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 !!!
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 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.
I found my family member's old rusted NEF Pardner SB1. After an hour of sanding and polishing, I brought it back to life. Gorgeous little cheap shottie. A great truck or farm gun. I think they paid $90 for it brand new back in 1995 at Dick's Sporting Goods. lol The actual gun is hardened steel (look at the coloration @3:37) compared to the barrel. The wood is solid and beautiful Walnut. Every home should have one of these just based on price alone. Great beginner shotgun and super easy to maintain. If you see one online or in a pawn shop for under $150, talk them down 20 bucks and buy it!
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.
Paid for a 22 cal bolt action at k mart back in the early 80s had to come back a week later to pay it off(lay away). So at pick up day got it from the young attendant at counter he went back to retrieve my new baby. Long story short😂 got it home and realized it wasn't the gun I played for it was 100 times better. A brand new ithica featherlight 12 ga. Was looking back at me. Had that solid 12 ga for many years. Gave it to a worthy 15 year old nephew for his birthday. Lost track of that boy and my old Ithica.
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.
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.
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 bought my first H&R shotgun, ( a .410 Topper ) back in the late 1970's., which I later sold off. Then I bought an NEF in 12 gauge at K-Mart back in the mid-1980's, for $ 95.00. Used it to hunt Blacktail deer with, using rifled slugs. Still have that one. Then I bought another used NEF, from my local Black Powder shop, for MUCH more in the 2000's, after H&R/NEF went out of business. I also have a single-shot, break open 12 gauge, from a pawn shop, for, ( if I remember correctly) $85.00. Made in S.Korea and imported. Only fires 2 3/4" shells, where the NEF/ H&R 12 gauges fire both 2 3/4", and 3" shotgun shells. Through the NEF's I have fired Pyrodex, and purchased and used a Short Lane 12 gauge adapter in .45 Colt. Excellent firearms for a backwoodsman like myself, for their versatility, simplicity, and robustness.
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.
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
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 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
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
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.
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 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 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.
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 !!!!
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.
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.
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 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.
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. ;-)
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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 ✝️
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...
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 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 !
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.
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 like the idea of grabbing a crusty old shotgun thats still functional and the money i save on it can go into refinishing it and buying more shells to really hone the skills with it. i got a 1970s spanish shotgun at a pawn shop for very little money and its beat up so i can learn how to bead blast / polish and nickel plate and refinish the wood parts using this shotgun as a sacrificial item. its just a cheap import gun, nothing special. it is a lot like the shotgun you have with tape holding the fore end on. i like the no-tools approach to breakdown.
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
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 love old single barrel shotguns I have a few and they work very well for me a lot of old shotguns 20 gauge 16 gauge you need to check the chamber length and forcing cones before shooting modern shotgun shells
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.
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.
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.
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.
The h n r shotgun was my very 1st real gun. I got it for Xmas when I was about 10 or 11. It was the best damn Xmas I ever had at that time. I sold it a long time ago and regreted it. Is was a 20 ga. But I won't go on n on. When I heard they were going to stop making it it broke my heart. I went to my local gun store about 3 yrs ago I told the owner to please call me if they ever got a used one in. Well he called me this morning and said he got a real good ment condition h n r 12ga in. I left work and went straight there to buy it. It cost me $150 but at least I finally got me one again. And I been holding it sence I got home. They don't know it but I would've gave $300 to have that gun again.
I'm glad you got another one. My first was a Stevens .410, but like you I sold it a long time ago. About 17-18 years ago I started missing that one, so I bought a new H&R .410 and still have it.
@@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
Just can't fathom h&r stopping production on the single barrel topper and partner guns. They are by far the best of the more modern singles. Stevens made a good one many years ago , I had a 20 when I was a kid. When big buy outs happen quality goes and then products. With firearms it's all about the end result one world order.
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
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 plastic trigger housing is a non issue. I hunt with H&R single shot firearms every year. If not abused the whole gun is a lifetime tool. Instead of rigging the stock, properly degrease it and get some Accraglass compound used for bedding rifle actions, and use that to repair and fill the cracks. It's a fiberglass reinforced high strength epoxy made for use for firearms stocks. The brown color can be matched and won't look ugly. Such a repair will outlast the user
I've got several single shot shotguns. Have 3 toppers(one will be sold to a friend soon). Also have, my Uncles first 20ga; a Series K 94 Savage. My first'un, was a 88 h&r topper 410(in the closet with a shell in the chamber). Have a H&R 1871 Pardner SB1 31.5in (32in full) an the other topper to be sold; is a pre-transfer bar 58 Topper 30in Full 12ga. I also have my step-g grand-dad's (Diamond Arms Co. St Louis)(J.Stevens Arms an Tool Co, pre Savage buy out)(1913-1919) 30in xxx-full Armory Steel Choke Bored 12 ga. My dad used it as his first shotgun at 12-13. He was given at age 7(got it at 19, after his G Aunt died) his G uncles, H&R model 1908 (31 3/4 in xxx-Full choked) sangle barrel, which he calls: Big Bertha; after the Howitzers. She definantly has'er own rang. I have killed plenty of Squirrels with'er an a Dove, I jumped up at an it lit 100 yards away(stepped them off) with a Super Speed Xtra 1oz #6 1350fps load. He put a new stock an forend on it in 1991. My dad's first shotgun he bought, was an Savage 94 series M(30 in. Full 2.75-3in). I've shot it, 20 times between handloads an factory ammo an it stays in the corner for good reason. Now, to mine; My first was my 410, then my dad's H&R an then on to my uncles 20, when he passed. Then, a couple of months later I passed like an idiot on an ol' J.Stevens Arms & Tool Co Sprangfield 20ga (28-30in tight full-choke) had the hexagon breech at the chamber. Found out it was $125.00(an looked brand r new) but at the time I traded an almost new 500c for an well used model 60 22. Next, would be my H&R 31.5in followed by my Win. 37a "Long-Tom" 35.75in goose-gun(it stays put up, 'cause it likes to hang-fare sometimes. Then, the next single would be my ol' trusty: IVER JOHNSON ARMS & CYCLE WORKS CHAMPION, known roun' here as: Mr. Owl.(30 1/16th in xxx-full choke) have had many people ask to buy it an I simply reply: It ain't for sale. I broke the original openin' lever sprang an bought a replacement off of Amazon but I finally got right, the night of 12-21-16. That mornin' me an a buddy of mine, went squirrel huntin' with his cousin an night before I tried to heat the sprang up to hold more tention but I weakened it an fared it after the hunt one handed an the barrel an forearm fell off. This past August, I fixed that though with an original sprang from a 20ga IJ, off of Ebay. It only has breeched itself once with this spring when I used too much lead an the wrong powder(grabbed wrong canister) but all it did was scare me an I had to unlock my ejector(which isn't a problem since it works when it wants to in the first place. The barrel latch lug(forend lug) was bent an beat when I first traded the 410 tamer my uncle left me for it. When, I first hunted with it, I had a blue collard band from Iga on it. But as time went on an oil got it, I started usin' 2-5 rubberbands looped over one another. It has killed since 8-30-13(300 squirrels, 10-15 doves, 30 robins, almost a Doe deer an almost shot into a whole flock of Gobblers. You name it, it's brought it down fer the table). It, sometimes hates the cheap ammo made today, so I tote a snap punch for leather makin' in my pocket). Took it an black friday of '17 to the Bladon Sprangs Swamp an it was so cold, that it snapped on an Estate Field #6 an this was the only time it ever has snapped, my buddy got the squirrel with an 26in. RC 870. I turned the shell over an it fired, 'cause I hit it opposite of other strike. An my buddy gave me to fix on 12-11-16( he paid for the parts an got it back but it's now back at my house while he works an to keep it oiled an maintained) his pawpaw's ol' 32in IJC with an Plum Receiver as opposed to my, two Color Case Hardened Champions. When, we started huntin' to gether more, I shot it an the stock was loose an his pawpaw an them had shot it so much, that you had to pull the hammer back an let it go. So, I popped the pins an my dad tried to tack weld a bead to build it up but to no avail. So, since the forearm was fallin' off too an trigger-hammer were wore out. I got my brother to order parts(got black powder, instead of 1909 smokeless parts) returned them an got the right parts put in. 'Bout that time, Me an Dad finished the Forend up an put new screws in. My buddy an his dad were excited to see the ol' gun an my buddy saw a squirrel on Fridee this past season I came over an had my 12 ga IJ an His before he got it from me. He said: there's a squirrel, give me a shell a gun a shell. I said: here's your IJ with an Express #6, get'em. He pulled the trigger an said: "Knock'em out John, It won't be long" an the squirrel fell at 60yds from the ol' 32in Longtom. My last sangle barrel I bought, was a 29 15/16th in xxx-full 16ga IJC that I got with tax for 185.29. I found it two days after Graduation(High School 5-19-16). Two days later went in the local pawnshop, I asked Mr. TJ could I look at it an then, I said: I'll be back. While' there I looked at 77f 28in 16ga Savage pump(looked brand r new) but I knew I wanted that 16 to be a mate to my 12ga. On Mondee, dad signed fer it(I'd never bought one before an was sorta iffy 'bout it), so I let him sign for it. It patterns 12pt #1's in a three rows pattern. At 40yds, it put 11 out of 12; in a foot wide 3row pattern on an ol' dryer. Hi-Power(ol' '70s-'80s vintage) #4's will break ya jaw an nose in it an 1oz Fed. #6's will knock anythang down at 60-70 yards. Totally Impressed by how my ol' Sangle Shots shoot. When, I went to get my ol' IJ; there was a brand new like, 940 12ga 30-32 2.75 '50s vintage for $125.00 an my IJ was 100 for the Tamer an 75 cash or check(check it was). Anyway, my dad says after studyin' both fer awhile an I've made my mine up(since I was two, lookin' at his Modern Guns: 13th Edition, do you want this'un or the IVER JOHNSON an I said: quit playin' games an sign the paperwork on my ol' Champion an lets shoot it tomorrow on your Birthday. I prefer, the ol' style tang(dovetailed) openin' lever as opposed to the side or topper button. Just ol' skool, ol' wayed. It's always better, to me anyway. The Third sangle barrel in the video is an: W.H. Davenport an Sons co. They also at the turn of the Century made, 8 an 10ga LongTom GooseGuns an the majority I've seen had Damascus or Twist barrels, not Fluid(Smokeless). I'd say: 1890-1915'20ish. Enjoyed the video an keep those Smokepoles, a smokin'. From: Choctaw County, 'Bama.
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
I just picked up one of the NEF Topper 098 12 gauges like the newest one you have with the Schnabel forearm. It is in very good condition and the gun shop wanted $200.00 for it. I got $150.00 trade for a newer 20 gauge single made in China so with tax and the $5.00 transfer fee it was $58.00 plus change. These old H&R and NEF single shot's are becoming fewer and fewer around this part of PA so I jumped on this one. I had recently given my Mossberg 500 12 gauge (new never fired) to one of my older grandson's, who is in college on a short budget, but was looking for a 12 gauge to do some more hunting on his own. I still have my Maverick 88 20 gauge which is my go to shotgun for hunting anymore. But I just didn't like not having a 12 gauge around and this NEF model 98 will work just fine. The first shotgun I used when I started hunting (legally) at 12 was a single shot 12 gauge with a plastic stock on it; I think they called them "Rynite" stocks. My grandfather (Dad's Dad) was a farmer all his life and only ever owned one gun, it was an Iver Johnson Champion 12 ga. single shot. He killed small game, a few deer, varmints around the farm and even the occasional feral dog. He raised his family during the Depression and one gun sufficed for all of his needs. I think growing up as a "boomer" many of us had too many guns over a lifetime of relative prosperity. That's why I really enjoyed your video on these single shots. 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.
Growing up with a single shot 12 gauge and a single shot .22 taught me to make my first shot count.
Are these single shot shotgun way more reliable than regular pump shotgun?
@@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".
Thank you very much for your insightful and kind words!
Outstanding comment.....
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.
This was actually my first shotgun ... Never would get rid of it..thanx for the video.. awesomeness 💪💪
@@TightwadTodd 00
I have an NEF Pardner 12 guage I was about to sell. Now I will keep it forever. Thanks for the video!
They're hard to replace since H&R / NEF has ceased production and is now in Limbo since Remington sold them off in 2020.
Never get rid of your single shot there getting harder to find and there to rugged reliable and though not to ignore plus you have caliber adapters
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.
@@scooterbob4432 Yup she's a keeper!
@@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 love single barrel breech loading shotguns. They are light weight, simple in design, easy to repair, and very dependable. Enjoyed your video!
Thanks!
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.
My 1st gun was from Callahan Hardware.. Same gun. Still have it.
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.
Got one from my grandfather just like that
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.
I found my family member's old rusted NEF Pardner SB1. After an hour of sanding and polishing, I brought it back to life. Gorgeous little cheap shottie. A great truck or farm gun. I think they paid $90 for it brand new back in 1995 at Dick's Sporting Goods. lol
The actual gun is hardened steel (look at the coloration @3:37) compared to the barrel. The wood is solid and beautiful Walnut. Every home should have one of these just based on price alone. Great beginner shotgun and super easy to maintain. If you see one online or in a pawn shop for under $150, talk them down 20 bucks and buy it!
My first shotgun was a 20 ga. H&R Topper. Elegantly simple and utilitarian - classic Americana. And wonderful beyond words. Great video.
I own a 1997 New England Firearms SB1 12 guage in new condition. Thanks for showing us the shooting 😊
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.
@@Possumliving Why heck I'de go on and restore that one with the stock all cracked and broken up and bring it back to life !!!
@@jeffreyelliott622 so would I. I would never try to fix that existing stock. It would be fun to do one yourself.
Don’t know why.. his voice is extremely calming....
I like this.. I’m at peace right now...
I was saying the same thing
My first single shot shotgun was a Ithaca model 66 Super Single in 12ga ! Like a fool I let it get away!!! Thanks for sharing your video !!!
Those were nice shotguns. I've never had one, but always wanted one.
Paid for a 22 cal bolt action at k mart back in the early 80s had to come back a week later to pay it off(lay away). So at pick up day got it from the young attendant at counter he went back to retrieve my new baby. Long story short😂 got it home and realized it wasn't the gun I played for it was 100 times better. A brand new ithica featherlight 12 ga. Was looking back at me. Had that solid 12 ga for many years. Gave it to a worthy 15 year old nephew for his birthday. Lost track of that boy and my old Ithica.
@@victorrodea7163 Lucky you, a Ithaca in any gauge is money well spent,thanks for sharing your story..
You will find a single shot shotgun behind every American door in the country. I garentee it 💯 %
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 stuff ! Takes me back to my teens when we would get old stuff like this and dissappear in the woods for a few hours !!!!! Thoroughly enjoyable !
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.
Wish I didn’t give away the 10 that I’ve owned over the years. Use to get them in trades, play with them and than trade em. Kind of like my women
@@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 have an NEF in 12ga, with a 3" chanber and man does that thing kick with a 3" Mag 00 buck!
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.
How horrible.
This comment drips with the great spirit of America.
I like your high capacity magazine! You're my kind of shooter. "Duct tape is the modern rawhide" was great too. Thanks for the edutainment.
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.
Our family has 1950s red letter Winchester 12 g Thirty two inch barrel single shot. Love it
Nice!
I bought my first H&R shotgun, ( a .410 Topper ) back in the late 1970's., which I later sold off.
Then I bought an NEF in 12 gauge at K-Mart back in the mid-1980's, for $ 95.00. Used it to hunt Blacktail deer with, using rifled slugs. Still have that one.
Then I bought another used NEF, from my local Black Powder shop, for MUCH more in the 2000's, after H&R/NEF went out of business.
I also have a single-shot, break open 12 gauge, from a pawn shop, for, ( if I remember correctly) $85.00. Made in S.Korea and imported. Only fires 2 3/4" shells, where the NEF/ H&R 12 gauges fire both 2 3/4", and 3" shotgun shells.
Through the NEF's I have fired Pyrodex, and purchased and used a Short Lane 12 gauge adapter in .45 Colt. Excellent firearms for a backwoodsman like myself, for their versatility, simplicity, and robustness.
Thanks! They are indeed great backwoodsman guns.
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.
Man,,I absolutely love this video and the discussion in the comments..I come back and watch it often..
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
Thanks; that's a good tip!
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
That's s pretty cool solution in my opinion
My great great grandfather had a Columbia Single Shot 12 Gauge. My grandfather still has the shotgun. It works. The shotgun was made around 1898.
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.
My dad died as I was a toddler..Stevenson Springfield 16 gauge..still have it and a pawnshop find 16 94c my dad's is 94b
I have the same NEF in a 410 version. It's fun to shoot. Love your videos. Thank you for the history lesson.
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
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
Thanks, Hugh.
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.
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.
Thanks for the info, and the great story to go with it!
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 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 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.
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.
The rifle barrel option sounds interesting.
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.
Im Excited to hear this..
@@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 !!!!
Thank you for this video. I have a model 1908 myself and could not for the life of me figure out what model it was until this video.
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.
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.
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 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.
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. ;-)
Sounds like a great setup! Good idea on the rural ambience. 😁
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.
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.
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.
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
I love old singles. They're not worth anything money-wise, but they're sure handy. I love the .410 and 20 ga. myself.
I'm a fan of .410 and 20, too. Also 16 gauge.
Dont kid yourself! I see some of the New England models with the interchangeable rifle and shotgun barrels going for a pretty high price!
@@Possumliving16 and 410
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
You guys are American right?
@@shazuzrqt7985 Most definitely LOL.
Can you tell me how much is a Crest 12 gauge shoot worth with the serial number 26662w if you don't mind saying
wtf
Thanks for nice information!
Greatings from Kazakstan!
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.
I like Savage 24s too. I have one in .30-30/12 gauge.
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 !!!
Break open, single shot, shotguns would be fun to collect. There were so many different ways to open them by the many manufacturers!
On mine the trigger guard is how you open 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.
Love these simple single shots.
Buy mine.
Epoxy, rawhide, duct tape, dowel repair repair remind me of my late husband’s type of repair.
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.
Thanks!
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
Thanks! Yes, I do remember Western Auto. I found one of those Revelation Crosman 760s at a yard sale last summer. It has a wood stock and shoots fine.
Right...Sears was Ted Williams
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.
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.
@@NBZW Sounds like a very interesting gun.
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.
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 ✝️
Good info. Thanks!
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...
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.
Exactly right.
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 !
Those sound like some interesting shotguns; especially the falling block.
My favorite shotgun is still my Savage 220D 16 gauge single shot my dad bought for me for Christmas when I was twelve years old
12gauge
Dad 16guage I inherited bought a pawnshop 1...i like dem Steven 94b and 94c..Springfield
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.
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 like the idea of grabbing a crusty old shotgun thats still functional and the money i save on it can go into refinishing it and buying more shells to really hone the skills with it.
i got a 1970s spanish shotgun at a pawn shop for very little money and its beat up so i can learn how to bead blast / polish and nickel plate and refinish the wood parts using this shotgun as a sacrificial item. its just a cheap import gun, nothing special. it is a lot like the shotgun you have with tape holding the fore end on. i like the no-tools approach to breakdown.
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
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 .
Wow!! He totally blew that one! Western Auto sold the Revelation shotguns, which were the same as the Steven's model number 94.
I love old single barrel shotguns I have a few and they work very well for me a lot of old shotguns 20 gauge 16 gauge you need to check the chamber length and forcing cones before shooting modern shotgun shells
You're right about chamber length.
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.
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.
Buy mine.
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!
With so many‘purpose’ firearms, the old single shots had the most important of purposes , putting food on the table.
Right you are. They still excel at the task, too.
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.
You may be right. Thanks for pointing that out.
I just purchased an old 1908 H&R she’s my baby and she kicks like a mule lol but love them old single shots
The h n r shotgun was my very 1st real gun. I got it for Xmas when I was about 10 or 11. It was the best damn Xmas I ever had at that time. I sold it a long time ago and regreted it. Is was a 20 ga. But I won't go on n on. When I heard they were going to stop making it it broke my heart. I went to my local gun store about 3 yrs ago I told the owner to please call me if they ever got a used one in. Well he called me this morning and said he got a real good ment condition h n r 12ga in. I left work and went straight there to buy it. It cost me $150 but at least I finally got me one again. And I been holding it sence I got home. They don't know it but I would've gave $300 to have that gun again.
I'm glad you got another one. My first was a Stevens .410, but like you I sold it a long time ago. About 17-18 years ago I started missing that one, so I bought a new H&R .410 and still have it.
I got a H$R Topper 158 12 Ga. for xmas in the early 70s. It has a nice classic vintage styling to it. Packs a wallop.
I've got a brake action 12 gauge made by Hopkins&Allen, I was told it might be a model 712. Made from 1902-1908
That's a nice old shotgun.
@@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
9:00 "What's the deal?" ... "Oh, the firing pin's down." ... Shakes it. Taps it on the ground. It's fine. Good to go.
My father hunted with an old H&R Bay State 16 ga. I had a H&R Topper, in 16 ga. H&R made the best single shot shotguns on the planet.
Just can't fathom h&r stopping production on the single barrel topper and partner guns. They are by far the best of the more modern singles. Stevens made a good one many years ago , I had a 20 when I was a kid. When big buy outs happen quality goes and then products. With firearms it's all about the end result one world order.
I believe "Revelation" was a brand of "Western Auto", while "Sears" was "J.C. Higgens" .
Qartveli xaaar?
My Stevens came from Western Auto.
My 158 Topper H/R is a switch barrel ,it can change barrel to a 30 30 rifle or 20 gau or 12 and 10 gau.
Nice! I have one of those too, in 20 gauge and .22 Hornet.
@@Possumliving Right on my first rifle I still use it . It is a .22 you load from the butt end of the stock .
I had a single barrel shotgun 12 guage that had a stove bolt through it. It patterned great and I mud hen hunted on the marshes with it for years .
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
The third shotgun that you reviewed looks exactly like mine that I inherited from my great-grandfather. It is a Columbia 12ga.
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!
I'm glad to help. Enjoy your videos. Keep 'em coming.
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
I love all the old poke stalks my favorite era and favorite guns no doubt
The plastic trigger housing is a non
issue. I hunt with H&R single shot
firearms every year. If not abused the whole gun is a lifetime tool.
Instead of rigging the stock, properly degrease it and get some Accraglass compound used for
bedding rifle actions, and use that
to repair and fill the cracks. It's a
fiberglass reinforced high strength epoxy made for use for firearms stocks. The brown color can be matched and won't look ugly.
Such a repair will outlast the user
I've got several single shot shotguns. Have 3 toppers(one will be sold to a friend soon). Also have, my Uncles first 20ga; a Series K 94 Savage. My first'un, was a 88 h&r topper 410(in the closet with a shell in the chamber). Have a H&R 1871 Pardner SB1 31.5in (32in full) an the other topper to be sold; is a pre-transfer bar 58 Topper 30in Full 12ga. I also have my step-g grand-dad's (Diamond Arms Co. St Louis)(J.Stevens Arms an Tool Co, pre Savage buy out)(1913-1919) 30in xxx-full Armory Steel Choke Bored 12 ga. My dad used it as his first shotgun at 12-13. He was given at age 7(got it at 19, after his G Aunt died) his G uncles, H&R model 1908 (31 3/4 in xxx-Full choked) sangle barrel, which he calls: Big Bertha; after the Howitzers. She definantly has'er own rang. I have killed plenty of Squirrels with'er an a Dove, I jumped up at an it lit 100 yards away(stepped them off) with a Super Speed Xtra 1oz #6 1350fps load. He put a new stock an forend on it in 1991. My dad's first shotgun he bought, was an Savage 94 series M(30 in. Full 2.75-3in). I've shot it, 20 times between handloads an factory ammo an it stays in the corner for good reason. Now, to mine; My first was my 410, then my dad's H&R an then on to my uncles 20, when he passed. Then, a couple of months later I passed like an idiot on an ol' J.Stevens Arms & Tool Co Sprangfield 20ga (28-30in tight full-choke) had the hexagon breech at the chamber. Found out it was $125.00(an looked brand r new) but at the time I traded an almost new 500c for an well used model 60 22. Next, would be my H&R 31.5in followed by my Win. 37a "Long-Tom" 35.75in goose-gun(it stays put up, 'cause it likes to hang-fare sometimes. Then, the next single would be my ol' trusty: IVER JOHNSON ARMS & CYCLE WORKS CHAMPION, known roun' here as: Mr. Owl.(30 1/16th in xxx-full choke) have had many people ask to buy it an I simply reply: It ain't for sale. I broke the original openin' lever sprang an bought a replacement off of Amazon but I finally got right, the night of 12-21-16. That mornin' me an a buddy of mine, went squirrel huntin' with his cousin an night before I tried to heat the sprang up to hold more tention but I weakened it an fared it after the hunt one handed an the barrel an forearm fell off. This past August, I fixed that though with an original sprang from a 20ga IJ, off of Ebay. It only has breeched itself once with this spring when I used too much lead an the wrong powder(grabbed wrong canister) but all it did was scare me an I had to unlock my ejector(which isn't a problem since it works when it wants to in the first place. The barrel latch lug(forend lug) was bent an beat when I first traded the 410 tamer my uncle left me for it. When, I first hunted with it, I had a blue collard band from Iga on it. But as time went on an oil got it, I started usin' 2-5 rubberbands looped over one another. It has killed since 8-30-13(300 squirrels, 10-15 doves, 30 robins, almost a Doe deer an almost shot into a whole flock of Gobblers. You name it, it's brought it down fer the table). It, sometimes hates the cheap ammo made today, so I tote a snap punch for leather makin' in my pocket). Took it an black friday of '17 to the Bladon Sprangs Swamp an it was so cold, that it snapped on an Estate Field #6 an this was the only time it ever has snapped, my buddy got the squirrel with an 26in. RC 870. I turned the shell over an it fired, 'cause I hit it opposite of other strike. An my buddy gave me to fix on 12-11-16( he paid for the parts an got it back but it's now back at my house while he works an to keep it oiled an maintained) his pawpaw's ol' 32in IJC with an Plum Receiver as opposed to my, two Color Case Hardened Champions. When, we started huntin' to gether more, I shot it an the stock was loose an his pawpaw an them had shot it so much, that you had to pull the hammer back an let it go. So, I popped the pins an my dad tried to tack weld a bead to build it up but to no avail. So, since the forearm was fallin' off too an trigger-hammer were wore out. I got my brother to order parts(got black powder, instead of 1909 smokeless parts) returned them an got the right parts put in. 'Bout that time, Me an Dad finished the Forend up an put new screws in. My buddy an his dad were excited to see the ol' gun an my buddy saw a squirrel on Fridee this past season I came over an had my 12 ga IJ an His before he got it from me. He said: there's a squirrel, give me a shell a gun a shell. I said: here's your IJ with an Express #6, get'em. He pulled the trigger an said: "Knock'em out John, It won't be long" an the squirrel fell at 60yds from the ol' 32in Longtom. My last sangle barrel I bought, was a 29 15/16th in xxx-full 16ga IJC that I got with tax for 185.29. I found it two days after Graduation(High School 5-19-16). Two days later went in the local pawnshop, I asked Mr. TJ could I look at it an then, I said: I'll be back. While' there I looked at 77f 28in 16ga Savage pump(looked brand r new) but I knew I wanted that 16 to be a mate to my 12ga. On Mondee, dad signed fer it(I'd never bought one before an was sorta iffy 'bout it), so I let him sign for it. It patterns 12pt #1's in a three rows pattern. At 40yds, it put 11 out of 12; in a foot wide 3row pattern on an ol' dryer. Hi-Power(ol' '70s-'80s vintage) #4's will break ya jaw an nose in it an 1oz Fed. #6's will knock anythang down at 60-70 yards. Totally Impressed by how my ol' Sangle Shots shoot. When, I went to get my ol' IJ; there was a brand new like, 940 12ga 30-32 2.75 '50s vintage for $125.00 an my IJ was 100 for the Tamer an 75 cash or check(check it was). Anyway, my dad says after studyin' both fer awhile an I've made my mine up(since I was two, lookin' at his Modern Guns: 13th Edition, do you want this'un or the IVER JOHNSON an I said: quit playin' games an sign the paperwork on my ol' Champion an lets shoot it tomorrow on your Birthday. I prefer, the ol' style tang(dovetailed) openin' lever as opposed to the side or topper button. Just ol' skool, ol' wayed. It's always better, to me anyway.
The Third sangle barrel in the video is an: W.H. Davenport an Sons co. They also at the turn of the Century made, 8 an 10ga LongTom GooseGuns an the majority I've seen had Damascus or Twist barrels, not Fluid(Smokeless). I'd say: 1890-1915'20ish. Enjoyed the video an keep those Smokepoles, a smokin'.
From: Choctaw County, 'Bama.
Great comments! Thanks for posting. You're wise beyond your years. I LOL'd at the Jerry Clower reference.
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
Yeah I remember those Ithacas. Wish I had one.
I just picked up one of the NEF Topper 098 12 gauges like the newest one you have with the Schnabel forearm. It is in very good condition and the gun shop wanted $200.00 for it. I got $150.00 trade for a newer 20 gauge single made in China so with tax and the $5.00 transfer fee it was $58.00 plus change. These old H&R and NEF single shot's are becoming fewer and fewer around this part of PA so I jumped on this one. I had recently given my Mossberg 500 12 gauge (new never fired) to one of my older grandson's, who is in college on a short budget, but was looking for a 12 gauge to do some more hunting on his own. I still have my Maverick 88 20 gauge which is my go to shotgun for hunting anymore. But I just didn't like not having a 12 gauge around and this NEF model 98 will work just fine. The first shotgun I used when I started hunting (legally) at 12 was a single shot 12 gauge with a plastic stock on it; I think they called them "Rynite" stocks. My grandfather (Dad's Dad) was a farmer all his life and only ever owned one gun, it was an Iver Johnson Champion 12 ga. single shot. He killed small game, a few deer, varmints around the farm and even the occasional feral dog. He raised his family during the Depression and one gun sufficed for all of his needs. I think growing up as a "boomer" many of us had too many guns over a lifetime of relative prosperity. That's why I really enjoyed your video on these single shots. Thank you.
Thanks for the great comment!
Those cheaper brand single shot 12 gauges kick like a Missouri mule.
Yes, they do.
@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 16 gauge Savage single shot has a pretty good kick too
I had some cheap Brazilian 12ga single and man does it hurt
Especially slugs
Yes they do
When you put some shells in your pockets you got a breech loading repeater !
🤣
My grandpa taught me to carry a shell in my left hand. Can reload and shoot an AIMED shot almost as fast as a pump gun.
Walmart has a good one for $99 its a Hatfield
Yeah, I've seen those. I'm glad there's still at least one brand of break barrel available.
I got my 20 gauge single shot Hatfield shotgun a couple of weeks ago, love it. Best $99 dollars ever spent.
High standard made a bunch of good ones the cooy is a great gun they are like the win 37a and some of them had very good barrels
Good points. I don't see Cooeys very often, or High Standards either. High Standard also made a great pump gun.
Cut my teeth on a 12 ga single barrel Buck eye back in the good old days
That last shotgun looks identical to the Victor Special I've got from Crescent Arms Co. Got it off my great uncle after he passed away.
I use my stevens model 94 12 gauge a lot it’s one of my favorites!