Store Brands

Goony · May 3, 2023

For many years, department and hardware stores sold firearms, often under their own and/or an assumed trade name. So you may see guns branded, say, Sears or Coast to Coast (clear enough) or more enigmatically, J.C Higgins, Ted Williams, Western Field, Revelation, Hiawatha, and so on. Almost all of these were the products of very reputable American gunmakerss such as Marlin, Mossberg, Savage, Winchester, and High Standard. Despite this, collectors are pretty dismissive of this genre. One thing you hear said is that such were being disposed of "seconds", that is, of lesser quality compared to their equivalents that actually bore the manufacturer's name (I think this assertion has no basis in fact).

My first job was working for Montgomery Ward, so I have a bit of a soft spot for the Western Field guns they sold. The one pictured below is more or less a clone of a Mossberg Model 45B.

Chuck24 · May 3, 2023

We had a Sears Ted Williams lever action in the pawn shop. Looked like a basic 94 and was in fact made by Winchester.

Borderboss · May 3, 2023

My first shotgun, when I was 17, was a Ted Williams 20 guage from Sears that was actually a Winchester Model 1200 with a Poly-Choke adjustable choke on it. The wood was plain Jane. But it worked great.

Patrick L · May 3, 2023

My son is an avid Ted Williams/Boston Red Sox fan. One of these day I'm going to find one of those Ted Williams/Winchester pump or auto shotguns in decent shape and surprise him with it. They are kind of junkers (at least the autos) but the Ted Williams connection will hopefully make up for it just a little!

TXBryan · May 3, 2023

I have a Sears "Ted Williams" Model 100, which is a Model 94 Winchester, in .30-30 built about 1970ish. It's as nice a ranch "walkin' around gun" as there is. Accurate, nice wood, good fit & finish to boot.

My favorite .22 is a "New Haven" semi-auto by Mossberg likely sold through a Western Auto or a Montgomery Wards. I've had it since 1973 and traded $35 for it used but not abused and it's a peach. That's pretty close to what this one cost new in the 60s (no serial number so pre-69).

We also have a Sears Model 2200 bolt-action .22LR (manufactured I think by Savage/Stevens). It's nice and one accurate rifle.

And a Revelation brand (Western Auto) bolt-action .410 repeater (manufactured by Mossberg) and it's pretty useful on daytime skunks and other vermin encroaching on the homestead.

Picked up a Western Field Model 712 sold by Wards and manufactured by Savage as their Model 340. It's in .222 Rem and it's very, very sweet.

Obviously I like the brand name, no brand name, firearms and don't shy away from them. I also agree with the OP that interest seems fairly lacking for these orphans. It generally proves very difficult to pin down a manufacture date for lots of these guns. I found it impossible for the Sears guns made by Winchester to get much more than kinda close.

THE PILGRIM · May 3, 2023

Here’s my Sears 20 Ga.
First Gun I ever bought!
Got it at the big Memphis Store about 1954.

Rustyt1953 · May 3, 2023

I have a '73 Glenfield Model 60 given me by my father.

Grayfox · May 3, 2023

For those who may not know, in the back of the Blue Book of Gun Values is a crossover reference that says who and when most any store brand gun was made. It gives the exact make and model of the name brand this one is a copy of.
While many rightfully doubt the values in the Blue Book, its worth keeping around just as a reference.

In many cases, store brands were slightly cheaper versions of the name brand guns. Most often it only amounted to slightly cheaper wood and not quite as nice a finish. It wouldn't hesitate to buy one.

DWalt · May 3, 2023

A high percentage of the Ward’s Western Field .22s were made by Mossberg and Stevens/Savage. My very first .22 rifle experience was with a WWF .22 single shot bolt action that my father owned. In fact it was his only rifle. The only other gun in the house when I was a kid was an ancient H&R 12 gauge single shot. The .22 rifle was definitely made by Mossberg and likely dated from sometime in the early to middle 1930s. It had a pretty decent rear peep sight, which I somehow removed and lost. My father took it to a local gunsmith and had a cheap 4x .22 scope sight mounted. After he died, I let it be sold at the estate sale, along with the old H&R shotgun. I have often since regretted not keeping both of them. Still do.

Muddyboot · May 3, 2023

Great topic.
This is a Wards Western Field 47A, Made by Mossberg as the model 45A I believe...

Richard Simmons · May 3, 2023

My first hunting shotgun was borrowed from my grandfather. It was a 16ga Monkey Wards double barrel with the Tenite stock set. Wasn’t the best shotgun I ever had/used but it was the first and she put down her fair share of bobwhites and ringnecks.

From what I’ve read I believe it was based on the Savage 311 shotgun.

Gene L · May 3, 2023

I had a Western Field copy of the Marlin 336 that was an improvement over the Marlins of its day. Wish I had kept it. Walnut stock and good bluing.

Farmer17 · May 3, 2023

My first shotgun was a JC Higgins 12 gauge pump that my dad found while hunting. The stock was shortened to fit a kid or small person and it had a big scratch down the barrel like someone set it next to the car then drove off and left it. It was actually made by High Standard and was very fast and easy to pump and I once killed 14 dove with 16 shots.

lihpster · May 3, 2023

Muddyboot said:
Great topic.
This is a Wards Western Field 47A, Made by Mossberg as the model 45A I believe...

My father had one of those that was a certified tack driver. My brother "borrowed" it about 20 years ago.

Muddyboot · May 3, 2023

lihpster said:
My father had one of those that was a certified tack driver. My brother "borrowed" it about 20 years ago.

Mossberg .22's have been underrated by lots of people, in my experience, they are indeed tack-drivers.

BLACKHAWKNJ · May 3, 2023

IIRC the "store brands" were lesser quality only in that they had hardwood stocks instead of walnut and were special production runs for ease of marking, etc. I have a J.C. Higgins Model 46=Marlin Model 56 Levermatic. Shoots fine. I suspect many of those store brands accounted for plenty of game, were under Christmas trees, etc. Marlin tried to market guns marked
"Royal Canadian" in Canada, they didn't realize that in the Commowealth you can only use the word "Royal" with express permission of the Royal Family, those are quite rare and desireable.

erikpolcrack · May 3, 2023

A Sears Ted Williams Model 100 (Win 94) was my second lever action. Still have it. Got it for a song from a pawn shop in CA back in the 80s. It was an honest-to-goodness cowboy gun, pawned by a working cowboy who had just retired. Has the clear wear patterns from 30 years in a saddle scabbard and quite a few years in a pick-up back-window rack.

Miracle Man · May 3, 2023

My uncle had a Ted Williams poly choke 12 ga back in the 70's. Also, a neighbor and couple others did as well. They were pretty popular around my neck of the woods. And as I recall were good shooters.

walnutred · May 3, 2023

Sometimes the store brands surprise you. Every Ranger marked sxs shotgun I've ever seen was made by Stevens/Savage/Springfield. Except for the one I hunt with. It is a Ranger marked 16 gauge, 26" barrels with dual beads that is actually a Hunter Arms Fulton.

Goony · May 3, 2023

BLACKHAWKNJ said:
IIRC the "store brands" were lesser quality only in that they had hardwood stocks instead of walnut...

I'd concede that in some instances that appears to be the case, done I imagine to meet a specified wholesale (and ultimately retail) price target. The point I was making originally is that I see no reason to suppose that they were assembled from subpar "out of tolerance" or "rejected" components as some would have you believe.

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