[mac66]

You may have seen my garage sale thread on the general firearms forum. I bought a H&R 12 ga Topper for $17 over the weekend, but it was missing the butt stock.



Kind of got me thinking about what to do with it and I started looking around on the internet for ideas. Never really thought about it before but I was frankly kind of surprised how versatile a single shot shot gun can be. It is small and light and of course, cheap! In 12 ga it "covers everything from bunnies to bears" as one guy put it.

My dad had a single 12 ga when I was growing up. It was called "Nitro King" which was a store brand. I do not have fond memories of that gun. It was handed to me along with some slugs when I was 14 as my first deer hunting gun. It was brutal to shoot.

One guy on Youtube (link is on my other thread) made his into a modern trade gun. It is his go to wilderness survival gun. He uses it for everything including muzzle loading it. Pretty interesting from the fact that it is all he really needs.

I ran across a guy who bought chamber inserts for his. He has a 12 to 20ga, a 20 to .410/.45LC, a 410 to 22lr. He nests them all together and can shoot any of the above in his 12. Not to mention there are inserts for most handgun and many rifle calibers as well that would fit into the mix.

Here's what I found.

http://www.mcace.com/shotguninserts.htm
http://www.shotgunadapter.com/
http://store.dinaarms.com/12_GA_Adapters_s/1.htm
http://www.gunadapters.com/categorie...ters/12-gauge/
http://www.americanspecialtyammo.com..._Adapters.html

My search revealed that ATI makes a tactical AR type stock and forearm for these guns. If you want to go even more tacticool they have a vented heat shield and a muzzle break (plastic).



Choate makes a survival stock with storage in both the butt stock and forearm for the single shots. You can even buy pistol grips for them.



So the question is what to do with it. Tacticool it out? Make it into a survival special? Keep it simple and use it as a truck/trunk gun. Maybe just stash it away with an ammo can full of a variety of 12 ga shot and slugs? Maybe pack it away with a variety of chamber inserts for the end of civilization.

[shotgunred]

Originally Posted by mac66

You may have seen my garage sale thread on the general firearms forum. I bought a H&R 12 ga Topper for $17 over the weekend, but it was missing the butt stock.

I ran across a guy who bought chamber inserts for his. He has a 12 to 20ga, a 20 to .410/.45LC, a 410 to 22lr. He nests them all together and can shoot any of the above in his 12. Not to mention there are inserts for most handgun and many rifle calibers as well that would fit into the mix.

Do some research on chamber inserts before you waste your money on them. They may make it were you can fire a bullet but your barrel is to large and will not be able to stabilize it. You would be lucky if you could hit the broad side of a barn much less a person or game from 50 or further.

[mac66]

Originally Posted by shotgunred

Do some research on chamber inserts before you waste your money on them. They may make it were you can fire a bullet but your barrel is to large and will not be able to stabilize it. You would be lucky if you could hit the broad side of a barn much less a person or game from 50 or further.

I was just throwing out ideas to see what people thought or what their experience is. Apparently single shot shotguns are not well thought of or used here.

I have looked into chamber inserts and am aware of their limitations.

[HAMMERHEAD]

Love the Toppers/Handis.
NEF will fit new shotgun barrels and possibly some pistol calibers on your frame for a resonable fee, but you have to send the gun in.

Mine is a .410/30-30/357, love it. Mine is the old style with ejectors instead of extractors.

[DoctaGlockta]

I have toyed with the idea of getting a couple of 12g NEG single shots. Good post and thanks for the reminder.

[Lt Scott 14]

Every farmer in my area has one or two single shot shotguns. Most are stock, some went plastic stock/forearm, and all are very dependable.
There are cooler tactical accessories, but do you need the expense vs the standard buttstock? Those are great trunk guns(write down the s/n, and keep it somewhere in case of theft!) I have the Survivor stock and it's cool, but the storage compartment isn't a lot of space to put stuff. To each his own on the looks dept.

[quake]

Originally Posted by HAMMERHEAD

Love the Toppers/Handis...

+1 Mine are rifle rather than shotgun, but a very versatile platform imo.

And with some creative - yet legal - modifications, can make a seriously fun & seriously stealthy little carbine.

[TactiCool]

Just sayin'...

50 BMG from a 12 Gauge Shotgun - YouTube

50 BMG from a 12 Gauge Shotgun - YouTube

[DoctaGlockta]

Originally Posted by TactiCool

Just sayin'...

50 BMG from a 12 Gauge Shotgun - YouTube

Those guys are great slayers of sacred cows and nay sayers.

[Ruble Noon]

Originally Posted by mac66

You may have seen my garage sale thread on the general firearms forum. I bought a H&R 12 ga Topper for $17 over the weekend, but it was missing the butt stock.



Kind of got me thinking about what to do with it and I started looking around on the internet for ideas. Never really thought about it before but I was frankly kind of surprised how versatile a single shot shot gun can be. It is small and light and of course, cheap! In 12 ga it "covers everything from bunnies to bears" as one guy put it.

My dad had a single 12 ga when I was growing up. It was called "Nitro King" which was a store brand. I do not have fond memories of that gun. It was handed to me along with some slugs when I was 14 as my first deer hunting gun. It was brutal to shoot.

One guy on Youtube (link is on my other thread) made his into a modern trade gun. It is his go to wilderness survival gun. He uses it for everything including muzzle loading it. Pretty interesting from the fact that it is all he really needs.

I ran across a guy who bought chamber inserts for his. He has a 12 to 20ga, a 20 to .410/.45LC, a 410 to 22lr. He nests them all together and can shoot any of the above in his 12. Not to mention there are inserts for most handgun and many rifle calibers as well that would fit into the mix.

Here's what I found.

http://www.mcace.com/shotguninserts.htm
http://www.shotgunadapter.com/
http://store.dinaarms.com/12_GA_Adapters_s/1.htm
http://www.gunadapters.com/categorie...ters/12-gauge/
http://www.americanspecialtyammo.com..._Adapters.html

My search revealed that ATI makes a tactical AR type stock and forearm for these guns. If you want to go even more tacticool they have a vented heat shield and a muzzle break (plastic).



Choate makes a survival stock with storage in both the butt stock and forearm for the single shots. You can even buy pistol grips for them.



So the question is what to do with it. Tacticool it out? Make it into a survival special? Keep it simple and use it as a truck/trunk gun. Maybe just stash it away with an ammo can full of a variety of 12 ga shot and slugs? Maybe pack it away with a variety of chamber inserts for the end of civilization.

Put a stock on it and whack the barrel off at 18".

[Aceman]

Cool gun - let us see how it ends up.

Pistol grip and sawed wayyyyyy off (like stamp way off)
regular stock and 18"
tac't out
or just a stock and as is...

As long as you aren't gun fighting, or don't miss the bear at too close range....

12g IMO is one of the highest utility weapons period with the right ammo. And single break is pretty freaking indestructible/reliable. Reliable is good.

[AK_Stick]

Depending upon the stock, those single shots can be punishing.


I have a M-37 in 20 gauge, and its absolutely un-kind to shoot. I would much rather shoot full house 3 1/2 inch 12 gauge rounds out of a pump gun than 2 3/4 inch 20 out of it.

[M1A Shooter]

i have long wanted to cut a rifle down to minimum legal length and then break it in half for a pack rifle. shotgun wouldnt be bad either.

[DJ Niner]

Originally Posted by Ruble Noon

Put a stock on it and whack the barrel off at 18".

This.

A couple of friends and I did this for truck/trunk guns back in the 80s/early 90s. We'd buy the guns at garage sales or from a local gun dealer for $30-$50, shorten them to 18.25", and put a skinny ammo can in the vehicle with an assortment of shells for it. Many a day I'd leave work, head out of town a mile or two, grab the shorty and a shell vest, and bust a few birds on the way home. If you try some steel shot loads, you'll probably find something that will still throw a Modified pattern out of the sawed-off cylinder-bore barrel.

[TangoFoxtrot]

Quote: My search revealed that ATI makes a tactical AR type stock and forearm for these guns. If you want to go even more tacticool they have a vented heat shield and a muzzle break (plastic).

Why bother? Its not worth the expense for a single shot SG.IMHO

[ChuteTheMall]

I'd prefer a double barrel in every situation.

OO

[mac66]

I tend toward keeping things cheap and simple. I mean $17 for the shotgun, maybe another $20-30 for a stock and I am not into it very much. Makes a cheap beater, stash away at the cabin gun.

Maybe put sling studs on it to attach a sling at some point. Maybe cut it down and keep it on my ATV when I am out and about on my hunting property. I kind of like the idea of making it look like an old time Indian trade gun, but probably won't fool with it.

On the other hand I could just sell it and make a few bucks off of it.

[Texas357]

Any time I find a used Stevens under $100, I take it.

Single shot guns are simple, and effective. They may not be tacticool/hogh capacity, but they'll hit as hard as anything else.

Take a look at Rossi Wizard. Keep in minsd, every extra caliber means extra barrel, extra weight.

[shotgunred]

Originally Posted by mac66

I was just throwing out ideas to see what people thought or what their experience is. Apparently single shot shotguns are not well thought of or used here.

I have looked into chamber inserts and am aware of their limitations.

I have a buddy that hunts with one. He holds extra shells between his left hand fingers. He is fast enough were if you just heard the shots you would swear he was using a pump. I have hunted rabbits for years with a single shot 410.

For what you payed for it I certainly would have been all over it.

[Bushflyr]

Stay away from ATI stocks. They are absolute garbage. Like was pointed out above, whack the barrel, put a Choate stock on it and done.

A friend of mine uses a Handi rifle in 45-70 with a turned down pencil barrel for his do everything hunting rifle. At under 6lbs it's punishing to shoot, but an absolute dream to carry in the mountains. And he only shoots about 6 rounds a year out of it.

[Syclone538]

Anything cheap and reliable, and expecially that you already have ammo for, is a great gun to hand to someone in need that you trust.

[Kentucky Shooter]

Originally Posted by mac66

I was just throwing out ideas to see what people thought or what their experience is. Apparently single shot shotguns are not well thought of or used here.

I have looked into chamber inserts and am aware of their limitations.

I like the H&R and NEF single shots. I grew up on an H&R single shot and i see your $17 buy as a steal.


I would be intrigued at the thought of what type of stock to put on your gun. I would probably opt for traditional, but some of the tactical versions you show look neat as well. I would probably search ebay or similar site for a good used stock and keep it simple as possible.

[prism]

go with the choate storage-survival stock. and then make a new thread about what you put in it.

[gunowner1]

Funny after reading this I realized I have my Grandfathers' H&R single shot 16 gauge in the back of my closet. Someone replaced the hinge pin with a bolt they must of had in their garage.I'll have to get it out and take a look at it tomorrow.

[RWBlue]

I have in my possession a 12ga single shot that my grandfather used. As I understand it, this gun is well over 100 years old. It was used in the depression to put meat on the table. I see no reason to change it. I should pack an ammo can with ammo and leave this gun where it could be needed.

I should get some sub conversions. That way I can shoot 20ga and 410.