Author Topic: topper 30-30 found... (Read 3472 times)

Joe S. · « **on:** November 01, 2011, 07:46:11 AM »

picked up a little straight stock Topper 30-30 today at a pawn shop. gonna set this one up for my little girl to shoot. it has a scope mount attached to it. it has an "AN" serial number, so i would assume that is not 1975, but rather 1999. is this correct?

it has the case colored reciever and rather thin barrel. nice n light. for those that have a similar rifle, what ammo does it like? id like to set her up with a remington managed recoil 125gr round.

also, the stock has been cut down a good bit. i will be posting in the want ads for a stock set. will a handi rifle palet wood stock set work on this rifle? i am sure the stock will, but what about the forend?

thanks
joe

Torwe · « **Reply #1 on:** November 01, 2011, 08:04:58 AM »

Stocksand fore ends are interchangable. I have a topper 158 mfg in 1967 with a new stock and forend. Enjoy you 30-30

Joe S. · « **Reply #2 on:** November 01, 2011, 08:07:25 AM »

Great. I felt certain the stock was. thanks for confirming about the forend.

Joe S. · « **Reply #3 on:** November 01, 2011, 08:17:52 AM »

She will get it for Christmas. Hopefully take her first deer with it that afternoon.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #4 on:** November 01, 2011, 09:07:14 AM »

AN = 1975, if it was HN or NN, it would be 1999.

Tim

Joe S. · « **Reply #5 on:** November 01, 2011, 09:09:59 AM »

Oh wow! I got an oldie. Cool. Can't wait to choot it!

Here is the wood that's on it. Good shape. Just wish it was a tad longer. I may actually have a grind to fit pad put on it, then oil it up for her. What kind of wood did they use back then? I'm assuming birch?

Airsporter · « **Reply #6 on:** November 01, 2011, 09:32:56 AM »

Stock appears to be refinished. New stocks should fit fine. I put a synthetic on my old Model 058 30-30 with no problem. Love the older light barrels.

Joe S. · « **Reply #7 on:** November 01, 2011, 09:35:21 AM »

I'm sure it was refinished. Man I wanna go tinker with it right now.

Joe S. · « **Reply #8 on:** November 01, 2011, 09:36:57 AM »

Were these factory drilled and tapped? Or am I dealing with an aftermarket job?

Joe S. · « **Reply #9 on:** November 01, 2011, 10:29:54 AM »

found a youth topper set. i had the guy measure it. 11 3/4" mine, measured the same way he measured his is cut to about 10 7/8"!

i am certain even that would have been too short for my daughter. i will have a recoil pad fitted to the new stock to help tame the recoil for her. coming together... now for a scope and rings...

gcrank1 · « **Reply #10 on:** November 01, 2011, 12:52:25 PM »

With a little more work and some decent pieces of wood you could make stacking spacers and have it grow with her.

Joe S. · « **Reply #11 on:** November 01, 2011, 04:18:11 PM »

One thing I like is how the hammer sits lower than a handi rifle, allowing for lower scope mounting. That is IF I can find a hammer extension for the thing. I would guess they'd make one?

OldSchoolRanger · « **Reply #12 on:** November 01, 2011, 04:35:41 PM »

You can pick up a Uncle Mike's hammer extension from Optics Planet. Make sure you order the correct one: Item #2456-0. Link below:

http://www.opticsplanet.net/uncle-mike-s-hammer-extensions-for-a-better-grip.html

Joe S. · « **Reply #13 on:** November 01, 2011, 05:31:23 PM »

Sweet. Thanks.

Just tried two shells in the gun. One case that was fired in another gun. Case got stuck.
Then 1 new cartridge. It ejected properly but that's got me concerned that a fired case won't eject. Is this a problem? Is that why some people convert to extractor in place of ejector? Or is the fact the spent casing was fireformed to another chamber where my problem lies? I've had 12ga hulls get stuck in my pardner before if that matters...

Stuck case thread: http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,103479.msg1098284834.html#msg1098284834

quickdtoo · « **Reply #14 on:** November 01, 2011, 07:02:20 PM »

The fired case needs to be full length sized first, then it will work fine, all chambers aren't the same, it could have been fired in a chamber that was slightly longer, once the brass grows a little, it won't fit in the chamber and it will stick since ejectors have very little force to remove the brass, unlike extractors which have a mechanical advantage from the extractor cam.

H&R hasn't made an ejector centerfire rifle barrel since about 2007, they've only made extractors since, currently ejectors are only found on rimfires and shotguns.

Tim

gcrank1 · « **Reply #15 on:** November 02, 2011, 03:18:11 AM »

It isnt a problem until its a problem; try it and find out, odds are it works fine.

OldSchoolRanger · « **Reply #16 on:** November 02, 2011, 04:32:35 AM »

Quote from: Joe S. on November 01, 2011, 05:31:23 PM

Just tried two shells in the gun. One case that was fired in another gun. Case got stuck.
Then 1 new cartridge. It ejected properly but that's got me concerned that a fired case won't eject. Is this a problem? Is that why some people convert to extractor in place of ejector? Or is the fact the spent casing was fireformed to another chamber where my problem lies? I've had 12ga hulls get stuck in my pardner before if that matters...

Stuck case thread: http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,103479.msg1098284834.html#msg1098284834

The problem is that the case was fire formed in another chamber. +1 What Quick said.

Airsporter · « **Reply #17 on:** November 02, 2011, 10:38:21 AM »

Quote from: Joe S. on November 01, 2011, 09:36:57 AM

Were these factory drilled and tapped? Or am I dealing with an aftermarket job?

I believe the H&R centerfire barrels were factory drilled & tapped. My Model 058 appears factory.

Joe S. · « **Reply #18 on:** November 02, 2011, 06:20:00 PM »

Yep I'd say its factory. New mount fits fine.

Got a little more accomplished tonight. Was at bass pro and noticed they had a shorter mount for the topper. So I got it. Its a BIG difference!

Also got a hammer extension.

Then after work I stopped in at walmart and got a set of weaver quad lock rings in high cause they got em cheap.

Got home and swapped everything out and got the scope mounted up. Now I'm just waiting on the new stock set so I can get her to the range and see how she shoots.

I must say I LOVE this little rifle. I bet its half the weight of my 35 remington handi rifle. Just hopin she groups with reduced recoil remingtons.

Hammer extension is close to the lach. Can I clearance that latch a tad if it touches?

44 Man · « **Reply #19 on:** November 03, 2011, 03:34:50 AM »

Looks like she's coming together great! The light weight is what attracted me to my Topper 30-30 when I saw it in the used gun rack at Jay's. After shooting this one, I was dissapointed at how heavy the new ones were in relation to the Topper (but I bought them anyway). I still have to get me one of the lightwt 7-08's that H&R is offering now! I love my Topper 30-30! And it's a real shooter too! 44 Man

gcrank1 · « **Reply #20 on:** November 03, 2011, 04:02:17 AM »

How about turning the new barrels down and slimming the stocks?
FWIW, in the old days they draw filed the flats for octagon barrels. Using a solid bench vise and a good file with proper technique it can still be done.

44 Man · « **Reply #21 on:** November 03, 2011, 04:31:53 AM »

I'd sure hate to see what a barrel would look like after I filed it octagon!

44 Man

tacklebury · « **Reply #22 on:** November 03, 2011, 11:44:01 AM »

Me too 44man lol My dad said I could round anything. never seem to keep it in plane correctly... lol

cjrjck · « **Reply #23 on:** November 03, 2011, 12:06:11 PM »

If you handload, the Speer 130 grain FP bullet is constructed for big game and works well at reduced velocities too. I loaded some for my son when he was younger.

I mated my stainless (or painted) Topper 30-30 barrel to a Nickel SB2 receiver and used a new straight synthetic stock. Great fit. The Remington factory ammo shot better than any reloads so far but I am still trying to beat them.

The spare stock that I had for the Topper was a very slim channel forend synthetic with some kind of medallion inlaid in the stock which fell out. Strange camo pattern that seems factory done. The Topper receiver and 20 gauge topper barrel with the slim synthetic stock make for a really lightweight and handy package. Thank goodness it is a 20 gauge and not a 12!

Joe S. · « **Reply #24 on:** November 03, 2011, 12:12:47 PM »

Cool
And I just gave away about 100 of the 130 gr speers.

demented · « **Reply #25 on:** November 03, 2011, 04:24:54 PM »

I'm using 150 gr Nosler Ballistic Tips with LVR powder, this combo works GREAT for me! Took a doe yesterday at 185 yards, she dropped like a rock! I didn't put a lot of effort into trying for the most accurate combo, I'm getting just over 2300 fps with groups under 2", plenty good for a 200 yard deer rifle. BTW: I'm 2.5 grains below Hodgons recommended max with this powder. Also recoil is lots less than factory 150's from my Winchester 94, ought to do well for recoil sensitive folks

Joe S. · « **Reply #26 on:** November 03, 2011, 04:29:30 PM »

Thanks

Joe S. · « **Reply #27 on:** November 03, 2011, 06:05:22 PM »

found some managed recoil. Bought 1 box.

Shell holder, check.

Youth pardner stock, check.

This wood may not even need refinishing. But it is desperate for a good cleaning. May try buffing it with some steel wool then going back over it with some polish...

I'm tickled. Next up is drill the stock for sling stud and maybe forend but am actually thinkin about one of those barrel band sling swivels that uncle mikes makes for magnum guns. What yall think?

I swear I think I like this gun enough to try and find one for myself. This one may get hunted with even when the daughter aint hunting!

Monteria · « **Reply #28 on:** November 04, 2011, 01:01:29 AM »

Hey Joe, I built up my Grandpas 30/30 Topper for taking kids hunting. Over the years, it has stacked up the deer like chord wood. And now, out of two overflowing gun safes, it is my go-to hunting rifle too. It is a pleasure to carry, a pleasure to shoot, and plenty accurate for the job.

A couple of things that I learned while working up reduced recoil killing loads...

150gr spire points (I prefer SST's) did the job. But, at lower velocity, the terminal performance on our little TX whitetail was less than impressive.
125gr Nosler BT proved to provide a little higher velocity at approximately the same recoil. While the lower sectional density provided great terminal performance and almost 100% DRT effect.
I was surprised to also find that the little 125s stay together as fast as I can push them. So I adopted them in my loads too.

I don't know the details of your objective, but food for thought.

Steve

Joe S. · « **Reply #29 on:** November 04, 2011, 01:19:25 AM »

That's why I post here. To take in as much of the experience as I can.

Thanks