I have a question for the gunsmith experts here on thne forum. My father in law gave me an old H & R single barrel 410 shot gun. I think it is a Model Topper 158. Now this shot gun had been in a house fire. The stock, forearm and plastic trigger guard...gone. Bluing burnt off,...barrell rusty (no pitting) on the out side and remarkably the inside of the barrel looks fine, just some rust flake near the end of the barrel. The receiver...rusty...along with all parts.

I have lubricated all the parts and got the barrel and receiver apart, the hammer is pulling back, the trigger is working, the firing pin is working. All springs seem to be non working. I know due to the heat and such the springs (all springs) would need to be replaced.

I am just wondering if the 410 would be save to shoot if I get it resurrected.

Thanks in advance.

I don't believe it is in any immediate danger of becoming valuable, so, without the benefit of actually seeing the piece, I would recommend placing a crutch tip over the muzzle of the barrel for use as a walking stick.

malm, I know the gun wouldn't have any value and even if I was to resurrect it, I would never think of trying to sell it to anyone. I was just curious if it would be safe to shoot.

I like to tinker on things and I thought that this might be a project that I would like to do. I am not in no way a gunsmith, but I have taken many guns apart and cleaned and replaced parts in my 24 years of hunting. I have a room setup to reload rifle ammo and also shotshells.

I just hate to see a gun thrown in the trash.

If there is one thing I have learned over the years, it is "you can't save eveything". If it's a sentimental thing, find a cheap stock and forend, weld the barrel and action closed and hang it on the wall. Sometimes you just have to close your eye's and throw things away.

I'll second Mr. Malmborg here. You can buy these for $84 at walmart.

HOWEVER.... SINCE YOU SAID YOU LIKE TO TINKER...

I could see one project you could do with it- rechamber it into a 22 LR. Buy a used 22 barrel off ebay for $7, then turn it on a center in a lathe so the chamber is offset enough for the firing pin to strike the rim, then epoxy the new liner into the barrel. You'll have to weld up and reshape the extractor, and retemper the springs and sears and firing pin, and then make a new stock, but it would be an interesting way to sink some time into a project. After the liner is installed tap through the original barrel into the new one and mount a weaver rail, I would not be suprised if you might have a nice shooter. However, I'd keep it at a 22 LR and not try to push it to a 22 Mag even, not worth the risk of hving the action loosen over time (which might be 30 years) and sending rim fragments into someones face sometime.

Mark

Hey, one way to find out. Load 'er up with a 3" mag, tie it in to an old tire, attach a loooong lanyard to the trigger. Hide in a hole, then yell "fire in the hole" and let 'er rip. Chances are pretty good you'll have a real conversation piece to hang on the wall in your gun room. If it does hold together, I'd still hang it the wall.

Just a question from across the pond..don't you chaps have such a thimg as a proof house system over there? lf we alter any shotgun or rifle barrel we are obliged to send it in for reproofing, whereby they fasten it in a controled area and fire an over pressured charge through it, and if it hangs together it's deemed to be ok for use with standard loads from then on.

Dave.
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Hey Dave2431,
your question about a proof house can be answered very simply, one word in fact ,-NO-.

quote:

Originally posted by Dave2431:
Just a question from across the pond..don't you chaps have such a thimg as a proof house system over there? lf we alter any shotgun or rifle barrel we are obliged to send it in for reproofing, whereby they fasten it in a controled area and fire an over pressured charge through it, and if it hangs together it's deemed to be ok for use with standard loads from then on.

Dave.
....

Yeah we do. It's a "do it yourself" deal. You go out and shoot it. If you and the gun survive it's probably OK That being said I would not want to be the one "proofing" something that went through a fire.

Ah I see...

In that case may I suggest that the hole you're sittin' in is very deep, and far away from the tree the guns' fastened to...

ATB.

Dave.
....

I was told by the Firearms Examiner at the State Police Lab that if the springs were gone, the metal was toasted too.

Thanks for all the replies. It sounds like I should just stick it in a corner...or make a stock and forearm for it and hang it on the wall.

I just thought that it might be a good project to resurrect if the metal was okay. That is why I asked the question...I know that heat can ruin metal, especially a lot of heat and then water thrown in the mix.

Thanks again.

Another good rule of thumb.

If the wood is gone, the gun is gone.

-Spencer

Restock it and make a lamp out of it. My grandpaw made one of those standing pole lamps out of a old rusty damascas sxs. Pretty cool.