Need help with a J.C. Higgins

[slowjonn]

I know these aren't exactly the cream of the shotgun crop, but I have one that was given to me.

1) The firing pin spring is broken. Any ideas on what a replacement spring would be or where to get one?

2) I can't see a serial number on the receiver. Any ideas on where it would be?

Thanks

[maxicon]

Best place for obsolete/orphaned gun parts is Numrich - www.e-gunparts.com. They've got lots of JC Higgins stuff.

JC Higgins is a Sears house brand, and the guns were standard models made by other people, like High Standard, Marlin, Savage, etc. There's a good chance that yours is a fine name brand, if a bottom-end model.

You can find out more by googling this:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22jc+higgins%22+shotgun

Add the model number, which should be marked, and you should be able to find who made it originally.

Once you've figured out who made the shotgun originally and which model it is, you'll probably have better luck finding parts, including checking Numrich for both versions. They're pretty responsive to questions about this on their forum as well.

Many older guns don't have serial numbers at all, as they were only required by law after the GCA (Gun Control Act) of 1968. Many major manufacturers made guns with no SN, particularly inexpensive ones.

max

[glen avon]

there in nothing wrong with a JC Higgins gun. they are plain-jane solid no-frills designs made for sears by major manufacturers.

if yours looks like a mossberg or a winchester it is.

[slowjonn]

Excellent info Maxicon!! I knew they were made by other makers for Sears and all, but your insight was what I was lacking. Mine is a model 66. Pretty neat shotty.

[slowjonn]

Max,

Well a little research and $35 later, I got the parts from Numrich. Thanks again for the help. A little side note, in looking at my Blue Book of Gun Values, they have a cross reference section for this kind of thing. It showed the Higgins 66 as being the same as a High Standard 66. Yet in the High standard section, there is no mention of a model 66. On Numrich's site, I had to use a H.S. model 1200 for the parts reference. It was the same parts layout. I'm sure there were several guns that used the same internals. FWIW. Thanks again

[kenc9]

I bought mine from Sears long ago, mine was a "Ted Williams" Winschester. Here is a FAQ page.

http://www.faqfarm.com/Q/FAQ/414

http://www.gunsamerica.com/guns/976668531.htm

-ken

[slowjonn]

I saw the faq's page earlier and that model 60 for sale sure looks like mine. Mine is definetly a model 66 though. Wonder what the difference is.

[wilit]

I've got a J.C. Higgins (Husqvarna made) .30-06. The thing is 30+ years old and still shoots straight and true. I just went to the range yesterday and shot 1/4" groups at 100 yards.

[maxicon]

Max,

Well a little research and $35 later, I got the parts from Numrich. Thanks again for the help. A little side note, in looking at my Blue Book of Gun Values, they have a cross reference section for this kind of thing. It showed the Higgins 66 as being the same as a High Standard 66. Yet in the High standard section, there is no mention of a model 66. On Numrich's site, I had to use a H.S. model 1200 for the parts reference. It was the same parts layout. I'm sure there were several guns that used the same internals. FWIW. Thanks again

High Standard made some good shotguns, and they shared a lot of internals - I have a .410 pump by them that I like a lot, as well as a couple of their .22 revolvers. Their shotguns were never very popular, though, and support for them is spotty.

There's a High Standard web site that has manuals for a lot of their guns - http://www.histandard.info/

Most of the HS info out there is for their semi-auto .22 pistols, but they have some shotgun info as well.

The manuals for the Sears guns are here: http://www.histandard.info/manuals/s...uns/index.html - and it looks like the 66 and 60 are likely to be pretty similar.

Glad it worked out for you!

max