Sears Roebuck Guns: Remembering the Past
2023 ж. 5 Қар.
142 659 Рет қаралды
Welcome back! For our next installment of Andrew’s Remembering the Past series, we have a J. C. Higgins model 88 Sears Roebuck and Company Model 25. Both of these firearms were marketed, not manufactured, by Sears Roebuck and Co. Take a step back in time with Andrew as he talks about the interesting history of how these firearms came to be and who actually manufactured them and others from Sears Roebuck and Co.
Thanks for watching. If you like the content, please hit that subscribe button! If there is something you would like us to feature, drop it in the comment in the section below.
In 1963 when I was 8, the folks next door had a garage sale. They had a J. C. Higgins Mod. 41 single shot bolt action .22 rifle for $5.00. Stock was damaged, butt plate was broken. Ran home and got Dad. Got back over there and Dad bought it for me. He disassembled it, completely refinished the stock and replaced the butt plate. Now back in pristine condition, we shot that rifle a million times. Still have the rifle, and great memories. Have no idea what it's worth, but I feel sure it's more than $5.00.
Thanks for sharing that memory. Everyone should have a great dad. I for sure miss mine. We were duck hunting and fishing buddies.
Nice story. In my family everyone fought over who got the Sears Xmas catalog.
@@Martell-XO The cherished "Wish Book" 🙂
I have that very same rifle..I got mine in 1957 ..It still works as new.
What a great story!
The old Sears and Roebuck catalog making dreams come true
I have a J.C. Higgins model 50 made in 1951 chambered in 30-06. Commericial Mauser action, High Standard barrel all put together by FN. Without a doubt the BEST 30-06 in my collection. Beautiful rifle.
Those used to be real sleepers on the used market but more shooters now are aware of how good they are. Sears also marketed other rifles in the 50-series made by Sako and Husqvarna that are awesome rifles for the price.
I have the same rifle, I’ve killed a lot of game with it
Back in the day, Sears could be counted on to sell a good product under their private labels. Whether it was Diehard, Craftsman, Kenmore or others, you could count on getting value. Both my father and I bought Sears batteries and tires many times. Their private labels products weren't the best product, but usually just one notch below and at the best price. They were definitely oriented towards value.
I had a pair of their “tough skin” jeans and there was nothing like them. I really didn’t like them, but there was nothing you could do to bust a hole in them.
A real nice Sears Roebuck house is down the road. Came off the rail spur around 1910. The logging town is gone but the house is lived in.
Sears sold the surplus M1 for $69. I am still kicking myself today for not buying one.
I picked up a Sears leather jacket /coat at Goodwill a while back. It is the heaviest, and warmest coat I have. Definitely high quality leather. Now days a coat like that would sell for $1k and higher.
Worked for a sears service center back in 1972 to 74 was a great job, Needed more money was getting married so I moved on
My cousin , now passed on, had a huge collection of firearms from Sears, Wards, Western Auto and others. All great shooters.
Yes ! Western auto 419 revelation
I've still got mine that I bought in the mid sixties and it shoots great.@@gradyhernandez4699
At age 13, I got a J C Higgins single shot, bolt action for Christmas. It was the most accurate firing rifle all these years. I probably have walked many hundreds of miles carrying this rifle in the hunting woods. Wish I could do it again but now I'm blessed to walk a hundred yards without a weapon in my hands.
In the late60's, Sears sold sporterized 1914 Remington and Springfield 1903 in 30-06 Rebarreld with a new stock for 99.99 for the Remington and 109.99 for the Springfield under the Ted Williams brand. I bought a Remington and loved it
went into sears when i was a kid, walked up to the guns, they were out in the open, not behind the counter. picked up a bolt action 22lr, it felt good, i might have been 10 years old, there wasn't even a sales person in the area. i put it back and went on. how much we have changed in 50 years.
I've got ahold of a Ted Williams Model 100 lever action in 30-30. Pretty nice piece. I wouldn't turn my nose up at anything Ted Williams put his name on. He was a perfectionist. I heard a story about him going to a slSears location and inspecting a fishing rod with his name on it. He gave it a few flicks and said that it didn't have enough strands in it. People were incredulous but tore it apart and found he was right.
I had one!
When I worked for a pawn shop, the owner had a book on gun values. It had a list of all of the "house brand" guns, and who actually manufactured them. It was quite fascinating!
I have a Sears Model 54 lever action in 30-30. It is a Winchester 94 with cheaper wood and front stock band, but otherwise is a 1960's Winchester action. I love it, because SEARS was the leader for so many years. I often look fondly at Sears guns when I see them on sale used, and would love to buy them depending on the price and caliber.
I purchased 1 from my cousin's widow,he called it his 'Sears-Chester'. Has hardly any wear on it.
Inherited one from my grandfather.
I have one too. Don’t know where I got it
I ended up with a Ted Williams 30-30 lever action. It is a better quality than my Winchester lever. The receiver is black but, around the edges you can see a little brass.
@@leitheparsons1186 very cool
My dad had a Sears .22lr, bolt action single shot, that he kept at work. That was my first exposure to guns. He showed me everything about that weapon, and taught me all about gun safety. Once he was satisfied that I knew what I was doing and operating it in safe manner I was allowed to use it whenever I wanted. I went to get it one day and someone had stolen it. Police were called report filed, but never recovered. I miss that gun, wish I still had it.
1st shot gun i ever shot was a single shot .20 gauge Sears when I was 7. Used to shoot a freinds .22lr also. Sorry for your loss.
Like it would be better described as a hunting rifle rather than a weapon
@@oliviahentges2890 hunting rifle is still a weapon.
@@bobbybarnes408 do you call hunting knifes a weapon? I doubt it. Anything can be used as a weapon but until used as such it is what it is. In this case its a rifle
@@oliviahentges2890just because you think your right doesn't make it so. Your opinion is no more right than mine. Have a nice day.
I've got a J. C. Higgins 16 gauge shotgun and a single shot .22 rifle. I know they're not valuable, but, they were my father's and that makes them priceless.
I bought 3 of my first guns from sears back in the 1960"s, a nylon 66 22 cal, winchester 30-30, and a 20ga bolt action. Those were the good ole days.
I have a JC Higgins mod 50 in 270 win ,my father picked up used in 1962 around the time i was born, he got it as a backup hunt gun for himself ,took it apart and sent the stock of to get checkered ,shortly after the checkering co went out of business he never got the stock back . In 1974 he gave me the action and a piece of maple fo my 12 th birthday in april and said if i was going hunting in Sept with him i had better get started turning that block of wood into a stock, i did work on it until hunt season ,been hunting most north american big game with it since ,love it lots and lots of memories
Sears was a great store. Contracted with major manufacturers for their own branded products, all made in America, when Sears was the king of retail. Loved going to Sears with my dad when I was a kid. I still have an old canvas tent I bought as a kid, at Sears. It still is serviceable as a tent that will withstand rain, snow, wind and sleet. Would love to find a Sears lever action rifle.
I remember my grandfather having a sears catalogue advertising the Thompson machine gun as being good for farm use!
It is perfect for farm use. Never know whose coming up the drive
Great Video. But I would never call them "seconds"...More like..."working mans firearms". Didn't need to be fancy, Just needed to work well. And they did at that.
I have an old Sear catalog! I love looking at the gun section! There are revolvers and rifles for $2!! Lol the "big money" guns are like $15-$20! They also have complete HOUSE kits! There ain't nothing they DONT have. They were the Amazon of the day!
Where a grew up there were several of the sears homes there. I believe they also sold precut barn kits. But the firearms were the best part.
My uncle lived in a sears kit house for decades, it was a nice little house and if you didn't know better you'd never guess it was mail ordered
I still have my Sears 22lr, s single shot bolt action. I thinky Dad paid $23 dollars back in the sixties...a Christmas present. Money was tight, but I loved that gun. It is marked Sears. Still have it and shoot it. It performs very well. A very cherished. I miss my Dad, but shooting that old 22 is great. I am sure many of these Sears guns have the history. Good video.
I found/bought one last month. Really accurate gun. Brought back good memories of my grandma who retired from Sears
I have one also. paid $8 used when I was 8. Pull back to cock it. Would never sell it.
When I was little my father found one in a discount rack at sears because the stock was scuffed up. I still have that rifle 50 years later.
The Ted Williams branding was in 1964. Which was the ending, of the J.C. Higgins branding. I have owned both those guns, displayed. Loved them !!!
One of my favorite memories is of shooting a Sears .22lr rifle with my Grandpa on our small ranch. Both are gone, but will be in my memory until I die.
Correction Brother - "Revelation" was Western Auto's house brand name and Montgomery Wards had "Western Field".
That's exactly right.
when my father in law passed away my mother in law gave me a Marlin 22lr simi auto rifle it was bought at sears around 1967 and to this day it still works I took it to the range last month and it works perfectly no jams I keep it cleaned and oiled and it really is accurate my grand daughter loves shooting it.
I enjoyed this one. I've collected a few of the store brand shotguns and rifles. A fun little hobby that is not too expensive, as you say.
I have my first shotgun which is a 410 junior single shot. I got it in 1964 as a consultation prize when my sister was born. I was 8 years old. It's a 3 inch shotgun marked as Sears made by Savage arms. It's still in good shape and will have to wait for a new home when I have a grandson.
I still have several boxes of "Ted William" signature shotgun shells from Sears. Several .22 rifles, several Shotguns. All seem to have been made by High Standard. Sears started going down hill when they stopped selling guns. As far as I know, the last Sears store closed last year. It was in Carrollton Georgia. As I understood it, I bought the LAST Washing Machine ever sold by the Sears Company ... I'M FAMOUS !! 😂🤣
I do have that JC Higgens revolver a great design with flip out 9 shot 22LR cylinder DA /SA, classic old revolver look too. I Keep it handy.
JC Higgins model 50 rifles are some of the finest hunting rifles ever made
I have my dad's Sears 22 Magnum lever action that he bought in Nov. 1967 after coming home from Vietnam. It has supplied us with plenty of food over the years and now has a place of honor in my gunrack.
Sears and Roebuck was a watch company that relocated to Chicago in 1878. The trans continental Railroad had bern completed in 1869 linking the west and east coast with rail and telegraph. Sears and Roebuck saw the possibily of a mail order busines to sell their watches. In 1893 they began to resale any and everything by mail order across the national. They were the Amazon of the day by installing order stores around the country and supplying catalogues so they could get orders and distribute merchandise. I grew up in a small town 75 miles south of San Antonio Texas. We had a Sears order store. At that time we could go to the order store and order anything in catalogue and recieve the order within a few days, depending on the origen and the size of the order. Sears sold everything through the catalogues by linking American manufacturing with the consumer public. Sears would sell anything using transportation and communicattion of the day. Amazon did the same thing with the internet and modern transportation. The catalogues are now on the internet and the transport is much more modern. The concept was the same. Deliver goods to all consumers all over the country as quickly as possible.
I still own a Sears Roebuck Ted Williams 300 semi-auto 12 bore. Very cool gun, no idea how it made its way to the UK.
I have my grand father’s Sears JC Higgins bolt action 16 gauge full choke. It still works great!!
I picked one of those up for a heck of a deal but firing pin doesn't hit primer hard enough to set it off....
I've got the bolt action in 20 gauge with the adjustable choke. My Dad bought it for me from his Brother in 1970.
I recently inherited a great many of my grandfathers and his fathers firearms. One of which bring a Sears roebuck model 53. From what I understand it is basically just a winchester model 70. It’s a gorgeous and really cool gun.
The JC Higgins model 20 shotgun is built like a tank very good shotgun
I received my first model 22 cal rifle from my father at 12 years old. I'm 60 today. It is a Sears and Roebuck model 3T ( winchester) I still own and shoot that rifle along with the High Standard Double 9 Longhorn SA 22 cal revolver I got with it. They are both in great looking shape with not a lot of wear and they shoot as well as the day I got them. They may not be worth a lot of money, but they are priceless to me. My father has been gone for 15 years now but these guns remain. They are a major connection to him now more than ever. There is no amount of money that could replace them.
My first firearm was a birthday present on my 12th birthday in 1972. It is a Sears and Roebuck Ted Williams signature .22LR single shot lever action carbine with a blond stock. Ordered it from the catalog because there was no store in Alamogordo N.M. Cost $21.00 which was a lot of money for my parents back then. It was made by Ithaca Arms in NY. My brothers and I have put thousands upon thousands of rounds through it over the past 51 years. We still shoot “the pea shooter” every time we go shooting. Back when we could see worth a darn we could knock over shotgun shells at 100 yds all day long. Had to have the ejector replaced about 20 years ago because we wore it down. Best present ever. It will be passed down to my grand kids someday.
Definitely a worthwhile purchase. Nicely made products.
I inherited a Ted Williams bolt action 30/06 with 3-9x scope. Press checkered, very nice, extremely accurate rifle! Looks like a Winchester Model 70.
Man, that was a great history lesson,, thanks and I sure miss the days of Sears and Western Auto!
The best pair of work boots I ever owned were Sears Roebuck. They don't make them like they used to.
Nice information and great presentation! I remember growing up here in rural N.C. in the late '60's - early '70's, looking in the Sears' catalog at their guns along with the ''name'' brands. No one could afford anything but we always wanted the ''name'' brand. Now they're being collected. I've seen some nice ones at gun shops and shows for resonable prices! Used to get Ted Williams shells at Western Auto. Those were the days!
Yes they were now in Asheville it's like San Fran..... smh.
The model 29,30 & 31 beaver tail stock .22 cal semiautomatic rifles are the most unique model sears offered. Built by High Standard the walnut stocks are A+. One feature of this rifle is the sling, a nylon strap is spring wound like a measuring tape stored in the butt stock. Pulls out clips to the front of the forearm. Also the bolt charge handle is on the left side. We were lucky to get several of these back in the 2004-07. The model 29 is a cheaper version. Flat steel charge handle on right side no strap. Never could find a j.c. Higgins 30/30 at a decent price but did find a western field (marlin) 30/30. Had the bulbous forearm of the early models. Rumor was the barrels on marlin rifles for sears, Montgomery (monkey) Wards & western auto were cheaper quality without the micro groove. The western field rifle had a marlin butt plate. Sold the rifle upon inspection looked like polygonal rifling which for 1951 model variety store rifle meant shot out barrel. Bought mail order from private dealer...it was okay but suspect anything pass 100 meters would have been edge hits...pretty rifle though... nothing like ancient walnut & dark bluing.
My first rifle, a 22 LR, was purchased at a Wards made by Marlin about 1972.. My nephew has it now and it still shoots well. A great memory.
I really miss those days. I think post WW2 kids grew up in the best times
High standard flite king deluxe 20 ga pump was the best action shotgun I’ve ever owned. Still have it!
Have 12 ga flite king you are right
I have a Sears Model 45 lever gun in 35 Remington that was made in 1964. Found out that these were made for Sears by Marlin, there are a few differences but the rifle does clearly resemble what Marlin was making back then. This rifle is very well made and always goes hunting with me in the fall.
One of the best deer rifle I owned was a 7mm mag I wish I would’ve kept that gun. It was extremely accurate, but as I got over it hurt a lot more. It was a revelation rifle.
Remember Western Auto? My first shotgun was a Revelation 500 (Mossberg) my Father bought for me for my 16th birthday. I am now 74 and still have it. I have used it for small game and deer. I bought a Mossberg fully rifled barrel for it many years ago. It has always functioned with everything I fed it.
My dad liked telling me the story when he was 6 years old, his dad took him to a pawn shop looking for something else, and the owner was Plinking cans out back with a Sears and Roebuck bolt action 22LR. My grandpa was a little drunk and told my dad if you can hit a can, I'll buy you that gun. That was in 1961 or 62. My dad was 6 years old. I learned on that gun. My dad said the neighbor guy was really nice and gave my dad the 4x32 scope. Took the guy an entire weekend to shim it in the rings and get it zeroed. But that damn gun would hit anything you aimed at. It took 7 round external box magazines made of stamped steel. And it was "a hoot to shoot" as my hunter's Ed instructor liked to say. I miss that thing. Dad decided he didn't care anymore and sold it for a song along with a model 94 carbine 3030 and a Winchester youth model break action single shot 12G. Sold em too cheap. Pissed me off
I had a Sears & Roebuck .410 bolt action. Held three rounds. Great squirrel gun. I went into the woods when I was ten with my shotgun and came back with a sack of squirrels. My grandma made squirrels and dumplings. I was so proud. That was back when children were reared up properly about firearms. It never occurred to me to point that thing at anyone. The one time I killed a song bird with it, I felt so bad. Never hunted birds again. Squirrels? Oh, for sure. Good eating.
Don't forget the Meriden top break revolvers sold in the early 1900's. Made in Meriden Connecticut on tooling procured by Sears.
I have a JC Higgins Mod 50 .... Made by FN on a Mauser action in 30-06 .... Its a fine rifle that can run side by side with any pre 64 Winchester Mod 70 and others like it. Its very accurate , controlled round feed and has a nice trigger on it. Its my go to deer rifle
I have the same rifle. Serial # check says it was built in 1951. Has a really amazing stock for a Sears gun. And like yours has a very good light trigger with no creep. No rust and bluing still looks relatively new. Bought around 2001 at gun show in Orlando for the action to have a gun built from it. Realized later how nice it was and never had the heart to tear it apart. Put it in safe and forgot about it for years until recently.
I also bought this one for the action and wanted to build a 6.5 Gibbs but then made the mistake of shooting the donor rifle and am back to looking for a action for that project LOL Mine was made in 1950 @@butchhastings2945
I have a JC Higgins single shot bolt action .410 shotgun. It was made by Marlin. I believe it is similar to the Marlin M59. I got it as a Christmas Gift from my mother when I was just 10 years old back in 1960. I wore out the blueing by overcleaning it with too much enthusiasm with Hoppe’s #9 gun cleaning solvent. Yeah it was a Christmas that smelled like gun cleaning solvent as much as did from our fragrant Christmas Tree, two smells which bring back great memories of my favorite Christmas. BTW, I think my mother bought the shotgun for about $27. That might as well have been a million dollars back then since my mother was very poor.
I had the same .410 single shot and after it was fired and when you opened the bolt action it was built to automatically return to safe.
😊
I have my Grandfather’s 12 ga - single Shot, break action exposed manually cocked hammer. Eastern Arms co. According to my Father, it was either a Sears or Wards catalogue gun. Won number of turkeys at my old Volunteer Fire Company turkey shoots. It is full choked and works wonders on the 25 yd pattern shoot.
I've got a J.C. Higgins Model 20 pump 12Ga. I bought at a garbage, er garage sale 30 years ago for $8.00. I still use it to this day and it has sent 100s of red squirrels and a few coyotes to their grave. Cool video, thanks much!
Years back i found a store reference/ name cross over list in detail. It was on the internet. It was about 25 pages.
My first gun was given to me by my first cousin when I was 4 years old in 1974. It was a Ted Williams model lever action, single shot 22. I still have it. I probably haven’t shot it since the late 70s or early 80s.
My grandpa sent me as a birthday present a Montgomery Wards model 880 .22 semi-auto rifle. I hunted everything from squirrels to porcupine through my high school years. That was in 1966. Still have that rifle, always will.
I have an old Ward Western Field 20 gauge sold by Mongomery Ward. Still works just fine.
Western field was made by Ithaca
I inherited my farthers 20 gauge JC Higgins made between '46&49. I Love it.
I have a Sears J.C. Higgins 30-30 lever action that I still deer hunt with and I just harvested a buck with it in Nov. 2023, great gun, I purchased it several years ago at a gun store for $150.00 and have shot 4 deer with it. Serial # states it is the same age as me 62 years old. Love that old faithful 30-30.
Yep your the same age as me 62 and I love my30 30 Higgins model 45 cal mint condition still hunt with it today shot several deer an coyotes handed down to me from my dad great gun
My dad has a couple of Remington shotguns model 870 and 1100 walnut forearms and stocks. He bought them at JC Penny’s back in the day when they used to sell firearms like Sears. They too had stopped selling firearms in the late 80s.
I got an old Sears and Roebuck 12 gauge autoloader, dont work no more because the springs are wore out and has something called (i think) a cartridge elevator actuator that is just plain wore out and gives it cycling issues. I believe it was based off the JC Higgins model 60. I retired the gun because i cant find parts for it but it is still in good shape other than that. It sits in a closet collecting dust. Back when it did work i slayed plenty of squirrels with it, bet they were glad to see it go.
When we would visit my weird uncle who lived in the desert I got to hunt rabbits with his J.C. Higgins 22 single shot. Never got one but the hours I spent trampping around Hesperia, CA in the early 60's are precious.
Had a 22 caliber Sears Ranger growing up. It remains one of the most accurate rifles I ever owned.
Got a ranger 16 gauge bolt action shot gun.. sweet
Excellent presentation!! I inherited my dad's Sears version of the Savage 87a, the Ranger 101
Used to work for an old farmer with an old sears catalog from the 20s, everything from heroin to whole houses! Amazing
I love the old Sears guns. I have a pump 22, 2 semi 22s and 4 shotguns 2 semi's 20 and 12 and 2 pump's 20 and 12.and 1 have 3 sears cleaning kits. I also have a old western auto 22 rifle.
This was great, I just stumbled upon it, I have an old sideXside double 12 ga. No markings at all, The story I got was my grandmother bought it from sears, for My grandfather for Christmas way back when, I’m 63 now and no one to ask about it…
I have my fathers side by side double trigger 12 ga. Marked " Made for Sears by Larona". A spanish company still in business. A lot of dove and pheasant we bagged with this shotgun.
I've owned several Sears firearms and they all served me well. On a related note, I bought several JC Higgins reels made by Penn at auctions over the years for 1/3 of what the Penn branded reels were selling for.
I have a .22 that's stamped "Made for KMART" I think stuff like this is pretty neat.
Great Videos Sir, I’m really enjoying your content! 👍🏻
I have a Sears/Marlin bolt action .22 rifle my dad gave me for my 16th birthday, in 1965, I put a Sears 4x Power scope in it in 1967. Also have a J.C. Higgins bicycle I got for my birthday in 1958.
How I miss Sears, Montgomery Wards, Gibsons etc. When my parents were looking for boring things, clothes, appliances etc., I'd hang out in the Sporting Goods area. Good video. Thank You
I have a J. C. Higgins Model 10313 bolt action 22. It belonged to my father who acquired it second hand in the early 1940's, it has no serial number or manufacture date. I have returned it to its original configuration with a new rear peep site and front site hood. The rifle works well and is very accurate even though it is close to being 90 years old. The receiver is not grooved for a scope, I made an attachment years ago that allowed a scope to be attached using the attachment points for the rear peep site which it did not have at the time. Don't know what will happen to it when I am dead and gone, but until then it will remain with me.
My Sears 20ga SxS is one of my skeet guns. It's a Model 311 made by Stevens and marked Sears.
Very interesting bit of nostalgia.
I go back to the early 60s when I was a grade schooler and dad was a Sears "B store" assistant manager. The Sears guns in that store (Sioux Falls) included Enfield Jungle carbines, M-1917 Enfields, and new production M1 carbines by Universal Firearms. You could also catalog order Enfield rifles, Mosin Nagants, French Berthiers, and other surplus bolt actions....for $9 each.
Love it! Great site
damn !! What a great Saddlebag full of information. Im shining up my boots n chaps with saddle soap , fixin for the next video.
I found 2 savage stevens 22 barreled actions at a yard sale a couple years ago and found all the parts on eBay and got them both shooting again. Great rifles!
Anyone heard of Herters out fitters from Waseca Minnesota? They sold top quality rifles & shotguns pistols revolvers many manufacturered by national' fabricae' F.N. world renowned arms company at sear roebuck prices and tons of other hunting fishing camping & homesteading supplies. Herters catalog was as thick as any sears, Wards or spiegel catalog but All outdoor equipment!!
I remember when Sears sold firearms,and I still own a single shot twelve gauge shotgun my dad bought for me from JC Penny in the mid seventies.
Bought for my Great Aunt after my Great Uncle passed ! For a $50 bill was a model 31 JC Higgins SEARS and Roebuck semi auto 22 short long long rifle with the retractable sling and straight 4x scope ! A very accurate fun gun to shoot !
Loved their guns.
I have two, i inherited from my dad, a sears(mossberg) 20 ga bolt action shotgun and a sears(marlin 66) .22 lr.
Awesome video
Got a Sears Ted Williams 12g. Great gun.
Another J.C. Higgins model 50 in 270 Winchester. A great Game rifle. I've taken a number of Deer & Hogs with it.
I bought a Sears Ted Williams 12ga pump shotgun, used, in 1978. Made by Winchester. Still have it, still use it. Uses ANY ammo and never has misfired.
I remember looking at sears catalogs back in the day 1955 and seeing many firearms for sale thru mail order. This summer I visited a museum in a western state and saw a Montgomery ward catalog dated 1915 and the catalog had many different types of fire arms. Hand guns rifles and shot guns.
I acquired a JC Higgins bolt action 12 gauge back in the early ‘70s, still have it, still works.
For my 16th birthday I got a kit for a 50 caliberhawken cap and ball rifle and loved it.
My dad gave me a JC Higgins 20 ga poly choke. I love it light, accurate easy to hunt with
My first gun was a Sears 410 single shot break barrel. I still own it and it works just as good as it did new Christmas day 1974. I still use it for pheasant and duck shooting. It gives the animal a sporting chance. You treat your guns right they wont let you down!! My Mom gave it to me and I brings back memories every time I pick it up! Hunting with my dad and Grandpa were very fond memories.
I also have one, from the early ‘60’s. Works beautifully.
Backbin the 80s, my Dad bought me a used JC Higgins Model 20 12 gauge pump for me to use hunting. He paid $75 for it, and I absolutely LOVED that gun. It was a little heavy, but I was a stocky kid. (195lbs in high school)
I have an old JC Higgins 12ga pump. Awesome shotgun! Also have a bolt action .410 from Coast to Coast made by Savage if I remember right. And a Winchester mod. 94 from Wards
I have my great grandfather's single shit 12 gauge shotgun. Thing has a story I'll say that. He used this gun for just about anything on the farm. From keeping critters away plus for hunting game. I used to shoot it as a kid but after learning more about it. It now just sits in the safe!
I remember the gun section at sears....had the guns on a rope so you could handle them....alwsys had my eye on the octogon barreled 30 30 lever action ...no one else had a lever action oct barrel