Interesting J.C. Higgins shotgun

[Pat C]

Recently picked up a vintage J.C. Higgins bolt action shotgun that's marked 12 gauge on the left side and 16 gauge on the right.

The model 20 - 12 GA is actually a pump shotgun , apparently the wrong barrel was placed in the stamping machine . It's not a model 20 . And is defintaly a 16 Gauge.

My Father N law had one of these we used to keep it under the couch at our mountain cabin . Wife's crooked cousin talked my Mother N Law into selling his to him at near give away price. That's another tale.

[Pat C]

Funny memory I have of thexold 16 GA. Back in the 90's my Wife and I went up to the cabin on Friday evening so I could hunt turkeys on Saturday morning.
Was sitting there calling a gobbler up when I could see my Father N Law driving up the mountain road . I ended up taking the gobbler and while cleaning it I heard a single blast from shotgun up the mountain.

Once I got up there there stood my Father N Law in Bermuda shorts and t-shirt holding a gobbler in one hand and that old J.C. Higgins in the other.

I ask how the heck ??? He said when he was driving up through woods he saw turkeys ,so when he got to the cabin he grabbed the shotgun and walked back down to where he saw them .Made a couple squaks with his mouth and out steps the gobbler .

[Ray]

Mine is marked 583.18 and modified. I bought it from k.t.p. and they had two 16 ga. j.c. higgins listed.....a bolt for $165 and a single for $130. I collect old single-shot fowling pieces so that is what I ordered. To my surprise I received the bolt. I felt sorry for the fellow who spent the extra $35 for the bolt and got the single. Both the bolt & the single were described by kittery as having no serial # which made the recieving gunshop clerk nervous. The owner and f.f.l. principal had to explain to him that, prior to jan. 01, 1969 store branded models were only specially serial numbered for jurisdictions that required it. That date is when the infamous g.c.a. '68 went into full effect and all firearms had to be numbered thereafter.

[Pat C]

You can see the model 20 pump in this add.

[Ray]

https://www.kitterytradingpost.com/bran ... /shotguns/

[Grizz]

If I can fix my time-machine I know where my first stop will be . . .

[Pat C]

Well pattern pretty good at 20 yards just left of zero.

[765x53]

High Standard used the same barrel and magazine tube on both the pump and bolt guns.
My Dad's old full choke model 20 will will put Federal Foster slugs into one ragged hole at 40 yards.