J.C. Higgins shot gun

Question
I am looking for a model number and info on an old bolt action 20 guage that was made by J.C.Higgins in the early fourtys. My grandfather had one and I am looking for one as a mantle piece for memories. If you could help me with this I would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you,
Scott

Answer
Hi Scott.

This website has some data on the J.C. Higgins firearms including a model number listing for the bolt action shotguns:

http://www.histandard.info/
http://www.histandard.info/models/shotguns/bolt.html

The Blue Book of Firearms also contains some info on these models but you have to buy the book or subscribe to it online to see what they have.  Here is the link to the Blue Book site and a link which does at least give you a little free info:

Book: https://store.bluebookinc.com/Home/Firearm.aspx
Info: https://store.bluebookinc.com/download/Category.aspx?product=GUN&id=464

If you can determine the specific model number then you can search for an old used gun online at the popular firearms auction sites:

http://www.auctionarms.com/
http://www.gunbroker.com/
http://www.gunsamerica.com/

There are some gun dealers, pawn shops, and other retailers which post their inventory on the web but the sites above offer a pretty good chance since they are used by thousands of dealers across the US.  If the info on the histandard website is correct then these shotguns were discontinued and recalled by Sears in the 1990s due to a safety issue so you might have a hard time finding them for sale anywhere.

They weren't expensive guns to start with so they may not have been maintained well and could have been trashed due to poor condition, plus anyone that was aware of the recall may have traded them in for a good deal from Sears depending on what was offered during the recall.  Another factor is that the current values are probably very low so most dealers would not be motivated to advertise these online.  You may need to just find some large gun stores in your area and stop by from time to time until one turns up.  If you do find one then I would recommend not shooting it or at least getting it checked out by a gunsmith first that is aware of the recall.

You can also look for some information online with this link:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=j.c.+higgins+bolt+action+shotgun

Hope this helps.

Bob