Convert old J.C. Higgins 20 for Home Defense?

Griswold · October 2, 2006, 11:37 PM

Instead of spending megabucks for a new scattergun, what would be wrong w/ taking a late '50's production,mechanically reliable JC Higgins/High Standard 12 ga. pump, and cutting it down to 18.5" for Home defense? The gun's not quite a beater, but does sport the usual assortment of scuffs and scratches of any gun its age. Action is very slick, and these will "slam-fire", that is, the hammer will follow the bolt down, (ala the Winchester 97), if the trigger is depressed through the pump cycle. My only hesitation about this is cutting the bbl. down on something that old,and altering it. (I know the bbl. is permanently fixed in this gun.) I know it's not rare or anything, but part of me says "keep it as is", while another part says "cut"! What to do?

liliysdad · October 3, 2006, 12:11 AM

The store brand guns have little value, and probably never will. The JC Higgins pump is most likely a Stevens or Hi Standard, possibly a Noble. All are quite serviceable, if utilitarian designs. I say cut it, as you wont lose any value if there is none.

I have been debating this very same thing. I would like to find a good little 20ga pump to cut down for my wife here at home. The house gun is currently a 12 gauge New Haven 600AT (Mossberg 500) that I cut to 18.5".

Dfariswheel · October 3, 2006, 12:36 AM

The JC Higgins Model 20 is actually a High Standard Model 200.

Only you can decide whether to cut it down or not.

silicon wolverine · October 3, 2006, 05:16 AM

i bought an old higgins for 65 bucks at a pawn shop. It made a good "chopper". Just remeber to measure twice and cut once.

SW

kozak6 · October 4, 2006, 12:07 AM

It's not, say, your grandfather's shotgun or anything like that, is it? If it is, perhaps it should stay unaltered as a family heirloom.

On another forum, a guy recently posted about how he threw out all of his grandfather's WWII stuff, and took his grandfather's particularly rare M1 Garand to a bench grinder and chopped off the stock behind the grip.

Otherwise, chop it.

October 2, 2006, 11:37 PM	#1
Griswold Member Join Date: April 2, 2006 Posts: 34	Convert old J.C. Higgins 20 for Home Defense? Instead of spending megabucks for a new scattergun, what would be wrong w/ taking a late '50's production,mechanically reliable JC Higgins/High Standard 12 ga. pump, and cutting it down to 18.5" for Home defense? The gun's not quite a beater, but does sport the usual assortment of scuffs and scratches of any gun its age. Action is very slick, and these will "slam-fire", that is, the hammer will follow the bolt down, (ala the Winchester 97), if the trigger is depressed through the pump cycle. My only hesitation about this is cutting the bbl. down on something that old,and altering it. (I know the bbl. is permanently fixed in this gun.) I know it's not rare or anything, but part of me says "keep it as is", while another part says "cut"! What to do?

October 3, 2006, 12:11 AM	#2
liliysdad Senior Member Join Date: June 7, 2004 Posts: 1,145	The store brand guns have little value, and probably never will. The JC Higgins pump is most likely a Stevens or Hi Standard, possibly a Noble. All are quite serviceable, if utilitarian designs. I say cut it, as you wont lose any value if there is none. I have been debating this very same thing. I would like to find a good little 20ga pump to cut down for my wife here at home. The house gun is currently a 12 gauge New Haven 600AT (Mossberg 500) that I cut to 18.5".

October 3, 2006, 12:36 AM	#3
Dfariswheel Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2001 Posts: 7,478	The JC Higgins Model 20 is actually a High Standard Model 200. Only you can decide whether to cut it down or not.

October 3, 2006, 05:16 AM	#4
silicon wolverine Senior Member Join Date: April 28, 2006 Location: South dakota Posts: 674	i bought an old higgins for 65 bucks at a pawn shop. It made a good "chopper". Just remeber to measure twice and cut once. SW

October 4, 2006, 12:07 AM	#5
kozak6 Senior Member Join Date: June 16, 2005 Location: AZ Posts: 3,113	It's not, say, your grandfather's shotgun or anything like that, is it? If it is, perhaps it should stay unaltered as a family heirloom. On another forum, a guy recently posted about how he threw out all of his grandfather's WWII stuff, and took his grandfather's particularly rare M1 Garand to a bench grinder and chopped off the stock behind the grip. Otherwise, chop it.