Can anyone help me with my 12ga autoloader?

sorny · March 17, 2009, 08:33 PM

I have an older JC Higgins Model 66 (marked as Sears Roebuck) autoloader 12ga. I bought it for $75 and found out why--it won't fire more than a couple of rounds before it jams. I stripped it down completely and cleaned it out. Nothing was rusted but it was dirty. Anyways, that didn't help. It fires one or two shells and then it never properly ejects a spent one. It stays in the chamber and tries to load another on top of it so I have to stop shooting and spend a minute or so getting the old shell out safely.

I found this page from Numrich http://www.e-gunparts.com/products.a...el=0780z66&MC= that has parts but I don't want to just start buying a bunch of stuff on the list just for the heck of it because I don't want to put $50+ in a $75 gun thats pretty rough looking anyways. I took some pictures of the ejector, extractor, and the ejector retracting spring and extractor spring. The ejector spring has an obvious "curl" to it near one end but is it supposed to be like that? That end went on the ejector first and it seemed to feel like it held the spring in place so I wasn't sure if it is damaged or normal. Also the metal part of the extractor looks kinda rough but I wasn't sure if this would be as important.

Anyways, here are the pics, I appreciate your guys help. I hate to just not use the gun but its pretty worthless as it is now.

cv0lv0g0 · March 17, 2009, 09:00 PM

Take it to a local gun smith I'm pretty much useless,unless I'm their.

check out the ejector looks bent as well . Run it thru the cycle slowly take a very good look

sorny · March 18, 2009, 06:48 AM

Well that's the thing.. I live in the boonies and can only think of one gun smith and he will probably charge $50 just to look at it. If I have to put more than $25 in it (inc parts) I am not fixing it.

Also, the ejector looks bent in the pic but I think its something the camera did because it looks pretty straight in real life.

James K · March 18, 2009, 10:51 AM

Well, that spring is NOT supposed to have that "curl", so get a new one. It is possilble that you might find a spring the right size at a well-stocked hardware store, but it won't cost a lot to get one from Gun Parts.

IIRC that ejector is supposed to be driven forward on recoil then retracted by the spring. If it sticks in the out position, which it will probably do because of the bent spring, the gun will jam.

Jim

sorny · March 20, 2009, 07:18 AM

Thanks Jim. I went ahead and ordered the spring from Numrich and will post the results when I get it installed. I hope that's it because everything else looks fine and I don't think I'd even want to take it to a smith if this doesn't work (even if its a simple fix it'll probably cost almost as much as I paid for this beat up thing).

TEDDY · March 20, 2009, 08:43 AM

does the stuck shell come out easy or hard??if easy its as jim says if hard the chamber may have plastic in it,I have cleaned a few like that.Other wise it would be as stated the extractor.or its both.

March 17, 2009, 08:33 PM	#1
sorny Junior Member Join Date: September 16, 2002 Posts: 11	Can anyone help me with my 12ga autoloader? I have an older JC Higgins Model 66 (marked as Sears Roebuck) autoloader 12ga. I bought it for $75 and found out why--it won't fire more than a couple of rounds before it jams. I stripped it down completely and cleaned it out. Nothing was rusted but it was dirty. Anyways, that didn't help. It fires one or two shells and then it never properly ejects a spent one. It stays in the chamber and tries to load another on top of it so I have to stop shooting and spend a minute or so getting the old shell out safely. I found this page from Numrich http://www.e-gunparts.com/products.a...el=0780z66&MC= that has parts but I don't want to just start buying a bunch of stuff on the list just for the heck of it because I don't want to put $50+ in a $75 gun thats pretty rough looking anyways. I took some pictures of the ejector, extractor, and the ejector retracting spring and extractor spring. The ejector spring has an obvious "curl" to it near one end but is it supposed to be like that? That end went on the ejector first and it seemed to feel like it held the spring in place so I wasn't sure if it is damaged or normal. Also the metal part of the extractor looks kinda rough but I wasn't sure if this would be as important. Anyways, here are the pics, I appreciate your guys help. I hate to just not use the gun but its pretty worthless as it is now.

March 17, 2009, 09:00 PM	#2
cv0lv0g0 Junior Member Join Date: June 1, 2008 Location: wv Posts: 14	smith Take it to a local gun smith I'm pretty much useless,unless I'm their. check out the ejector looks bent as well . Run it thru the cycle slowly take a very good look Last edited by cv0lv0g0; March 17, 2009 at 09:06 PM. Reason: ejector

March 20, 2009, 08:43 AM	#6
TEDDY Junior member Join Date: December 10, 2006 Location: MANNING SC Posts: 837	jam does the stuck shell come out easy or hard??if easy its as jim says if hard the chamber may have plastic in it,I have cleaned a few like that.Other wise it would be as stated the extractor.or its both.

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March 18, 2009, 06:48 AM	#3
sorny Junior Member Join Date: September 16, 2002 Posts: 11	Well that's the thing.. I live in the boonies and can only think of one gun smith and he will probably charge $50 just to look at it. If I have to put more than $25 in it (inc parts) I am not fixing it. Also, the ejector looks bent in the pic but I think its something the camera did because it looks pretty straight in real life.

March 18, 2009, 10:51 AM	#4
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	Well, that spring is NOT supposed to have that "curl", so get a new one. It is possilble that you might find a spring the right size at a well-stocked hardware store, but it won't cost a lot to get one from Gun Parts. IIRC that ejector is supposed to be driven forward on recoil then retracted by the spring. If it sticks in the out position, which it will probably do because of the bent spring, the gun will jam. Jim

March 20, 2009, 07:18 AM	#5
sorny Junior Member Join Date: September 16, 2002 Posts: 11	Thanks Jim. I went ahead and ordered the spring from Numrich and will post the results when I get it installed. I hope that's it because everything else looks fine and I don't think I'd even want to take it to a smith if this doesn't work (even if its a simple fix it'll probably cost almost as much as I paid for this beat up thing).