Question on early 80's Topper

[vacek]

In 1985 a buddy and I were planning a trip to the Australia Outback to metal detect for gold nuggets.  I had purchased a H&R Topper in 22 Hornet and had a gunsmith bore it out to .223.  It has been a great little gun with a Beeman SS1 scope.  Anyway a couple of years ago I bought over eBay a 22 guage barrel.  While it will readily close with the forearm off it obvous doesent have a perfect fit as there is a gap with the forarm to barrel fit.  Is this something a gunsmith can fit?

Vacek

[Lon371]

 Probably, or you can sand it out wider. Or you can get another and sand and grind it out yourself, fill in the old holes and drill new You may post up in the want adds you are looking for one. Is it the snap-on type?

Lonny

Edit; I need to quit posting so early. I thought you were refering to forend fit problem. Sorry, I overlooked the barrel gap problem. As Normal Quick is correct

[quickdtoo]

Barrel fitting is pretty well covered in the FAQs and Help sticky. 

Tim

[vacek]

Tim,

Understood about the sticky.  Two problems.

1.  I was wondering if it applied to the older H&R's. ....probably.
2.  I am very challenged when it comes to any kind of gunsmithing.  Is there a video anywhere out there (UTube) showing or demonstrating such?

Thanks,
vacek

[quickdtoo]

I've only had experience with an early '70s Topper 30-30, it wouldn't come close to fitting any of my 30 some frames that I had at the time, but others have had them lock right up on their modern frames, so I think the tolerances in frames and barrel of H&R inc firearms was pretty wide in comparison to modern H&R1871 firearms. As with any H&R firearm, the only way you'll know is to try it, if it's close and you don't feel comfortable fitting it per the FAQs info, any competent smith should be able to do it.

A note of caution, read the warning in the FAQs about using high pressure rounds such as the 223 Rem on old cast iron frames, while it may work for a while, it's certainly not a good idea and not worth the possible catastrophic failure that cast iron is subject to. 

Tim

[vacek]

Tim,

Thanks for the info.  I guess I assumed that since it originally had been a reciever for a 22 Hornet and the gunsmith (really top notched) had did the boring work to .223 it would probably be safe.  Is that a wrong assumption?

[quickdtoo]

The 223 has considerably more pressure and a bigger case head which could be a disastrous combination on a cast iron frame, the original H&R never offered the Topper in any high pressure chambering.

Tim

http://www.leverguns.com/articles/saami_pressures.htm

http://stevespages.com/page8d.htm