL-MART". If I'd known much earlier that H&R would be going away, I'd bought 10 or 20 of these guns.
@@jacob-tl3is I got my hands on a new Savage/Stevens 301. A near carbon copy of the H&R, except it only has blued steel and polymer furniture instead of wood. The break action is tight like an H&R. Nice strong ejector too. It's a bummer that it's made in China by Sun City Machinery, but in all honesty it's very well made. Sun City has good CNC machines, no burs and rough tool marks like so many Chinese guns.
I used to take my single shot H&R along on the trapline during deer season when I was a kid. I had a slug in it , and if I had something in a trap, I broke down the shot gun and used the barrel as a club. Probably the most efficient gun to have around. Birds, small game, turkey, deer. I still use my old H&R (Built in the 30's) to hunt deer in shotgun only areas. It has a really thick barrel and I silver soldered a scope base right on the barrel. It is one of the handiest short action guns I ever used to hunt deer in heavy brush. At 75 yards I get one ragged hole with three shots using Federal lead slugs. I could use it farther, but it opens up a little after that.
When I broke the trigger guard off my Savage 24V, I cut a piece out of a broken lawnmower deck with a bandsaw and bent it into a new one and bolted it on. :3
I like the ones ive seen that were obviously made from antique (though probably new at the time) Silverware handles. They are really pretty in addition to functional :D
Good stuff, man! Great sense of humor, to boot. I really like that you use these old guns. I am drawn to them, as well. They are fun to bring back to life.
Thank you for this timeless video. Really takes me back down memory lane. I do think that the Revelation brand was Western Auto and that Sears was J. C. Higgins...later to be Ted Williams.
I still have my first shotgun my Dad bought me when I was about 14. It is a 20 gauge purchased from Kmart an SS Kresge along with my Dad's Stevens 12 gauge, both are about 40 years old now, both break open single shot.
I recently restored my H&R 12gauge single barrel 1901. My 1901 looks more like your 1908 than the 1900. They are Lovely old guns! Kind Thanks and Many Blessings! DaveyJO in Pennsylvania
Thank you for such a Great Video of some of the finest firearms made ... even if they are considered the dinosaur of the long guns ... Keep them Coming
I have three, two were 1930's hardware store guns, that H&R made and I inherited. And one was a $35 project gun which had mostly rotted away wood and was locked up with light rust but it cleaned up well. One of the inherited guns had a nail as the firing pin, I found the screw on top allowed a partner firing pin and spring to easily replace the nail. It was difficult to open like yours because the firing pin spring was broken as well so it would not retract out of the way properly when you opened it. The project gun got a nice plastic stock, meant for a newer H&R Partner, but a bit of dremble tool and heat let me fit the plastic stock to the much older gun. I tend to like a 8 inch rifled .45 long colt insert.and a shorter .38/ .357 insert as a spare for this one. This one is also an H&R with a patent mark of Feb 17th 1900. Cleaning and lubrication was mainly all these good old guns seem to need to live on.
I have the exact same New England firearm as the first one you presented, I've "modified" mine a little bit and added a rubber pad to the butt plate to lessen the kick from it, I only paid 60 bucks for it and it has the most character and is probably my favorite firearm out of my whole collection.
Wow , you just brought back memories of an H&R 16 gauge,full choke, single shot shotgun that was handed down from my grand father to my father (now deceased ). I remember as an early teen, that old gun had that exact same problem with the firing pin getting caught on the ejector rod . It also refused to eject the spent shell. My brother was very innovative and he put in a spring somewhere behind that firing pin and we never had that problem again. Of course he warned us never to dry fire the gun or it will ruin the spring. He also built up the ejector rod so it caught on the rim of the shell and that also worked pretty good. Thanks for the memories.
I agree with your opinion of the rawhide repair. I've also seen them with copper wire wrapped tightly around the wrist as well. The wrist was a weak spot on both single and double barreled shotguns. So there a lot of examples of kitchen table fixes.
Good video. Makes me want to break out my old single shots. My grandad recently handed down to me my great Grandad's shotgun. It's an H&R Bay State. From my research it puts it right around 1931.
Definitely a first pattern M1908 made before 1921 cause it has a rounded pistol grip. I own one just like it which was the first firearm ever fired by 3 generations of my family. It was bought by my Great Granddaddy, who taught my Granddaddy (b1914) to shoot with it when he was 6 or 7 years old. My dad (b1944) also learned to shoot/hunt with it and when my time came (I was born in 1963) I learned with it. When I graduated from College my Granddaddy had it refinished and re-blued as a gift. All m1908 models suffered from a weak stock and though mine has been repaired, you can still see where bailing wire was wrapped around it to hold it together. I don't shoot it anymore as the action is pretty loose and the bore pitted as all git out, but I love that old gun and remember all the squirrels I nail with it as a boy. I have an H&R m88 in .410 and a Pardner SB1 12 GA sitting beside it in the safe. Other than the break lever and the plastic trigger guard you can't hardly tell 'em apart. Great video.
I guess the 1908s are kind of prone to a split stock. Mine and the one in the video are the only ones I’ve ever seen. Kind of wish I could find a replacement stock for mine (16 gauge) as it shoots fantastic and I’ve taken a few pheasant with it and it is a joy to carry being so light.
@@nicholaspietrzak9992 I wonder why the stocks were prone to cracking so bad or were they just abused somehow from overuse perhaps when they ran out of shells they just beat the bar over the head with the stock I suppose who knows if the guns could talk and tell us the past history !!!
I believe the third shotgun is a Stevens shotgun, not an H&R. H&R's removable hinge pin is on the left of the receiver. Steven's removable hinge pin is on the right. My son recently bought an old Sears ranger with the removable hinge pin on the right (made by Stevens). I believe that it may be a Stevens model 89.
My brothers can't believe I use single shot rifles and shotguns when I do go hunting.I mean they were the main weapons for at least 100 years.I can't remember some one not having a rifle or shotgun standing behind the barn door or behind the kitchen door.when I was growing up.
Enjoyed your video and some more of the history of these fine shotguns !!! I still have my old H&R Topper Model 58 12ga. 3in. chamber in modified choke 28in. barrel in like new condition given to me x-mas of 78 and it was manufactured in 77 going by the ser.# !!! These old H&R's are tuff to beat and I simply added a green fiber optic front sight on mine and a soft leather sling and a new limbsaver butt recoil pad to make it easy on my shoulder when shooting it because without it kicks like a mule !!! I know this because I shot a round of skeet back in the early 90's and that left me with a black and bruised shoulder for at least 4 or 5 days !!! But I wouldn't take nuthin in the world for it !!!
This is really just a good wholesome video. There is nothing wrong with old school. I don't get caught up in all the hype. I stick with what works- the old faithful. I am liking and subscribing RIGHT NOW.
An absolute joy to watch, just loved listening you talk about these guns. Hope you enjoyed making it as much as I did watching it!! Now all you need is some zombies...
Enjoyed your video greatly .I came to appreciate h and r in my golden years with a 176 and sb2 turkey .I handload so I can hunt everything from bobwhite s to bucks,one shot is all that is needed. Thanks,good hunting and shooting
I have two, 12 gauge, single shot shotguns, a Henry, made in Rice Lake, Wisconsin and a H&R model 088. Both are kept in scabbards, each with a box of shells at the ready. One mounted on the wall, by my chair in the living room, the other mounted on the headboard in the bedroom. They're good for squirrels, partridge, raccoons, black bear, deer and zombies.
I fix stock cracks like they are done on old military rifles. I use 1/8 brass brazing rod instead of a dowel to drill and pin the stock after epoxying. It holds up well and is extremely strong You can also cover up the drill hole easily with sanding dust and glue mix together. Good Luck Hugh
I still have my old H&R 20ga my parents got me for Christmas when I was 9 years old. One of the models made in Gardner, Massachusetts. It's in near mint shape because I've used it lightly and always kept it oiled and in the safe. There are guns in my safe that cost 10 times more that I would part with before the old H&R.
Lex5576 I have a 1930s h an r single shot 20ga that has been in my family for four generations and like you I would gladly part with any of my other guns before this one
Awesome video thanks for all the useful information. I am starting to build up my collection of single shot rifles and shotguns. I have a thing for old single shots.
My 20 gauge single-shot Rossi with a cutdown barrel and ATI "tactical" fore-end (including ghost-ring sights) and stock is the bee's knees. I managed to pick up the 8 barrel Chiappa X-caliber adapter kit for many pistol calibers. Of course with that kit, I can even shoot primer-powered wax and/or rubber bullets, and black powder with an available blackpowder adapter. Lightweight, flexible, and most-of-all, fun. Also, what a cacaphony of country sounds you live in there! You could record them and sell them to people who need "rural" ambience. ;-)
I like the H&R single shot series. I own one in 10 gauge that takes a 3.5 inch shell. I also have 12 gauge and 410 bore that take 3 inch shells. The 12 was rusted and pitted very badly when I got it. I cleaned it up painted the metal and now its a loner gun if someone wants to go hunting but doesn't have a gun to take. The 410 is fun but I am not a fan of 410 for hunting. My favorite has to be the 10ga. One barrel is 32" with an x-full choke. The second barrel is a factory smooth bore slug barrel with nice open sights. All are a fun to shoot, and very reliable.
That 10 gauge sounds like an awesome gun. I don't have any 10s but wouldn't mind having one just like that. I am a fan of .410 for barnyard varmints and squirrels, but not much else.
@@Possumliving The 10 is expensive to feed, but its a great turkey gun. I have some varmints but the only ones I see are the occasional mouse, usually in the wood shop. The old rusted and beat 22 top break with rat shot works great on them and wood burrowing bees. If you are looking for a 10 they are pretty reasonable at gun shows. I think mine is a model 176.
I have the same 1901 H n R. I refurbed it. Had the same issues. I found the rear of the firing pin was hardened with carbon. I cleaned it up filed it off a bit, blued the entire setup and wD’d the heck out of it, then used a decent gun grease internally and found that it actually ejected the shell. Maybe yours is a little different but looks like it may have just needed a little TLC. I Fire mine often but I did find the impact of the shot does take its toll on the stock…especially because it’s 124 years old.
Chicken check the pistol grip and if it's rounded it is likely a early pattern. They stopped making those before 1921. If it's cut flat it was made between 1921 and 1930.
@@Possumliving yeah it's In very good condition, the butstock is cracked on one side. Not sure if I can fire it or not so trying to get more info on it
I have an old Hopkins & Allen falling block, in 12 ga. A Stevens side push button 12 ga. And an old Iver Johnson, with The ring trigger release in the trigger gaurd. Love those old single shots, good video !
Single shot shotguns are still made today, so it shows that the usefulness and inexpensiveness is still popular today. Midland Arms is importing single shot shotguns from Kahn in Turkey and are planning to come out with interchangeable rifle barrels this year for them. Very much fills the void that H&R left when they were closed down.
It's the sole reason I'm so interested in the Midland shotgun. Prices haven't been announced yet, but I can't imagine the cost of each barrel would be over $125 and for the cost of some of the 8 inch chamber adapters, that make you rely on a bead sight, I think the Midland all but kills the shotgun adapter market. My interest in the Midland is that I could register the frame as an SBS or SBR and have a bunch of barrels of various lengths. Say a 10 inch 12 gauge barrel for home defense, a 26 inch 20 gauge barrel for the field, a 10 inch threaded .22 barrel for small game, a .223 barrel for varmints and as a backup rifle to the AR. The .22 barrel is due to come out in the next couple months, but the .223 and .357 barrels aren't likely to be out until the end of the year. I just hope that Midland comes out with a 7.62x39, a .308, and a .45 Colt barrel too.
@@DickTickles I've got the Topper model 58 12ga. and just recently bought the gun adapters in the 8in. length in calibers of .22LR, .22Mag, ,38Spec., 9mm, and .45Colt that way I can enjoy shooting these other calibers and save my shot shells and boy they are accurate with the rifled adapters !!!!
The one with the broken firing pin is Davenport. Spring is ok. Firing pin is broken. Easy to make nee one with metal lathe. Harden it after making one.
I got a 1900 ish wedgeway most likely made by Davenport arms. I accidentally fired a 3 inch magnum Express slug round. Whew badass sore shoulder.. she held strong. Quality steel barrel
Nice video, Ithaca made some single shot shotguns like the ITHACA M-66 SUPER SINGLE 12GA. Nice single shot collection you got. Thanks for sharing it. JT
Thank u for that. I like them so much that I just bought a Henry 20 with brass receiver and but plate. Took it out and shot three rounds of low brass bird shot. The gun if fine and I will take off my shoulder braise next week. Ordered a slip on recoil pad.
I gave you a thumbs up because of some of the knowledge you have . And the like of old guns witch I have a few . I do have an old 16 ga. that my Grand farther had and it had a flap on the side similar to the one you have missing . Without making it long . I have 1- old 12ga. single shot , 1- old 16 ga. single shot , 1- 12 ga. Mossberg bolt action with bottom magazine , 1- 410 ga. Mossberg bolt action with a inside magazine . The Bad to this was you pounding the stock on the ground to drop the firing pin , The second was shooting the old 12 with the bad stock I know it didn`t shouldered it but I do think it pinched you skin because you looked at your hand .
I have owned an NEF 12 gauge since the 1980's. Bought it at K-mart, back in the day. Simple, efficient, and robust. Over the years have made modifications, like dressing up the furniture with brass tacks " mountain man " style and using JB WELD and guide from a fishing rods epoxied together a rear sight. I add a shoulder bag with ammo and I'm ready for a days hunt. It will fire both 2 3/4" and 3" shells in whatever loading you want, and unlike pumps or autoguns, isn't finicky about what you use. If you know how, you can even turn it into a muzzleloader. Adding an insert in whatever caliber you choose, makes it even MORE versatile. I have one in .45 LC. I'd have to say that it's my favorite hunting arm for deer. ( Coastal Blacktail ), turkey, and upland birds. Easy to break open and clean afterwards with just a screwdriver, stout cord, rag for patches, bottle of bore cleaner. and bottle of gun oil, or olive oil. A true " backwoodsmans " tool.
These break-barrels obviously stand the test of time, My first shotgun was an H&R 12GA that I found in the attic of our house as a kid circa 1967. I wish I still had it. BTW, I believe the Revelation brand was Western Auto, remember them? I have a Revelation Crosman 760 BB gun still going strong after all these years. Great vid sir....................G
Had one as a kid had a 22 Hornet bottom barrel, 20 ga top barrel. Don’t recall manufacturer but know it wasn’t H&R. Was given to me by a retired sea captain neighbor who moved away in about 1946.
Savage made various iterations of the Model 24 combo gun starting in the '30s. I think they all had the rifle barrel on top, though. Interesting gun either way. I've had a few of them, and still have a couple.
@@Possumliving This one was very well made, totally unlike IJ or H&R, very nice wood, now that I think about it, was probably foreign made. Went in the navy in 51, the piece had disappeared by the time of discharge.
Learned to hunt with a very old H & R single shot 12 GA. It was a family shotgun that my Grandfather, my dad and his brothers all hunted with. It was used for birds, small game and deer. I had the chamber deepened to 12 3/4". It's not pretty but it is in my ready rack.to thus day. I'm lucky it is an ejector gun. Your presentation brought back good memories. Thank you
@bali song Or, you could do as generations before us did: 1. man up and deal with the recoil, 2. learn how to use your weapon. It ain't the tool, it's how you use it. Lots of rural people worldwide have managed with a single shot shotgun as their only gun. Also, during the Obama years we had a hard time even finding .22 ammo and it was scalper's prices when we did. Shotgun shells were unaffected. I could walk into any store that sold ammo and buy a box of dove loads for 5 bucks any time, and it wasn't locked in a case and limited to 3 boxes. Yes, a .22 rifle is a tool everyone should own. But so is a single shot shotgun.
My first shotgun was a Savage model 94 in 16 gauge. It kicked like a Mule. But, I still love singles. I have a full set of H&R's in 10, 12, 16, 20 and 28 gauges, and a .410. Plus, I have a bunch of pistol-caliber inserts for them.
Another one was called Knickerbocker, manufactured in St.louis, Mo. Also another one was Diamond brand , maybe in St.louis , Mo. in 1915 to 1938 or 1940. They both were in 12 or 16 guage. Kevin Phoenix ✝️
I’ve got a Savage .22/.410. They can take my AR, all my pistols and rifles but they will never get my Savage. Ultimate survival! I love the single shots.
Single - shot shotguns are the best in my opinion. There a lot more reliable compared to other shotguns. And you don't have to worry about it not cycling through certain brands of shells.
I believe that last shotgun is actually a Crescent Arms Victor Special. I have one in 16ga. Great gun. They were made pre-stevens arms and that is who eventually bought them out.
Thanks for this video! I also love single shot rifles and shotguns. My son cut his teeth squirrel hunting with an H&R 12 gauge. Single shots make them take more time to aim and make that first shot count! I also have some Stevens Crackshot .22 rifles and even one in .32 rimfire. CVA has started making some single shot rifles and shotguns now called CVA Hunter.
Thanks for the info. Since I made this video I researched a bit more and found that it is not an H&R, but was pretty much at a loss as to what it is. Now I know what to look for!
Those old guns clean up pretty good sometimes if the barrel is not too thin or pitted. If its rusty & pitted just sand the barrel down and paint it with engine enamel or epoxy paint to keep whats left of it from rusting away. New stocks that will fit with a little work are not too hard to find. My dad had an old Whippet made by Stevens that was held together with black friction tape but it shot good and made a wonderful ATV or truck gun for knock around use
The topper m48 reminds me of what mikes grandfather had, the lever swung both directions there. And I think, it might have had an ejector, because i'm pretty sure it flew out the one time when we opened it. Awesome man. Thanks! Definitely gives me some ideas. I'm looking for something from the 40's probably, similar to the topper 48, or maybe a stevenson? i think you mentioned. Said their levers went both ways. Having the ejector seems like more fun. Definitely want to try to find the oldest looking one I can.
Revelation was sold by Western Auto stores, Montgomery Ward sold guns under the Westernfield name and Sears used Ranger, JC Higgins and Ted Williams. Not criticizing, it’s just that I’m 76 and I have owned or still own some of these brands. Good video.
Reminds me of my first gun it was my fathers an old Spanish made Astra single barrel break barrel we call them duck guns over here sure wish I had that old gun
