New Home Defence Shotgun

[deputy tom]

V.Hunter,your choice is a good one. I would amend it to include an 18.5 bbl. cut and add Uncle Mikes swivel studs just in case you may need them in the future. You prefer a steel reciever and that is your decission.Steel is good.Extra weight = less felt recoil.tom.

[Lee Lapin]

Sounds good to me. I really like the High Standard/J C Higgins pumpguns a lot. I have a couple of HS riot guns, and have been picking up the occasional Higgins marked sporting pumpgun when I find one in good shape at a good price- not too hard to do if you give it time.

As far as I'm concerned, there's no smoother pumpgun around than the HS Flite King/Higgins Model 20 (the smaller guages in the Model 20 are a different design and not as smooth as the 12 gauges). The old tilting bolt design (like in the Model 12 Winchester) really is slick.

Far as I'm concerned, a 4-round magazine is an acceptable starting place for HD. It's more critical IMHO for a defensive shotgunner to know how to load the gun (shoot one load one) under pressure than to have a magazine tube long enough to poke the BG in the eye from across the room. Having more ammo on the gun is my preference, but hanging on the HS riot gun handy to the computer desk here is an old Claymore bag with a handful of buckshot in one pouch and slugs in the other- just in case.

As to the modifications you're making, by coincidence one of my local 'smiths is doing very much the same thing to an old Montgomery Ward- marked Stevens 520 12 gauge I picked up (cheap) the other week. When he's done, the old Browning-designed double hump pumpgun will have an 18.5" barrel, Tritium bead, and a 13" LOP buttstock with a LimbSaver recoil pad fitted. The parts and labor will cost more than the used but not abused base shotgun did- but I'll have a great old take-down shotgun to travel with, that can do very well in the defensive role if it's ever needed.

So I think you made a great choice for a base gun, and I can find no fault with your short list of modifications either. Enjoy it in good health, and I hope it never has to fill its intended role for you.

lpl

[V.Hunter]

I was at the shop today, it is a Model 20 and like Lee Lapin said made by High Standard.

The smith has run into a small problem as the "retaining bar" I believe he called it is not allowing the shotgun to feed properly. Seeing as it was in his shop he is fixing that on the house before he starts the other modifications.

Glad to hear that others have the same idea.

I did get to pick up one rifle he was working on, a 22 MAG Henry lever gun that he did wonders with the trigger for me. He amazes me, I have factory guns that he has gone over, cleaned, adjusted and bedded for me that rival many so called "custom" rifles I have handled and shot at the range.

It is great to have a gifted smith within just a few miles.