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Author Topic: "House Brand" H&R Topper Combo Rifle/Shotgun  (Read 3622 times)

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Offline bobgofast

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"House Brand" H&R Topper Combo Rifle/Shotgun
« on: August 03, 2009, 10:33:13 AM »
I've got an unusual combination single shot rifle/shotgun.  Its definitely an H&R Topper type gun, but it is marked Edward K Tryon Co / Philadelphia PA.  The model is "Buffalo".  The receiver is deeply blued, not color case hardened.  And it has no serial number.  It came with a 30-30 barrel and a 20 gauge shotgun barrel which are changed by snapping off the fore end.  The wood is very nice and the gun shoots very well - especially the 30-30.  Apparently the Edward K Tryon Company was an old Philly sporting goods company which sold guns under their own name.  That's about all I know.  I'm out West (Arizona) and don't know much about the Tryon Company.  Can anybody out there (maybe back East) add any history?  I can add pictures later if you're interested but I'm at work right now, pretending to be busy!  Thanks!   
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Offline quickdtoo

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Re: "House Brand" H&R Topper Combo Rifle/Shotgun
« Reply #1 on: August 03, 2009, 10:47:33 AM »
Here's the best history on the company I found with a quick internet search. H&R has made many firearms for marketing under other names throughout their history until they went out of business in 1986.

Tim

Edward K Tryon Co
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Offline PHATINJUN

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Re: "House Brand" H&R Topper Combo Rifle/Shotgun
« Reply #2 on: August 03, 2009, 02:14:10 PM »
Welcome to the family bob yes pictures are mandatory close ups of the company name and action along with others we like pictures . Sounds like you got your self a rather rare one and from what Tim posted you maybe able to locate other information about the company sounds like they even manufactured guns at one time . Again welcome. Kurt
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Offline bobgofast

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Re: "House Brand" H&R Topper Combo Rifle/Shotgun
« Reply #3 on: August 04, 2009, 04:35:39 PM »
Hello Tim and Kurt - or maybe its better to say quickdtoo and phatinjun - I'm unsure of the EDDYQWIT on that one...Thanks for your responses.  Sooo, you want some pictures of the Tryon Buffalo rifle?  OK.  Here they are.  Note the gold hammer and trigger, the lack of a serial number (like my old Stevens side-by-side), the receiver milled down on top to match the barrel dimensions, the blue in place of the color case hardening.  Oh yeah, and it's accurate too!  Go figger!  I wish I knew when it was built!  The condition is somewhere around 97% or better.  Whatcha think?
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Offline PHATINJUN

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Re: "House Brand" H&R Topper Combo Rifle/Shotgun
« Reply #4 on: August 05, 2009, 12:35:18 AM »
Very nice Bob I know of at least one member here who is probly gonna have a hard time sleeping knowing that rifle is out there as he collects the recessesed frame H&R's. What ya think of that one Brian beauty ehh! It makes me wonder with them being manufactureers of firearms at one time if they did the extra bluing or if H&R did it. Is the spacer between the wood and the frame metal also .I know some with the snap on's were and some were not.Congrats on owning a very nice piece of Harrington Richardson and Tyron history. Thanks for sharing with us. Kurt
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Deceased 2/16/24
https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/machesney-park-il/kurt-heckman-11671764

Sportster17M2,20"Nickle410Tamer,26"410,
WTUTI12ga,WTU25-06,M158 22RemJet, 24"Ultra.204Ruger24"UltraFluted.204Ruger
M157Mannliker.22Hornet,24".223UltraFluted,   24".223Ultra,7X64BrenekkeUltra,22-250AIUltraFluted            7.62x39,22"303Britstub.32H&Rmag, .32303BritstubHuntsman,24" SS.50calHuntsman 58calHuntsman 12gaHuntsman
NEF RevolversSSModel73.32H&Rmag                     Blued Model73.32H&R mag The herd is shrinking!!
                                 "SOLI DEO GLORIA"

Offline quickdtoo

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Re: "House Brand" H&R Topper Combo Rifle/Shotgun
« Reply #5 on: August 05, 2009, 04:54:44 AM »
Nice, thanks for the pics!  ;)

Tim
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Offline tireman

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Re: "House Brand" H&R Topper Combo Rifle/Shotgun
« Reply #6 on: August 05, 2009, 09:53:18 PM »
   Nice gun. Looks like someone forgot that gun was made to be shot. Please take care of that problem.  Have fun.  Clark
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Offline Hofs01

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Re: "House Brand" H&R Topper Combo Rifle/Shotgun
« Reply #7 on: August 06, 2009, 06:28:45 AM »
Holy Cow batman! Be still my beating Heart!

Never seen this one!

I call first dibbs when and if it ever gets sold or traded.

That is nice.

very nice setup I really like the deep blue and the buffalo....

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Offline bobgofast

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Re: "House Brand" H&R Topper Combo Rifle/Shotgun
« Reply #8 on: August 06, 2009, 09:02:16 AM »
Thanks one and all for your positive comments.  Yes, its a real sweet little piece.  I enjoy shooting it out in the Arizona desert, but the urge to leave it in the safe and shoot my 20 gauge NEF or my Marlin 30-30 is hard to overcome.  Last thing I want to do is scratch it up.  Its come so far and been around so long I hate to take the chance of damaging it!  Can't help but wonder how many of these were made.  Apparently the buffalo was the symbol of the Tryon Company.  Legend has it that they had a big sign on their Philadelphia location that was a buffalo.  Now, if I can only trace it directly back to Bill Cody then I'd have something!  HA!
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Offline dangerranger

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Re: "House Brand" H&R Topper Combo Rifle/Shotgun
« Reply #9 on: December 19, 2009, 09:01:24 PM »
yours is in much better shape than mine! the only marking that are legible is the bufaloe. no serial, no manufacture name, nada. shoots like a rifle should tho. I have the 20ga barrel that came with it also. even with a slight bulge near the muzzle end it still takes Quail regularly. the 20ga barrel is marked 148 M.  Bob yours is shure pretty! thanks for posting it. DR
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Offline Lon371

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Re: "House Brand" H&R Topper Combo Rifle/Shotgun
« Reply #10 on: December 19, 2009, 10:51:12 PM »
  Very nice find. That is a pretty one.

Lonny
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Offline cbourbeau32

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Re: "House Brand" H&R Topper Combo Rifle/Shotgun
« Reply #11 on: December 20, 2009, 04:43:29 AM »
Good looking gun.
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Offline dogngun

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Re: "House Brand" H&R Topper Combo Rifle/Shotgun
« Reply #12 on: April 28, 2010, 12:10:24 PM »
FWIWm Tryon went back a long way. I have a 12ga sxs made by Crescent and marked VULCAN which was another Tryon house brand. Mine supposedly was made around 1905.
It is one of the nicest shooting doubles I have ever owned.

Enjoy.

Mark
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Offline bobgofast

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Re: "House Brand" H&R Topper Combo Rifle/Shotgun
« Reply #13 on: April 28, 2010, 01:39:18 PM »
I've seen some old Edward K Tryon catalogs for sale on GunBroker.Com which indicate that the company was founded around 1811.  That's about 5 years after Lewis & Clark returned from their exploration of the West.  Apparently they supplied lots of muzzle loading rifles to the pioneers moving West from New England (They were in Philadelphia).  I've seen a replica of a Tryon Kentucky rifle for sale and it was around $1500.00 as I recall.  They seem to have vanished in the mid-1960's.  Think anybody would bid on my Buffalo if I put it up on Gunbroker? 
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