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Topper Jr 490 20 ga

3K views 15 replies 7 participants last post by  45/70fan 
#1 ·
My first gun circa 1977. Never could hit anything with it as a youngster so it's sat in the safe. Dug it out last year and missed a squirrel by a foot at 20 yards. Dropped it off at a smith a couple months ago and he said the barrel was bent the last 3 inches.(I guess they slip past quality control sometimes because I got it new). He couldn't get it straight so I said cut it to 22" and thread it for Rem chokes. He said it will cost more than the guns worth. I said well it's very sentimental so let's do it. He just called and said it's ready to be picked up. Hurry up 5:00 !!!
 
#2 ·
That's amazing. Funny how we can figure these things out now that we are old and wise.

I saved a few pieces of cardboard from some large boxes to pattern my shotguns before hunting season. It will be enlightening I'm sure!
 
#4 · (Edited)
I remember pheasant hunting with a party of WW2 vets in South Dakota many years ago. A younger man who was one of the grandsons came with and he had a 20 ga topper. He was a very good shot and had 2 birds on the first drive. He apparently slipped in the mud and plugged his barrel before our second drive. First shot he took afterwards split the end of his barrel like a banana peel. Nobody hurt, we all laughed and later we went back to the farm house and cut the end off. Then he tried to pattern the barrel by shooting an old washing machine sitting in the weeds. I remember it was a terrible open pattern and several feet sideways from where he aimed. He continued to hunt with us but he didn't hit any more birds that day.
 
#5 ·
She looks great! I'll try and get some pics up. Thinking of remounting in shotgun cinnamon lam stocks.
 
#6 ·
Ok here she is. The barrel was cut to 21.5" and reinstalled on the original receiver. Installed camo lam stocks and a ported Tightwad x-full turkey choke tube.
 

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#11 ·
Did some swapping today. Put the original youth stocks back on. Painted in textured truck bed liner then painted over in cowboy brown paint. The other shotgun is an SB2 frame, a 26" full choke barrel, camo lam stocks and fitted an old H&R butt plate.
 

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#13 ·
Finally got to shoot it today. Screwed in an extra full ported turkey choke. Patterned Federal high brass #6’s and Winchester #3 buckshot at 30 yards. Impressed with both. I’m a happy camper.


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#14 ·
Sounds about like mine my first Shotgun, with it I could not hit much of anything with it. After my uncle seen me miss everything with it, he checked the choke on it. It would pattern with out opening up past useable range. Unless you was turkey hunting a dime would cover the end of the barrel, hard kicking due to having been "over choked" he reamed the barrel it helped some. I've shot 12 ga and a 10 ga that recoiled less.
 
#15 ·
When I swapped the original pistol grip buttstock for a straight grip on my 490 Jr.( first shotgun) my hits increased substantially. Fit is everything on a shotgun. Got it in 1972 and still have it. It fell from the tractor and the tandem disc bent the end of the barrel up. I cut it down to 20" and d&t a screw for the front sight and carried on. I love that little shotgun.

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#16 ·
I swapped the straight grip back over to the old 490 and sold the other barrel. Dang fine shooting shotty now.
 
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