Harrington & Richardson Inc Topper 48

Question
Sir,
I have a Harrington & Richardson Inc. Topper 48 .410 ga single shot shotgun.  This gun has been passed down from my grandfather/father/myself and hopefully to my son.  It is in good condition and I wanted to teach my son to shoot with it.  My question is, nowhere on it does it say what size shell it takes.  I was thinking the older shotguns used a 3" shell but I want to be certain since I am dealing with my son here.  This is all the information I can find on the weapon...
The side of the receiver..Topper Model 48, below that is Harrington & Richardson, INC and below the "R" in Richardson is a stamped "S".
On the barrel is..410 GAUGE~P and below that is Full Choke.
The serial number on the receiver matches the barrel and it is...26917.
That is all the information and markings that I can find on it.
Any information about this shotgun would be appreciated.  Thank you for your time
Rich

Answer
Hi Rich.

I am not personally familiar with the Topper 48 but I believe they were basic guns which currently have low values due to the originally low price and high volume distibution.

From what I read it should be able to take both 2 3/4" and 3" shells but when in doubt it is best not to use the longer shells. Even if the gun was chambered for them, the metal could have been damaged by heat, the barrels replaced, chambers damaged, etc. which might make it unsafe to shoot the magnum shells.  You can confirm this by visiting a local gunsmith which is probably a good idea anyway since the gun is so old and your son's life is worth the extra caution.

Here are some links to more info:

Blue Book info available oline:
https://store.bluebookinc.com/Downloads/SalesPage.aspx?product=8&id=438

Good search link for this model:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=harrington+richardson+topper+%22model+48%22...

Hope this helps.

Bob