# a very familiar looking gun by a new manufacture



## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

https://www.savagearms.com/firearms/model/Stevens301Compact

looks just like the NEF / H&R pardner / topper shotgun

wonder if they will start producing it in 357 , 44mag and 30-30


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

The HR/NEF shotguns wouldn't stand the pressures of most centerfire rounds.
The rifle frames could be fitted for shotgun barrels, but the reverse wasn't true.


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## diamondtim (Jun 10, 2005)

Looks like Savage is getting into the "first shotgun" market and the squirrel / small game hunters market.


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## hunter63 (Jan 4, 2005)

Bearfootfarm said:


> The HR/NEF shotguns wouldn't stand the pressures of most centerfire rounds.
> The rifle frames could be fitted for shotgun barrels, but the reverse wasn't true.


H&R/NEF shotguns with SB1 receiver could be fitted with pistol round barrels....357 and 44 mag, as well as ML barrels.
H&R/NEF Handi Rifles in centerfire rifle caliber.....30-30, 30-06 etc etc....use a SB2 receiver to withstand the higher pressures.

Older combos did come in 12ga/30-30....but BFF is correct....you have to be careful.

Rossi sells different combos.....mostly .410 or 20ga/22lr/and 243 center fire...did have optional barrels available....not sure if they do.

This Savage most like likely will not have options....as most of the offering from other makes won't either.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

Bearfootfarm said:


> The HR/NEF shotguns wouldn't stand the pressures of most centerfire rounds.
> The rifle frames could be fitted for shotgun barrels, but the reverse wasn't true.


the SB1 could be chambered in 357mag and 44mag

Gunsmith David White has made a career out of re-barreling and building single shots a lot of his work has been on NEF/H&R and he has owned and made a lot of 30-30s , he comments that 30-30 and 22 hornet are the only two cartridges that he can say he has never shot loose a H&R frame and that he has many thousands of rounds through the 30-30 H&R

H&R made the topper 158 in 12ga and 30-30 on a cast frame very similar to the SB1 frame before making the SB1 and SB2

here is an example of a topper 158 in 30-30 http://www.gunbroker.com/item/672630541


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## Jolly (Jan 8, 2004)

hunter63 said:


> H&R/NEF shotguns with SB1 receiver could be fitted with pistol round barrels....357 and 44 mag, as well as ML barrels.
> H&R/NEF Handi Rifles in centerfire rifle caliber.....30-30, 30-06 etc etc....use a SB2 receiver to withstand the higher pressures.
> 
> Older combos did come in 12ga/30-30....but BFF is correct....you have to be careful.
> ...


I think you'll find the triggers on the those Rossis to be a bit less than desirable for rifle work. They can be improved a lot, but it has to be done by a good smith and it ain't cheap.


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## hunter63 (Jan 4, 2005)

Jolly said:


> I think you'll find the triggers on the those Rossis to be a bit less than desirable for rifle work. They can be improved a lot, but it has to be done by a good smith and it ain't cheap.


I'm a H&R/NEF guy...the only Rossi I own is a Circuit Judge I won in a raffle.
So not a concern.

This is personal opinion.....and advice.......
It's you money.....But
I do get a kick out of the advice on "trigger work" on a $200 buck gun....Why would you spend the money?

This were made as a cheap, simple, kick around in the back of the truck gun beginners gun.

If you want a MOA shooter start with a Remington, Ruger, Winchester...or even the low end
Savage, or Ruger bolt gun for not much more money.
Then put your money in that.


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## Jolly (Jan 8, 2004)

My nephew


hunter63 said:


> I'm a H&R/NEF guy...the only Rossi I own is a Circuit Judge I won in a raffle.
> So not a concern.
> 
> This is personal opinion.....and advice.......
> ...


My nephew started deer hunting at eight years old. His dad wanted a single shot rifle for simplicity's sake.

IMO and his dad's, we both felt a good, crisp trigger helps people hit what they are shooting at. Different folks like different trigger pulls. On my hunting rifles, I want a 3 - 3.5 pound pull, with absolutely no take-up.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

I am not opposed to single shots , but I do not see how a exposed hammer simplifies anything it rather complicates it , you now have a young kid who had a deer come in he thumbs back the hammer , then the deer takes off and he no longer has a shot , now he has a gun with a hammer back he is excited and has to de-cock the gun with cold hands , in a bolt you can single load , you can get a crisp trigger out of the box and just flip the safety back on , and when the youth is ready they can load the magazine


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## krackin (Nov 2, 2014)

I see your point. Self control has to be learned before carrying any gun out hunting. Makes no difference what the firearm is, not that I'd give an autoloader to use first time out.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

I had an auto loader my first time out hunting, great little gun Rem 1100LT 20ga. no one said you have to fill it up , but it soaks up the recoil.

A few years after I started hunting my dad and I were working the sportsmans club gun sight in weekend , and a guy and his son come in , the son is a small kid just turned 12 this is his first year hunting he has a brand new NEF 20ga single shot and a few boxes of slugs , kid hits perfect with slug one , and 2 and 3,4,5 are all over the place , one of the old guys who taught hunters ed comes over asks if he can see the gun for a minute , he ejects the hull looks the gun over then puts the same spent hull back in hands it to the kid sitting at the bench and says give it one more try for me , the gun went click and the kid jumped about 6 inches off the stool. well he got recoils sensitive from slugs from the single shot.
my dad grabs the 20ga 1100lt and says try that , hands it to the instructor , the kid proceeds to put 5 perfectly in the black , it is only 25 yards and the sight is still just a bead but it isn't beating him up.

before my dad bought the shotgun I used to hunt the 20ga 1100lt , he took me to a trap and skeet range they had a number of guns that could be rented they picked out a few and we went out and shot ,they had several houses and we had a range to ourselves , the guy at the range , my dad and I and we tried a few guns , that gave him an idea what was going to work and what wasn't. most of them were autos , but you don't have to fill the gun up you get the same recoil reduction with 1 round as you do 3 in the gun.


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## hunter63 (Jan 4, 2005)

GREENCOUNTYPETE said:


> I had an auto loader my first time out hunting, great little gun Rem 1100LT 20ga. no one said you have to fill it up , but it soaks up the recoil.
> 
> A few years after I started hunting my dad and I were working the sportsmans club gun sight in weekend , and a guy and his son come in , the son is a small kid just turned 12 this is his first year hunting he has a brand new NEF 20ga single shot and a few boxes of slugs , kid hits perfect with slug one , and 2 and 3,4,5 are all over the place , one of the old guys who taught hunters ed comes over asks if he can see the gun for a minute , he ejects the hull looks the gun over then puts the same spent hull back in hands it to the kid sitting at the bench and says give it one more try for me , the gun went click and the kid jumped about 6 inches off the stool. well he got recoils sensitive from slugs from the single shot.
> my dad grabs the 20ga 1100lt and says try that , hands it to the instructor , the kid proceeds to put 5 perfectly in the black , it is only 25 yards and the sight is still just a bead but it isn't beating him up.
> ...


Lot of truth to that....
Many people (kids and women) have been ruined for shooting and hunting because someone thought a single shot anything would be better because it said "Youth" on it.

It kicked the crap out of them...and decided the Call of Duty video game did hurt as bad.

I still hear many adults, sing the praises of a piston caliber rifles ..because they are "sensitive to recoil".


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

my dad has had a 12ga 870 wing master my hole life , but as soon as I was done using that 20ga 1100lt he carried it a few years, I bought an 1100 12ga when I was 14 , then grandpa carried the 1100lt and dad bought a Browning Auto he had the option of the 2 3/4 only browning trap or paying more for a gun that would take 3inch and he said I am never going to shoot 3inch shells again and went 2 3/4 only , grandpa has had an Ithaca 37 feather weight since 50s but after he retired and started hunting with us his shoulders were ruined from 45 years of laying brick , block and stone walls he could only pump his gun if he dropped it to his waist pumped it then brought it back up so he carried the 1100lt , at 83 he decided he was done hunting, not because he couldn't , but because grandma has medical issues and he needs to be there for her all the time. 
dad had shoulder surgery last year and they didn't get the results he was hoping for so I think we are building him a 300 blackout for deer season this year.

the 300 is interesting in that it bridges the gap between pistol cartridge rifle and rifle cartridge gun , it starts out a bit weaker than the 30-30 but at 100 yards is just about spot on the same energy as a 30-30 because of the 30-30 loss to round nose drag and in an auto the 300 blk recoil isn't noticeably different than the 223.


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## hunter63 (Jan 4, 2005)

Back in the day...instead of the 300 bko.......It was the New Ruger .44mag Deerslayer/Carbine, (had to be renamed.... problem with Ithaca I guess)...
Anyway...MF and FIL put down the Savage 303 M99, and the Rem 740 30-06, respectively .... both went the scoped .44 mag carbine.... after bad health and eyesight....took their toll.
Served them well....
I have the .44 carbines.. and 30-06, the M99 went to grandson's.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

I always though the 44mag deerfield carbine would be a great gun for carrying on drives , but we were in a shotgun county till well after they stopped making them.


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## krackin (Nov 2, 2014)

Little brother has an Ithaca Featherweight 20 Ga. in auto loader. I don't recall the model # , you guys probably know it. He got that as his first firearm. Must be 45 years anyway, 47 I think. I absolutely love that shotgun, my dad had the pump but the auto loader was all around handier. I always wanted one but never seemed to connect at a decent price. I did extremely well with a Stevens 2 pipe side by 20 3" as a truck gun for many years. 24" barrels 3". Got many a ruffed grouse early season with Imp and Mod choked muzzles.


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