So I have a friend in town who used to be a dealer, but now he just hits gun shows. He is in his 80's, and 2 years ago he sold me an early 22/38 Outdoorsman from 1931 with the box. And a 48 in 8 3/8ths, and a Model 57 in the presentation box. There is a thread from me on that sale.

I stopped to visit today, and he offered a Kit Gun that he had shown me 2 years ago, but not for sale at that time.

Here is what I already knew: It came from Sears near Hollywood in 1956. The box included the original receipt and a time payment contract for $7 per month. Tools. Essentially ANIB. Only the faintest turn line. He asked in the low 5's.

So, now I have another gun I can't ever shoot. I am sure it is unfired.

Enjoy a large photo:

That's a great piece. Many may not know or remember, but Sears Roebuck was at one time the largest gun retailer in the USA, and most, if not all, Sears stores had good gun departments with good selections of guns of all types. Many carried the J.C. Higgins house brand, but they also sold other brands and used guns. Back in the 1950's, the high point of every week was to go into town with my father every Friday night. We'd always go to the Sears store and I'd head to the gun department in the basement where I'd drool over guns while he looked at clothes, tools, and all that other uninteresting stuff. Sears pretty well got out of the gun business after the JFK assassination.

Nice score the SAT is worth $100+ on its own.

Thanks for the history lesson DWalt. My first firearm was a JC Higgins single shot .22 that my father bought for me when I was 7 yrs old, and of course we got it at Sears.

I've been told that Sako manufactured those guns for Sears, but never did confirm it. It sure was accurate though.

The term "lucky dog" comes to mind... That is one great acquisition. Congratulations.

Great buy!! One sold a week ago on this forum for $800, a top $ price. and another just sold more recently on Gunbroker for $1025 IIRC, a crazy price. Neither had the box or tools.

__________________
Jim
S&WCA #819

Sears got their house-branded guns at different times from a large number of both domestic and foreign manufacturers, and I believe there are tables available that will tell a lot more of the story as to who made what and when. Winchester made lots of rifles and shotguns for Sears, but they were far from the only one. I have an extremely nice house-branded 12 Gauge O/U shotgun made by Antonio Zoli in Italy. It's stamped Sears Roebuck, not J.C. Higgins. Am not sure of its date - probably mid-1960s.

My very first .22 rifle came from that Sears store in southern Ohio. It was a Remington 550-1, and if I could get one of the many guns I sold over the years back, that would be the one.