I have been trying to narrow down a made by date for a really nice H&R Top Break I have. It is built on the Sportsman platform and chambered in 38S&W (not 38Special), 5 shot auto eject and top break.

By 1940 the model was called the "Defender" and was marketed as a valid choice for police, military or home defense. Since the British were standardizing on the 38/200 (and later smaller bullet 38S&W) it's likely the model was also planned as an export item. This one though has no British Proof Marks so purely domestic.

The earliest example of this model I've found online was a 1935 advertisement and there it was simply called a 38S&W Auto Eject, no model number, no model name. H&R started adding a letter date code to the serial numbers in 1940 and since this handgun has no such number it would be earlier than 1940. Also the advertisement from 1940 for the "Defender" model show the term "Defender" prominently displayed on the left side of the barrel while the only stamping on this example are the maker and city on the top of the barrel and the caliber on the left side of the barrel.















The serial number is on the front grip strap, under the grip itself and also on the cylinder. On the ejector the stamping is "0234" with one arm having no stamping so it is definitely only a three digit serial number.

The sights are fixed and not adjustable so it was meant as a defense handgun and not the full Sportsman or Target models.

The fact that there is no letter in the serial number puts it before 1940 and the good folk at Numrich said they really have no idea on dates for any models pre-1940.

I hope someone here might have an idea of where in the 1935-1939 period such a low serial number would fall. Were the serial numbers consequent during that period or were there several series of numbers?

In all though it is a really sweet shooting and very controllable handgun and another I enjoy.

Getting closer.

I was sent a copy of a post made some time ago by the Late Jim Hauff related to the version I have.

Here it is:

"Some refinements were made to the 'DEFENDER SPECIAL' between its inception circa 1935 and 1939, resulting in a couple different looks or variations, on the base platform.
Then in or around 1938 - 39 period, recognizing that a European war was imminent, H&R began developing another version of the DEFENDER, based upon the SPORTSMAN lower frame, but with a modified upper frame which has features of the AUTO EJECTING series - i.e. it had a fixed, semi-circular front sight and for the rear sight, two small projections arising from the barrel latch. This crude sighting system is identical to that on the AUTO EJECTING series of this era - and seems to be a throw back - when compared with the DEFENDER SPECIAL sights - this sight system was probably a cost containment measure. This "DEFENDER" series doesn't seem to have been very popular although widely advertised at the time. There is no record of a model number having been assigned to this variant - 4" and 6" barreled pieces are known, both of these are NOT marked on the barrel with a model name or number, but match pictures found in a period advertisement. This variant appears to be very rare, although serial numbers indicate several thousand may have been produced."

A picture by Jim was also included.


That matches the description of the model I have and the serial number of mine, #234, is close to what Jim showed in his image.



So based on that I feel confident that mine was made in 1938 or 1939 and with the low 3 digit serial number most likely 1938.