Thank you, H&R, for curing my "Wantanewgunitis"....

[MacTech]

Over the past couple of months, I had come to realize I wasn't completely happy with my Mossberg 500 12-gauge, the stock LOP was about 1" too long, but I didn't feel comfortable cutting the stock down and having to refinish the stock, I guess I am just lazy in that regard...

When I went to the gun shop, on a whim, I shouldered a Remington 870 pump, and found it's factory stock fit me better than the Mossberg, so I started thinking, perhaps I should trade in my 500 towards a decent used 870, even though my 500 is absolutely stone reliable, and I have both the factory 28" AccuChoked barrel and a 18.5" cylinder bore HD barrel as well, I'd be trading both pieces at a loss...

I really only use the gun for recreational trap at my local range, and we only load one shell at a time, so a pump is overkill for trap, especially for me

Dad let me borrow his old H&R 12-gauge (original lever-opener) for some trap, he bought it cheap for $35 many years ago, it may not be in the best cosmetic shape, but the bore is bright, lockup is solid, and even with a solid plastic butt pad, it has practically *no* felt recoil with light target shells

I took it to the range, and did pretty well (20 out of 25), and I had been out of practice for a while, the gun just pointed naturally for me and it just plain worked, I actually heard some of the other shooters good-naturedly grumbling about "beginner's luck" or how I should get a "real trap gun" (one of the guys let me try his trap-specific Browning O/U, gorgeous gun, and I did great with it, if money wasn't an issue, I'd seriously consider one)

So, I decided to get my own H&R, even though Dad has given me full reign of his gun cabinet (he feels like he's too old to shoot anymore ), I stopped off at my local gunshop (Kittery Trading Post in Kittery Maine) which is about a five minute drive from home, and picked up a used Topper 88 fixed Modified 12-gauge, with nice blond wood and tiger striped case coloring, and took that to the range, as with Dad's H&R, my Topper just plain worked and worked well, but for some reason, had a noticeably harsher recoil....

After designing a recoil absorber system that I installed in the stock, and putting on a slip-on Limbsaver pad, the recoil was brought down to a comfortable, manageable level, I was happy, I had my "trap gun", it may not be as fancy as the nice trap-specific guns, but it does the same job just as well, getting lead on target and dusting a clay....

That said, I still wanted to trade the 500 towards an 870, so a few days later, I was back at KTP, looking over the 870's, none appealed to me, as I was walking out of the shotgun section though, I heard another shotgun calling my name....

An H&R Topper Deluxe Classic, used, but in 97% of new condition, a couple minor nicks in the bluing but easily fixed with cold blue, needless to say, it came home with me, it patterns really well, and even though I haven't had an opportunity to play a game of trap with it yet, I'm sure it'll do at least as well as the other H&R's I've used for trap

And the best part of all, even since getting the TDC, I have had *NO* desire for an 870, and I'm planning to keep my 500 around, just set up for HD, there's just *something* about the TDC that calls to me, it points and balances naturally, it's got an absolutely *gorgeous* trigger pull, clean, crisp break at about 2.5#, no creep, easily the best shotgun trigger I have yet experienced (aside from that nice Browning trap gun, that is) nice marbling in the walnut furniture, and the lines on it just look *right*, it also qualifies for the barrel accessory program

the best part is that I have felt no more urges for a new shotgun, I'm happy with my TDC

Thanks, H&R

I've always been a single-shot kinda' guy, Dad taught me to shoot on an old Ithaca 49 lever-style falling block single shot (still have it and shoot it...) and I'm a strong proponent of the "make every shot count" philosophy, even when I shoot my repeaters, I treat them like a single shot and take time to line up the shot and make it count, be it my Savage Mark II-G, Ruger 10/22, Ruger 22/45, Kimber Custom II or any of my firearms, I treat each shot like it's my only one and it has to count

I look forward to building some new memories with my TDC, and I may end up gifting my Topper 88 to my nephew when he's old enough and mature enough to handle the responsibility (as long as my sister allows it)

There's definitely something to be said for simplicity and the almost "zen-like" feeling a single shot can create, becoming one with the gun, and making that one shot count

[a4beltfed2000]

Very well written and sums up the basic concept of the Handi rifle series. I have long considered the Handi rifles to be the modern day fusil.

[Doublebass73]

Well put, for some reason I can't get interested in anything other than single shots for hunting. Kittery usually has a good selection of single shot guns.

[MacTech]

I may have spoken too soon, I can feel the beginning throes of "Handiholism", a couple nights ago, I went in to KTP to get a Full choke tube for the TDC 12-gauge, found a nice used choke tube for a mind-numbing $8 , *BUT*, while I was at the trade counter talking with the manager, he was setting up an inventory tag for another used gun....

another H&R single-shot shotgun.....

......a 20-gauge TDC with the cut checkering (my 12 has smooth walnut furniture) and a Trulock Full extended choke tube

The 20-gauge TDC was in 99% new condition, and still opened somewhat stiffly, absolutely spotless mirror polished bore, it was almost perfect...

So, needless to say, I *had* to get it, I had my Topper Mod. 88 in the trunk of the car, so I went down to the car, and traded that one towards the TDC, the 88 was about 85% of new, a little rust spotting on the reciever, and it had a bit of side-to-side wobble when broken open, I picked it up about three weeks ago in that condition, I basically got back what I paid for it, and ended up with a newer gun in far better condition, both of my TDC's qualify for the barrel accesory program as well, the 88 didn't

Of course, now I'm getting the urge to trade in my Mossberg 500 with the 18.5 and 28" barrels towards a third H&R/NEF shotgun, I just like the way these singles feel and fit me, the M500's stock is a hair too long in LOP, I *could* always cut down the stock and mount a grind-to-fit Limbsaver, but I just like the feel of the H&R's better, the only thing I use my shotguns for are for range toys/trap guns, I don't hunt (yet), and thankfully, I live in a rural area where crime is non-existent, I'm at a higher risk for a coy-dog attack than I am for a "home invasion", and I haven't seen any coyotes/coy-dogs in at least two years... so the "need" for a pumpgun isn't there

that said, I own it, it's not taking up any extra space, and it doesn't cost me any extra to "feed", so there's no reason *not* to own it, other than for the reason that I don't see a "need" for me to have a huge collection of guns (wait, what did I just say, I must be delirious...)

then again, when the inevitable Zombie Uprising occurs (and it *WILL*   ), it might be nice to have a spare pump or three set aside to compliment my collection of break-actions, I have more break-action shotguns than repeaters anyway...

Dad's old "thumb-lever" NEF 12-gauge
Dad's old MAVI single-shot folding camp .410
Parker VH grade 12-gauge (family heirloom)
H&R TDC 12-gauge
H&R TDC 20-gauge
Mossberg 500

I think the reason I'm leaning towards more H&R singles is not only do they fit me properly, but they just feel more *solid* than my M500, the 500 has the "rattly" pump slide the line is known for, and the trigger pull feels "spongy", it feels like a mass-produced stamped metal shotgun, the "Big Mac" or "Whopper" of shotguns, reliable, capable, functional, but eminently generic, plain, and mundane, my Toppers, OTOH, feel far more precise and precision-fit, crisp trigger pull, and *no* rattle, when open or closed, they feel, in a word, *solid*, yet they have a simplicity far greater than the 500, they're the Nigiri Sushi of shotguns, simple, basic, and precise