H&R Topper Jr. 490

Sister's husband has said model of shotgun, I'm borrowing it for a bit. Out of curiosity, does this shotgun have a rebounding hammer ? Is it safe to carry w/ a round in the chamber ?

Not that I can tell.

No transfer bar, doesn't look like it was ever designed for one. No half cock. The hammer rests on the firing pin (or what I'm guessing is the firing pin), and it is sprung to the rear, heavily. I examined it, and one can apply forward pressure on the lowered hammer, and the nose of the firing pin does not protrude through the channel in the breech face.

DT Guy said:

Sounds like a 'rebounding hammer', which is too short to reach from hammer face to primer, and relies on momentum imparted by the hammer strike to reach it when fired.

Larry

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So this is perfectly safe to carry with a round under a lowered hammer ?

DT Guy said:

I'm not sure, to be honest. I would believe so, but only have 'internet level' knowledge of those systems. I'd wait for someone more authoritative to confirm.

Larry

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Thank you for your help, good sir.

Kleanbore said:

DodRock answered the question.

A rebounding hammer does not make it safe to carry a round under a lowered hammer.

It does prevent the round from discharging as long as the hammer is not impacted.

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You've just confused me....

Kleanbore said:

The rebounding hammer does not prevent the firing pin from striking the primer if the gun is dropped or if the hammer is struck by an object.

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Ah. All the rebounding hammer does is hold immediate mainspring tension off the firing pin ? Now that I know what this is called, heh. I hunted for most of my young life with a rebounding hammer Savage break action .410, and survived it.

Kleanbore said:

It keeps the pin from resting on the primer.
Thank you for your clarification, good sir.

You are not alone.

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I didn't dream that I was.