H&R Topper 158 in 22 Hornet

[Glaciers]

Well I’m almost embarrassed to post this after Ben’s beautiful 7x57 Mauser. Kind of the ugly duck and Swan thing. Polished Snap-on wrench compared to the Chinese wrench in the bucket at the check out counter.
Well this is something I picked up to have bored out to a S&W 32 long or 32 H&R mag, barring that a 38 SPL/357. But it’s kinda cute like my bucked tooth sister.
It’s a 1975 manufacture still with 100% case colors and about 90% bluing. Well I’ve wanted a 22 Hornet, it’s not a CZ but it looks like it could be fun. It’s definitely growing on me. Doing a little research on these, which I must admit I knew absolutely nothing till now, finds there are barrels out (not sure Where) in 22 Jet, 38 SPL, 357, 44 mag, 30-30.
So I’m thinking finding a 38/357 and a 30-30 Barrels would be a lot of fun. Having a 30-30 single shot opens up a large field of different castings then possible in a lever. A plinking 38 certainly would be a good time.
So I guess I’ll just leave the little Hornet chambering alone. Kinda thinking of a 218 Bee as I have some brass and dies, but…

So tell me about this ugly duckling and if you have an extra barrel, let me know.
John

 

[Ben]

I have an H&R break open 30-30 Win.
I wouldn't be without it.

Ben

 

[RicinYakima]

I had a 22 Jet for a year or so, but never could get it to shoot less than 3 inches with any load, jacketed or cast. It went down the road to a collector who just had to have it. None of the Toppers shot as well for me as the later Handi-rifles. The 30/30 would self open every time you shot it. Never could find many of the fired cases ejected over and behind you. The best of the ones I owned was a 357 magnum with a Williams peep sight on the barrel shooting good groups and never leading even with my poor loading techniques in the 1970's.

 

[JustJim]

Traded into one as a kid, and for an iron-sighted walking-around rifle, it wasn't bad. Never tried cast in it.

 

[richhodg66]

Some advice; try cast in it, but don't try to make a full house .22 Hornet out of it. One place the Hornet shines is downloading it to .22 LR ballistics. The rim fire shortage about eight years ago is why I got my first Hornet. The Savage 219 I bought becaame about my favorite rifle for poking around in the woods with. The NOE 45 grain WFN (mine is plain based) and two grains of Bullseye works great at realistic small game range.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

It took me two or three to get a weiner!
But I did!! So I reamed it to K Hornet for brass life. Its just as good a shooter. I found some Factory Blk / Yellow laminated stocks that seemed appropriate! Then a good but cheap Bushnell 4-12 AO optic mounded super low with cropped hammer.
Im looking for pics but If I dont find Ill take some new ones tomorrow.

 

[Ian]

Perfect stock colors CW.

I love my 219s but wish I had more barrels for them.

 

[fiver]

Dang Rich I had to look twice to make sure that wasn't a 99.

 

[Jeff H]

........So tell me about this ugly duckling and if you have an extra barrel, let me know.
John

I had one, bought a bunch of brass, a mould, dies and never shot it. I changed my mind and decided to go with the 222 (in a bolt-action), but I shoot the 222 like a 22 Hornet anyway. I have the option to step it up if I want, but the Hornet is still just so dang cool.

I've had a 223, 30/30, 300 BLK, a 357 Mag and a couple Max's in the Handi format and am very fond of them. The triggers lighten up nicely without touching the sear or sear notch in the hammer too. I think they have a touch of elegance in that they are sleek and slim. As the barrels began to get heavier in the latter years, I was less enamored, but the whole rest of the rifle was great right up to the end.

Every one of them shot well - not "for the money," they shot as well as I'd expect from most factory guns of other action types. The only one I ever shot jacketed in was the 223 - a 5# kid's rifle that would shoot close to half an inch for three at a hundred.

I don't think they're ugly at all. I think that as you use them, your standard for "beauty" becomes more sophisticated and you then see that what others miss.

 

[CZ93X62]

Gotta get me one of those Tiger King Signature Series stock sets for a couple of my rifles. Just about the time I forget all about that set of grips that came on my beloved S&W Model 625, a post with a photo like this re-traumatizes me all over again--and I'm back to Square One.

 

[fiver]

tiger king.... LOL
I'm watching a ghost hunter show filmed at the tiger kings property.

 

[Glaciers]

Jeff I was in comparison mode to Ben’s sweet 7mm. No I’m very happy with my purchase. Well I haven’t shot it yet, so we’ll see.

 

[richhodg66]

Yeah, fiver, that's not a great picture, took it with my little flip phone I still carry when it was getting dark. Slightly better one. I like the 219s.

 

[Bret4207]

Someplace out there in the internet ether there are some articles on the H+R SS and what one guy did to get his to shoot. Might have been on the H+R forum that I was on a bunch of years back. IIRC he wasn't going to win any 1000 yard matches. but he did improve things. Lock up, trigger and bedding (or lack of) were part of the equation if memory serves.

The K-Hornet option always appealed to me but I never came across the right platform.

 

[richhodg66]

As for H&Rs, had this little one in .30-30 which came as a combo with a 20 gauge barrel. I set it up with a synthetic youth stock for my youngest son when he was about 11 to deer hunt with but that Lee soup can bullet and 5 grains of pistol powder makes a nice small game load too.

 

[CZ93X62]

Has anyone seen or bought one of the Henry single-shots? They look (from the ads) to be very H&R-like, but there aren't a whole lot of ways to render a break-open single-shot rifle or shotgun. They come in some interesting calibers, but not in 22 Hornet (yet).

 

[Jeff H]

http://www.perkloafm.com/pdf/Handi_instr_one.pdf

Someplace out there in the internet ether there are some articles on the H+R SS and what one guy did to get his to shoot. Might have been on the H+R forum that I was on a bunch of years back. IIRC he wasn't going to win any 1000 yard matches. but he did improve things. Lock up, trigger and bedding (or lack of) were part of the equation if memory serves.

The K-Hornet option always appealed to me but I never came across the right platform.

The FAQs on the Handi sub-forum are full of good info. I have more links somewhere if someone wants them, I'll have to dig a little, but I have a file for just Handi links.

 

[Jeff H]

Most of my old links are dead. I found the folder and tried several.

Now that I can't come through with what I said I would do, I'd like to at the very least, advise that the trigger and hammer are not THROUGH-HARDENED, and you don't want to take a stone to them. The write-up by Perklo (above) will get you a good trigger though. I've had TWO where someone had taken a stone or file to them and they were outright dangerous by the time I got them. They go bad very quickly after you get through the hardened surface - what David Bradshaw refers to as a "fugtive trigger."

Jr. Doughty had a few useful articles and his site is still up. His daughter has kept it up as sort of a memorial, but who knows how long she can do that, so get it while you can. Print the stuff out. "They" say that "once it's on the Internet, it's out there forever," but I think that only applies to bad stuff.

Check those FAQs on GBO too because they have a lot of information on things like barrel-fitting, curing "pop-open," etc. I never did get a chance to write up converting an extractor to ejector, but I doubt the parts would be easy to find these days.

 

[Jeff H]

Well, a few links in my file still work. Here's one by Mr. Taffin:

One Good Shot-New England Firearms Handi-Rifle

 

[Walks]

I have an H&R break open 30-30 Win.
I wouldn't be without it.

Ben

I have one too.
Started life as a .223, sent it back for .30-30, .45-70 & a 20ga Youth bbl's.
It shoots like a house afire with the .30-30 bbl, 5 shot 50yrd groups you could cover with a dime. Unique - 9.5grs under a #311291.