The Russian Mosin Nagant Forum

Around here 12 is king because most shotguns are used for deer, it's the local law, no rifles unless they are front stuffers. I have a Mossberg 500 20 gauge, and a Crescent ( New York Gun Company) double hammer 20 from around 1910 or earlier. The only .410's I have are the Mossberg snake charmer, and the Stevens under over. My H&R is the original topper, teens vintage, possibly older, and still rock solid, 12 gauge of course.

Hey gang. Haven't been around much, but still kickin. The wife's immy visa may ne finished in another month and we can start playing with our toys soon.

One of those toys just happens to be a .410 Topper that my brother and I got for Christmas when we were preteens about 40 odd years back. I got to thinking about it after catching a YT vid about SS shotguns and I can't seem to lay eyeballs on this question I have yet.

Q: Are the different gauge bbls interchangeable? Can I drop a 12, 20, etc. ga bbl on the same action my .410 sits on?

TIA and hope to have some fireball vids of the T53s in a couple months.

dolk wrote:

Junk Yard Dog wrote:It's made to H&R's old topper design. a good, solid workhorse of a shotgun. Good deal. You don't know what it is? The name is right there on the side and people say I need new glasses

OK wise guy, I saw it.

How can you tell when it was made, by the serial numbers? or is that not possible?

I see it say 1900, but that is a patent date.

I wonder if it was both 3" and 2.5", or did this guy just shove them in. I would guess I could safely fire 2.5"...correct?

Seeing it was probaly made in the eary 1900's, I'm assuming it is safe with a modern load (light).

I'm really not a shotgun guy at all, but I have always loved 410's for some reason. When I saw it, I couldn't put it down. I know they are going for around $275 up on Gunbroaker, so I didn't do too bad.

Last question, what is 410 44 cal mean? Just the size of the bore? why the 44 part?

Dolk

They made ".44 Smoothbore" rounds specifically for these guns; They are rare colletcor rounds these days. The standard .410 shell for these is 2.5 in., do not fire 3 in shells, .45 LC, .44 Spl.( Or Russian, etc) , and certainly not .44 magnum through one of these! All have been done, with varying degrees of KA-BOOM!s.

I just gave my .410 Topper to Skipper; he had used it for a "trapping" (AKA, 'farting around in the woods') gun for some years. I got many years ago when the gunshop I worked at was cleaning out the back room, and I was assigned to called everyone whose guns were in the gunsmith rack in back. I called on the .410, and the guy had died some time before. ( It had been sitting there a while). The Boss said, "get rid of it", so I took it home.

Here is a shot of my H&R Pardner, a modern shotgun. I bought it new, maybe 10 or 15 years ago. Very nice little shotgun. Nice and light, well made.

When I was a boy in the 60's I tagged along with my dad and uncle when they hunted jack rabbits over on "Jack Dean's place". Heck, I never met Jack Dean but my dad had known his family growing up in E Texas and had permission to hunt on his land. They handed me a single shot. 410 and let me carry it with a pocket full of shells and I thought that life could not get any better. I shot at plenty, never hit any but didn't seem to care. To this day at 53 years old I am still a shooter and not much of a hunter. I don't know what happened to the. 410 but it never made it my way. It might have been my grand dad's.

*Cough, cough* Whew let me get some pledge on this thread, dusty out here ain't it?

I've got my dads Topper, let me get home and I'll post up some pics of it.
Chemistry test check
Govt next
Presentation after that.

Blah!

So how do I disassemble the receiver? It needs a new hammer spring.

Edit: much consternation later, it works just fine.

rayjd2 wrote:So how do I disassemble the receiver? It needs a new hammer spring.

Edit: much consternation later, it works just fine.

A printout of Numrich's schematic, the new hammer spring, some good pin punches, and lots of frustration.....reminds me; I have a Savage 24 tha needs that done, and the parts arrived yesterday....

entropy wrote:

rayjd2 wrote:So how do I disassemble the receiver? It needs a new hammer spring.

Edit: much consternation later, it works just fine.

A printout of Numrich's schematic, the new hammer spring, some good pin punches, and lots of frustration.....reminds me; I have a Savage 24 tha needs that done, and the parts arrived yesterday....

Which reminds me on another possible future project of yours... The pair of Ithaca 49s'.

Anytime you want.

entropy wrote:Anytime you want.

Maybe a fall project?

Sure; that'll give me time to clean off my bench!