Speaking of Shotguns

ShadetreeRet

Well-known Member
I didn't want to hijack Larry's post, but since we are on the subject. I have a shotgun that I bought about 1965. It is a J.C.Higgins (Sears) 12 ga. 36" full choke barrel. Any ideas what it may be worth?
 
A number of years ago there was a recall on a number of them J.C.Higgins bolt action shotguns due to the bolt popping back when shot. I do not recall what model it was but I had one so I sent it to them or should I say the part of it they wanted to collect my $$
 
As already noted, we need more details. J.C. Higgins guns (especially long guns as opposed to handguns) usually don't have much collector interest or value unless they are in pristine condition. I'd trust the on-line auctions more than the Blue Book as a guide to actual market value. Blue Book prices are notoriously out of whack on some guns, erring both high and low. If I could buy some guns at the prices in the Blue Book, I would literally mortgage my house to buy as many as I could get at the suggested value.
 
Is it a bolt action?

I ordered a 12 gauge bolt action out of the Sears catalog in 1963. (You could do that then).

Forget what I paid for it, but I sold it privately a couple of years later to my wife's boss for $60. Don't know what it would be worth now. (Coupla years later, my wife caught her boss with his fingers in the till and things got a bit interesting for a while. But-that's another story).

My bluebook shows over a half dozen manufacturers made guns for Sears, so we'd need to know the exact model and serial number to find out who made it. The bluebook adds that there is very little collector interest in store brand firearms and their value is simply based on their utility value.

For what it's worth, I have a Monkey Ward's 12 gauge pump shotgun that was made by Mossberg, and is basically a copy of the popular Mossberg 500. I have two for real Mossberg 500's and the Wards appears to be of noticeably lesser quality.
 
Any full choke only shotgun has limited use. Cannot shoot steel in it. And I doubt you want to go grouse or quail hinting with it. Have a competent smith cut it down to 18 inch barrel, no choke, and sell it or keep as home defense item.
 
With a 36 inch barrel it sounds like it would work well on geese. A 3 or 3 1/2 inch chamber would help.
 
A gun that old would only be chambered to fire a 2-3/4 shell the 3 inch was not out back then
 
(quoted from post at 15:24:26 01/18/15) A gun that old would only be chambered to fire a 2-3/4 shell the 3 inch was not out back then

Not true. The Remington model 58 was made from 1956-1963. I have the 3" Magnum 12 ga that my dad bought new. Traded in a Winchester Model 12.
 
Well then lets say I have never found one made before say 1970 or so that was 3 or 3-1/2 inch only 2-3/4
 
As i said never seen one and up till the 70s never saw any 3 inch shells either but I did not look all that hard either
 
Olin/Winchester introduced the 3 inch magnum shell in 1921. Winchester built the first 3 inch duck gun (Model 12 ) in 1935.
This is a lot earlier than 1965.
 
OLD : is right on. Do not fire any Sears bolt action shotgun. They are not safe to fire and worth $0

We no longer take any of these in trade.
 
What was the deal with those, I am aware they are not safe, but was wondering what the defect was?

I have one, well just the barrel and receiver, its rusty and I believe it was turned into the police for the safety reasons or similar, as I found it in a police substation I had been doing work in, it was headed for the dumpster anyway, now just a wallhanger example to warn others LOL !
At the time I thought it may have been of interest as I have worked on guns since I was a kid in my spare time, cleaning/light repairs and or general maintenance, but nothing a gunsmith should be doing, then I found out it was a dud anyway.
 
So what is the problem? I have a 16 ga that we use slugs in. Very accurate with the peep site I made on the rear site.
 
I have three or four J. C. Higgins bolt action shotguns that I have never had an issue with. What/which models had issues with them, would rather be safe than sorry. One of my 12 GA bolt action J. C. Higgins is my favorite to shoot skeet with, so I really hope it is not one with an issue.
 
I don't know what problems Sears had with the bolt action shotgun they sold but Mossberg had trouble with shell going off as you were closing bolt. From what information I can find Sears bolt action shotguns were made by several differant manufactures.
 

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