WES999 said:
You can find a copy of the manual here:
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/wiki/Fisher_Stoves/
The Fisher stoves are built like tanks, put out a ton of heat and burn a bunch of wood.
Cloyd915, If you do in fact have a single door Mama Bear, you have a "Bear Series" stove. The manual above is for the UL listed version of the Fireplace Series stoves. The Bear Series (single door) became the VI series after listing, and will be tagged as such. They also have a bottom shield like the newer Fireplace models shown in that manual. All these listed stoves use the bolt on angled legs. Welded angle iron legs are the pre 1980 version.
The changes were made with the new style doors first put on the Fireplace series. So you will find some old style boxes with new doors (Fisher Logo on right side door only) all without the baffle before 80. The box was then changed to a wrapped corner instead of welded at the corners. Front was bent, and the rear corners were wrapped and skip welded. I believe the baffle was added at the same time of the box redesign, and gained the UL listing in 1980.
The changes on the Bear Series show some newer style boxes with old doors, and no baffle on the first redesigned boxes. So it appears they had some old doors to use up on the newer style boxes, then came the baffle and the UL listing.
Bottom line; It appears the cosmetic door change, box construction, and angled legs all came before the baffle. The angled feet were for the angle iron legs, and straight feet for the angled legs.
I've been in contact with many sellers on eBay and Craigslist to document when they purchased their stove and it's construction. I've also found one Mama Bear recently sold on Craigslist in Conn. with a Left hand hinged door. This door was cast with trees. Original welded pipe cap draft knobs. This stove has a one piece top, so it was after Fisher International was formed. All others I've seen have had right hand hinge doors including the doors on the original 3 piece tops with pipe cap draft dampers. The buyer only wants a stove to heat his garage, so a road trip to Conn. is in order if this new owner will give up this oddity.
I've attached a picture of a listing tag from a newer Bear Series with clearances.
And the left hand Mama. Stranger than your average Bear.