H&R 30-30 Hammer!

[44 Man]

Well she's finally home!  She is marked as an H&R Topper. If anyone has an idea of the year of manufacture, you can read the serial number in the photo (I don't mind).  I bought it used at a good price and it's in nice overall condition.  There is the usual finish wear showing, but it has a nice shiney bore.  There is a little hint of dark brown in the forward end of the chamber but no pitting that I could see.  I'll have to polish it up and see what happens.  If by chance it does not clean up, then my quandry over whether or not to make this into a 30-30AI will be over.  I'll just cut it to clean up the chamber.  But LOOK AT THAT HAMMER!  Hey!  No having to cut or bend it for scope clearance!  Actually since I planned for the Grandkids to use this gun, I do wish it had the higher hammer of the newer models and my BC had this one.  But as they say, don't look a gift horse, or something like that.  Time to go shooting!  44 Man

Right side of hammer

Left side of hammer

Close up of markings.  Thanks Guys!

[quickdtoo]

Congrats!! AR= 1977, as shown in the FAQs http://www.graybeardoutdoors.com/smf/index.php/topic,26264.msg503417.html#msg503417

From what JB has said, you can swap the hammers out if you want, the problem I've had is no one has the old style hammers, I've tried to get em from Numrich who lists them, but they never have em. Saw one on ebay, but got out bid at the last minute.

They're great little guns, I have one that's unfired that I got from Tallyho here, haven't decided if I want to shoot it or just look at it!!

As far as the BC hammer, it's no work at all to trim the hammer with a dremel, can be done right on the rifle, I've done several of em, easy to do.

Tim

[tallyho]

44man - I hate to be a party pooper but...

Re the hammer: About 20 years ago I acquired my first 30/30 Topper. I decided to put a scope on it. It was some kind of basic 4x scope (don't remember for sure, but it might have been an old steel Weaver)... anyway, I found that if I put the hammer extension on the right side of the hammer (I'm right handed) it would interfere with the barrel release. I dremeled away a bunch of material on the extension, until it just slipped past the release - at least most of the time... occasionally it would catch on the way forward resulting in a non-firing moment. I messed with it some more, ultimately ruining it.

I got another one, modified it too, and even ground some material off the release latch, but it still got hung up from time to time. Eventually I moved it to the left side of the hammer, turned it upside down and used a right-thumb-across-the-hammer motion to cock it. (Putting the extension on upside down - so that the opening is at the top instead of the bottom - is a good idea in any case I think.) And I also had to dremel some material off the right hand side of the extension because what stuck out still interfered with the barrel release

I have to say, that this turned out to be a wonderful and accurate shooter, and truth be told, having to cock it across the receiver never seemed to be a problem - 'cause after all it was still a single shot and I never had a need to shoot many times quickly anyway.

My suggestion would be to check out the FAQs for Tim's piece on drilling the hammer for the other way of having a hammer extension.

Otherwise you have a sweetheart of a lightweight little gun. I still miss my old original. 

Cheers
Kerry

[quickdtoo]

Kerry, I've had the hammer extension on the left side of the hammer on my BLR for well over 20yrs, I'm right-handed and it works great  just as you have described.

Tim

[Roudy]

Seems that just about anyone that mounts a scope on a Handi wishes that they had a lower profile hammer.  Is there some reason that NEF does not change the design to a low profile hammer? 

This doesn't seem like rocket science, and they 'probably' can just substitute the old style hammer, a simple engineering change I would think.

I really like Handis but sometimes it seems that the folks who manage the company are not very sensitive to customer desires.

Perhaps I'm in the minority on hammer preferences.

Roudy

[carbineman]

This is the only time that being left handed was a benefit to me. Those little topper barrels were the best thing that H&R marketed in my humble opinion. I'm always in the market for another one.

[44 Man]

I had a few minutes last night so I spent some time looking it over more closely.  The more I handle this gun, the more I like it!  I didn't get into mounting a scope yet but I did screw on a base and just quickly set on a Bushnell 1x4 on it.  The scope was in medium rings already (which I thought might work with this hammer) but the scope hit the hammer.  It's still going to require high or X-high rings to work properly.  I was hoping that I wouldn't need a hammer extension with X-high rings but it appears I still may.  Oh well, she's a great, handy little rifle!  I'm going to send the stock off to a friend and have him shorten it about halfway between standard and youth.  I much prefer a short stocked rifle.  I may also have him refinish the stock and put a darker stain on it for me, it's not as ugly as I first remembered when I looked at it in the store, but it does need some attention.  44 Man

[alan in ga]

About 10 or more years ago, I found a 'skinny barrelled' H & R Topper in .30/30 Win in a local shop and paid $50 for it. A friend's son was just getting into college and wanted a 'deer rifle'. I put a scope and sling on the rifle and sold it to him for a total of $95 [my cost]. He went to Bozeman, Montana to college and shot his first deer with the rifle. He is an experienced [now] backpacker and STILL has the little 30/30 and chases elk with it. He uses top quality bullets and passes on all but perfect close up shots. His 30/30 has performed well as far as I know. Not what I would choose, but he loves the light weight and "packability" of the rifle.
He says he'll never sell it.
Alan in GA.

[44 Man]

I do find that I really like this rifle's 'handiness'!  (no pun intended)  I can see it quickly becoming a favorite of mine as I have always preferred light, compact rifles. 

[tallyho]

I have always preferred light, compact rifles. 

Yup.  Me too!

In fact, all this Topper talk caused me to contact Quick last night about the one I sold him a few months ago - we came to an acceptable exchange and I'll be getting it back! Yee-ha!

[quickdtoo]

Yup, we sure did!!!