Help with single shot info and purchase

[9mmMike]

Howdy team,
The Mrs. & I were out at our favorite local shop and stumbled upon an NEF 12 ga. single-shot.
I never really wanted one of these but we handled and moved on but kept coming back to look at this thing.
It is a very light gun and I thought that it might be a bit much in 12 ga. so we passed on it but now we have added this (or one like it) to our must-have (and soon) list.
I have been doing some research on these and found that they appear to go by various names, including NEF, H&R, Pardner, 490, Topper, 158 and maybe more. Some are advertised as auto-eject. Are they all? The one we looked at had a plastic trigger guard and I assumed that it must be a newer model.
Now that we know we want one, I am unsure what gauge to get.
I thought that maybe a 20 ga. would be cool but the .410 looks good as well and I have seen some .410 / .22 combos that really tickle my fancy.
What are these guns good for? We are recreational shooters and primarily shoot hand and Trius-thrown trap.

I am looking for some recommendations regarding caliber and, if it's important, model.

The .410 / .22 combo that I saw comes with a bag to carry the gun in take-down form and if there is any way that I can justify the purchase of a .410 (a caliber with which I am totally unfamiliar) then I am leaning that way.

Please share your thoughts, opinions & experiences with these guns.

Thanks,

Mike

PS. Just to muddy the waters, I thought that a short-barrel'd version in 20 ga. might be a neat HD gun for aging parental units. Thoughts?

 

[Dave Markowitz]

I have an H&R Topper 12 gauge that dates from the early 1980s. As you noted, single shot shotguns are light and fast handling. With practice you can get second shots off surprisingly quickly.

They do kick, though, due to the light weight. I added a slip-on recoil pad to mine which helped.

Unfortunately, at the time mine was made, H&R's quality control was in decline and after a fair amount of use, the lug that was attached to the bottom of the barrel, into which the forearm screw goes, came off under recoil. I "repaired" this by duct taping the forearm back on. (This is safe, as once the gun is locked all the forearm screw does is hold the wood on.) My dad had an identical gun and the same thing happened to his. If you're going to get one, buy one of the newer NEF models.

I wouldn't mind having one in 20 gauge. It would kick less than the 12 and ammo is cheaper than the .410, plus it carries a good payload.

They can certainly be used for defense but they are far from optimum, since they hold only 1 shot. While a blast from 12 bore is likely to stop an intruder, what if he has friends with him? If your folks get one for HD, at least get a butt cuff to hold some extra ammo.

 

[PawDaddy]

You can pick one up at Wal-Mart for about 80 dollars!

 

[sm]

NEF 20 ga youth model is what my mom has ( arthritis took a toll on her revolver skills). This thing is amazing in its patterns. I set up a number of folks with these - be it elderly,or budget. Rule 1 : have a gun.

I prefer the combos from NEF. Gunsmith buddy has had a variety of folks whom sent in to add another caliber, usually bought for youth's , parents end up getting one because...umm...their parents...don't need a reason. "Excuses" run from fun, handy for farm/ field, to don't want to upstage the youngster ( whatever - I think It was to get another gun).

Rossi makes a combo, just prefer the NEF, and options.

Oh there have been numerous bird hunts where we limited the guns to single shots. Using the .410 I did manage 8 doves straight before I raised my head to see a miss. Grown men shouldn't have this much fun...we did though. Yep , many of us did get a 15 bird limit...Not a one of us tried to shuck the fore end, or pulled the trigger more than once to get a repeat shot...I lied .

Trigger jobs --forget it. Pins are not advisable to drift out. Word is, if sent in for extra bbl , often times NEF will smooth things a bit.

 

[Dave McCracken]

There's input in the Archives. A few things about the singles....

First, these were starter/utility shotguns, carried on tractors and kept in barns. Some were used a little and relegated to the closet, others performed frequently over decades or even lifetimes.

The older H&Rs had better finish than the newer NEFS, but no one buys these for the cosmetics. An older Winchester Model 37 is the epitome of the singles, and good ones fetch incredible prices from the card shooters and older men reliving the youth they wished they had had(G)..

A couple common probs are heavy triggers and severe kick. Mostly, the actions are too hard to get into to make lightening worth the money.A trigger shoe may help this, and good trigger control is essential on ANY arm.

Firing off a 3" Magnum in one of these is like taking Mike Tyson's best shot.

They are tons of fun for a few bucks, especially if bought used.

A suggestion, check the BB at your range of choice for used ones. If you get this in 12 gauge, oz or even 7/8 oz loads are vehemently recommended. In 20 gauge , stick with 7/8 oz. Adding a good pad is an excellent idea.

For non shotgunners, a 28 gauge carries enough shot to bust clays nicely except for trap, and has little kick.

For defense, they beat fang and claw. Even the 28 gauge has enough moxie to STOP a threat.

As for the 410, these are oft used by kids and newbies, but I can't recommend them for that. New shooters need hits to build confidence, and it's just too hard for most folks to hit with the 410's minuscule charge.

HTH, and please ask any more questions you have.

 

[Bowlcut]

Recoil hell....

I am keeping a friends NEF 12ga from walmart for a while. I decided to take 2 boxes of Winchester silver x 2 3/4" slugs out to the range. Holy hell. That was over a week now...I still have the bruse. That beast HURTS.

Decent gun tho for the price. It has a simple mechanism and went bang every time. Ejects the shell nicely....can put your hand over the breech if you are keeping them for reloading. But the gun ruined me and 2 others for the day....cause of pain

 

[sebago]

Darn it! Reading this thread early this morning caused me to buy another gun!! I went off to my local Sports Authority where I'd seen the NEF Pardner on clearance a few days ago. They only had 12 ga. and I'm well aware of the fierce recoil but for only $62.97 I was willing to make the sacrifice. Actually even if they had the 20 ga. I'd have prefered I still would send it off to NEF for a couple replacment barrels. 16 and 28 ga. come to mind. Until then I'm adding a recoil pad and using light loads of 1 or maybe 1&1/8 oz.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Sebago, we deny responsibility. Enjoy the new toy. Try 7/8 oz for starters.

Bowlcut, 1 1/8 oz goose loads from a 16 gauge H&R made me really appreciate my first 870. That thing killed on one end and crippled on the other. Good for improving form quickly, though.