Aging a Topper 158

[wreckhog]

Went and got a no serial number 12 gauge/28"/full choke today. Pretty much the opposite of what I want, but turkey season is near. Think I watched it for 3 months and the price finally dropped to "I can't take it anymore" $. The store sells more Benellis than H&R's. Still amused that the guy in front of me paid more in sales tax than I did for the Topper. Snap on forearm, possible walnut stock, cool red rubber H&R recoil pad. Sweet handling, a bit lighter than an SB1. Snap cap ejects across the room. Firing pin in smaller than an SB1. Tried 3 rifle caliber SB-2 barrels. None fit, which is probably a good thing.

Snap on forearm is awesome for taking it down. Do these wear out? Already noticed a little knocking.

Any idea when it was made?

[fredster22]

 The faqs show only one with snap on forend and that is 1971. I have a stock set, looks like walnut but no gun to match.

[PHATINJUN]

does it have a patent # stamped on the frame? If it does is there a letter at the begining that letter is the yr. Kurt
"Well thank you Tim even though I thought it silly they would put it on the trigger guard... this one is plastic it got me to thinking. I thought the 1940=A would be an A then a # and all that was on this gun was a
US patent # which many guns have that really mean very little to the yr of manufacture and as you can see in this picture this stamping is very small like 1/16" stamp. But if you look closer there it is a nondescript letter Z before the US patent # and you geussed it the letter Z is 1963 pretty much what I thought with that being the only yr they were case colored. So if some of you guys have these 158's with no # look for the single letter . Or maybe you guys already new that and I was just the dummy  Kurt "

[wreckhog]

AC before the patent. 1966. Thank you sir.

[PHATINJUN]

Mine is a Z 1963 and it is the snap on forend. Kurt

[quickdtoo]

The model 19XX 1908 that I'm working on right now has a snap on forend, it has an "A" prefix serial number(1940) which is on the bottom of the frame behind the metal trigger guard which is different than a 158 which is more modern. When I was a kid shooting passing ducks, the forend would come off in my hand, no harm, just surprising. Doesn't happen shooting level, just up.

Tim

[ErSwnn]

Maybe I'm just too stupid to find it....but where are you guys finding a chart or code index to determine year of manufacture?  I'm attempting to age a 158 20g, 28" with no S/N.  I do have an AE prefix before "U.S. Patent #" but otherwise nothing else.  Since this is my second post (1st was in Introduction thread) I'm not seeing where this might be.  The faqs didn't address this particular issue (that I can find anyway).

I bought this gun last week for trap.  It appeared to be new, much like you'd find as a display model.... no indication of use.  A couple of very minor rub marks like it got moved around in a closet.  $95.00 and a free box of old Western shells.  Works great, missed 3 out of 90 clays first time out.

From reading the above posts I have figured the A=1940 and am assuming the E=5 making the gun a 1945.  But I really don't have a clue.  I will keep searching but if anyone can get me to the goal quicker, I'd be much obliged.

[spooked]

ae=1968,,I have an ag=1970,,also an ah which =1971..double letters start with aa which = 1964....howsomever their appears to be no q in the single letter series or no aq in the double letter series...no v in the double letter series either.. ;)nor an i in the double letters through '82,but the single letter i equals 1948...according to Fjestad...

[ErSwnn]

Thank you Sir.  Now, I have been told (by someone I respect and have no reason to doubt) that even though S/Ns weren't required prior to 1968 that H&R used them before 1968.  With all the changes to H&R1871 to today the dating game becomes confusing at best.  Would you happen to know when the 158 began production? Also, I'm a computer idiot....would you be able to provide a link to date information? 

I'm brand spanking new to this site and haven't yet figured out navigating through.  My search is merely curiousity.  I bought this beautiful gun and am hoping to learn it's secrets.  That and the fact it is so pristine for it's apparent age.  I feel blessed to have it come to me, I just want to know all I can.  It also looks great next to my 12y.o. daughter's Pardner .410, bought new for Christmas a year ago last.

[spooked]

Right off the top of my head, I'm not sure the specific year that 158's came into being...however the moderator of this forum has compiled a world of info in The FAQ section at the top of this forum. it in my opinion, is the best place to acquire a general knowledge  quickly..lotsa reading up there and most of it very usefull to someone interested in H&R's or N.E.F firearms..We are very lucky to have this site..

[spooked]

Please don't take my info on serial # and dates as gospel as I am finding some discrepancy's  in the 80's serial #'s in the faq's and what i am finding in my research,, but i am gonna say the FAQ's are probably very close as Quicktodoo has been at this a long, long time..possibly the book I'm looking at is wrong..

[quickdtoo]

The Model 158 was offered in many different chamberings in rifle or shotgun and in combos from 1962-1984. As stated by spooked, AE= 1968. 

Tim

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,26264.msg503417.html#msg503417

[bluecow]

nice posts but what do i do now.  no letters before the 6 digit ssn.  pat. feb. 22 (27?) 1900.   locks up llike a bank vault.  thanks

[bubba.50]

lemme see if i got this right. 1900 patent date+ A39xxxx ser#= 1940 manufacture? that's what i'm gathering from the posts so far, and from the faqs which ain't always easy to find what yer lookin' for there. thanks neighbors, bubba.

[quickdtoo]

I do have an AE prefix before "U.S. Patent #" but otherwise nothing else. 

On some older guns the prefix has been reported to be marked in front of the patent before, just like yours.  Later guns have the prefix as part of the serial number, Earlier guns had the prefix and serial number on bottom of the tang behind the trigger guard, and there may have been other variants too.

Tim

[spooked]

Mine is a Z 1963 and it is the snap on forend. Kurt

Is it a 158 or an earlier model? Does it say 158 on it?

[PigBoy Crabshaw]

I just spied a guy on another board I hang out on.
He has a 158 Topper 16ga "J" 1949 with a five digit serial # for sale.
It looks really cool with the old style release that you see on old side by side doubles.
It's about 98%. Very clean for an old field scattergun.
He wants a bit much for this C&R, but I may monitor the salle to befair to myself. 
 -g

[CUatTheEnd]

My grandfather found a Topper 158 20 Gauge, no serial number but the US PAT number starts with AA, the above thread says 1964?  Correct?  Also can these be disassembled?  If so how?