I love the store brands, just got another

[desi2358]

Congratulations! It’s been over 50 years but if my memory serves the first shotgun I used to hunt pheasant and quail was a 16ga from Montgomery & Ward. It was a double barrel with double triggers and a Rynite butt stock and forend. Pretty sure it was a rebranded Stevens 311.

That was probably back in the fall of 69-70. The gun already had some years on it. Can still recall the wrist of the stock being wrapped in that old, white medical tape with the area around the tang safety cut out. I’m guessing the Rynite furniture was prone to cracking hence the tape job. Those were the days before duct tape.

Some time before he passed grandpa sold it to a neighbor. It wasn’t the best shotgun by far but it was one of those guns we all tend to want to keep. I’ve yet to run across one like it but if I did I’d likely get it for old time sake.

Brings back a few memories for me. Loved going to Sears and other stores when I was young, every one had a gun department back then. Store brand guns were common, my first good shotgun was a Western Auto pump (re-branded Mossberg 500). First rifle was a J. C. Higgins (Marlin made I think) though I later replaced it with a Nylon 66 Remington (Wanted a semi auto, still love the Nylon 66 to this day!).

I remember those early Tenite plastic stocks. Not uncommon to see one taped up as they seemed to get brittle, especially if left in a truck window rack a lot. Tape used was whatever was available. Electric tape was commonly seen.

Best example of tape repairs though for me was my grand fathers old 16 ga single. Dad's oldest brother had it, gave it to me when his health got bad and he went into assisted living. A very old Bay State Arms (hardware store brand) the butt was several inches thick with tape. He told me every time it got loose they would just wrap more tape around it until it was tight again.

After owning it a while I decided the tape had to go. Lost track of the number of layers but it was true rainbow of different colored tape, everything from electric tape to masking tape and some I wasn't sure what it's origin was............... The stock proved to be in four pieces, Devcon epoxy and some careful pinning got it back to looking like a gun stock again. Solid and workable again so I can pass it on to another generation.

 

[2152hq]

The 5100 was actually an action type. It was used on several different Stevens, Savage and House brand shotguns made by them (Springfield, Riverside, Sears, MonteWards, etc).
The 5100 action used internal hammers. and came out in the 1930's.
Stevens had been using the Lewis Model 1915 action that had coil spring driven strikers instead of hammers in their SxS's.

The first model to use the 5100 action was the Stevens 530 in 1936/37.
That replaced the Stevens Model 330 which used the older coil spring/striker action
The same Model 530 w/ a Tenite stock came out in '40 as
the Model 530M.

Stevens was still operated out of their orig factory in ChicopeeFalls, MA, though they were owned by Savage of Utica, NY.

After WW2, Savage moved their operation to Chicopee Falls, MA as well.

After WW2 when commercial arms production resumed,,
that Stevens Model 530M was now cataloged as the 'Springfield 311'

Savage was now Savage/Stevens/Fox Co.

in 1947 the 'Springfield 311' was renamed the 'Stevens 311'.
It remained as such till the end of production in the late 1980's
But the action type changed. The 5100 type action was dropped in the early 50's for an easier to mfg but very similar style.
Many changes were made to the action over production.
Tenite stocks were dropped in the early 50's as well and wood stocks remained the norm.

The 511 was intro'd (1970's??)as a less expensive 311.
Some of the 511's don't have a forend iron. You have to remove the forend wood itself by backing out the forend screw. Then taking off a coil spring to then allow the bbls to be dismounted.
The actions inside are about the same as the 311. Rotating hammers,,coil spring action, top lever hold open w/trip,,etc.

 

[Countrycuz]

My first shotgun was a Coast to Coast branded Mossberg 500. Still have it. My brothers was a Western Field Mossberg.

 

[Hair Trigger]

I've had a few of these shotguns too and still have a store brand in 16 ga and Fox Model B in .410. One thing to note is that many of these guns do not have serial numbers, Savage didn't bother putting them on until late production.

Hang on to that .410 Fox B. It's worth more than any of the 12, 16, or 20 gauge guns of similar age and condition. Fewer .410's were made by a fair margin than the other gauges. I looked for a while, trying to find a .410 to complete my Fox B collection, but they were running in the $1K and up range, 6-7 years ago.

Prior to 1968, and the Federal Gun Act, or whatever it's called, shotguns were not required to have serial numbers. My 16 gauge was made in early 1968 and does not have a SN, and my 20 gauge was made in 1950 and does not have one. My 12 gauge does have one, made in 1973.

Here are a few pictures of the Anson and Deely box lock design used in Savage/Stevens/Fox B double shotguns. The only differences in the parts are some improvements over model years, and there were several versions of the Fox B that were single trigger guns. This particular action is a Stevens 311H.

When you break the gun by unlocking it, the locking lever pushes a rod that resets the safety. It also pushes back the cocking lever (not seen in these pics), which pushes the hammers back and sets the sears. The hammer springs are in tunnels on either side of the receiver. The firing pins are floating and have a small spring that pushes them back when the hammers are off them. A screw retains the firing pins with its head, which overlaps a cut notch in the rear of the pin. It's a simple, and very reliable design. The safety prevents the triggers from moving and pushing the arm of the sear. Both sides work the same way.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

I have a J.C. Higgins Model 46/Marlin Model 57. Simply a rebranded Marlin.
"A rose by any other name..." A friend had a Ted Williams/Winchester 670.
Shot fine, he always hit what he was aiming at. On another board I saw a section, showed how to find manufacturers from store brands. I suspect "Back in the Day" the store brands were what people really relied on to hunt with.

 

[Heinz]

I had a Sears double barrel 12 ga about 60 years ago. I think I could have filled a pick up truck with the rabbits I killed with that gun in Ohio.
It was stolen, but it made me a life-long fan of the double 12 "meat gun".

 

[DWalt]

When I was a kid, the only gun shop in town was the Sears store sporting goods department in the basement. And they usually stocked shotguns and .22 rifles only, although you could order anything you wanted from the Sears catalog. Later on, MW opened a new store in town, and they had a much more comprehensive gun department. They even sold milsurp rifles. I have heard that J. C. Penny sold guns also, but not in my old home town Penny’s store.

 

[nutsforsmiths]

I poste this picture in my thread about J.C. Higgins Pistols about a month ago. I too like store brand firearms, or at least Sears J.C. Higgins brand pistols!

 

[ladder13]

Almost the price of a tank of gas? Hell yeah, I’d have bought it.

 

[Homie]

Bagged my first Ringneck with a 12 Ga. MARSHWOOD w/30" barrels many many years ago on the eastern end of Long Island.
Probably condos there by now!

 

[Richard Simmons]

Brings back a few memories for me. Loved going to Sears and other stores when I was young, every one had a gun department back then. Store brand guns were common, my first good shotgun was a Western Auto pump (re-branded Mossberg 500). First rifle was a J. C. Higgins (Marlin made I think) though I later replaced it with a Nylon 66 Remington (Wanted a semi auto, still love the Nylon 66 to this day!).

I remember those early Tenite plastic stocks. Not uncommon to see one taped up as they seemed to get brittle, especially if left in a truck window rack a lot. Tape used was whatever was available. Electric tape was commonly seen.

Best example of tape repairs though for me was my grand fathers old 16 ga single. Dad's oldest brother had it, gave it to me when his health got bad and he went into assisted living. A very old Bay State Arms (hardware store brand) the butt was several inches thick with tape. He told me every time it got loose they would just wrap more tape around it until it was tight again.

After owning it a while I decided the tape had to go. Lost track of the number of layers but it was true rainbow of different colored tape, everything from electric tape to masking tape and some I wasn't sure what it's origin was............... The stock proved to be in four pieces, Devcon epoxy and some careful pinning got it back to looking like a gun stock again. Solid and workable again so I can pass it on to another generation.

Tenite! That’s the ticket! Not sure where I got Rynite from? Anyone familiar with the Ted Williams brand? I’ve seen lever action 30-30’s with that name and seem to recall they were Winchester production. The only difference being the markings and the use of hard wood rather than walnut for the furniture. If so those would make for a good deal if one’s looking for a lever gun and doesn’t want to pay Winchester prices.

 

[Stevens]

I have an over and under 12 ga Ranger that was my Paternal Grandfather's.
I think it was built by Stevens for Sears. It was used by our family in Hawaii for many years to hunt pheasant and goats.
Steve W

 

[clang444]

I have an over and under 12 ga Ranger that was my Paternal Grandfather's.
I think it was built by Stevens for Sears. It was used by our family in Hawaii for many years to hunt pheasant and goats.
Steve W

That might have been a Marlin model 90. I had a Ranger marked one in 16 ga years ago. Never should have sold it.

 

[reddog81]

One of my first guns and first .22 was a Coast to Coast version on the Marlin model 60. It’s a decent old school .22. I should pull it out and take it to the range sometime.

 

[robvious]

my one & only... monkey wards version of a Stevens 520-30... used it to create a tribute gun honoring my "Uncle Vern"...

 

[panther]

I worked in a gun store in a small rural town back in the 90's. We saw lots of store brand guns come in the store and kept the Blue Book, and a couple other old catalogs, around to identify the maker of some of those guns. Some of the farmers would bring them in for repairs and identifying something made by Crescent, Hopkins Allen, Iver Johnson, etc was the first hurtle, then trying to find parts.
A college library near here had old Sears catalogs in their collection from the 50's and 60's. For less than $100 you could order an M1 Carbine, You could get the military stock or, for $10 extra, get a walnut Monte Carlo stock. Those were the days.

 

[sigp220.45]

my one & only... monkey wards version of a Stevens 520-30... used it to create a tribute gun honoring my "Uncle Vern"...

Has that got an ordnance stamp (flaming bomb) on it?

 

[6string]

I love the memories of the days when regular department stores or hardware stores sold their store brand firearms. These places were right in our own neighborhoods and everyday folks bought and used these guns for fun and recreation. A lot of the stores made the effort to design and lay out their sporting goods shopping areas with attractive outdoor decor. Quite often they even sold reloading supplies too! They were enjoyable places to shop, unlike today's big box stores or "tacticool" supply shops.

These not only evoke Americana, they were also once a big part of outdoor life in Canada, too. Stores like Eaton's, Simpson's, Pascal Hardware, and Canadian Tire were right up there with Sears, Montgomery Ward, etc. Brands like Glenfield and Cooey were very common.

 

[cmansguns]

Mickey Dees parking lot sale - old Stevens 12 ga SxS

My old (1953) Stevens Model 530A, 12 ga SxS was in my car on backseat floorboard when out for a ride some years ago and found ourselves about 75 miles away in Norfolk VA area, specifically around Little Creek Amphib Naval training area. This area can be "sketchy" at times so before going inside for my favorite Big Mac n fries, I backed up to the parking lot tree line and with no one watching transferred the shotgun to the trunk.

Had my meal, came back out and an older gentleman was waiting. He had seen me putting the gun in the trunk, and wondered what it was and was it for sale.

I told him 12 ga double, dual trigger, 2-3/4" shells, 28" bbls, choked Full and Modified, dual ivory bead sights. $300 changed hands and it was his. I had copied info from his photo ID VA DL so wasn't too worried that he was trouble.

No serial number but date code stamp (on the water table) was letter E inside circle. Stevens (Chicopee Falls, MA) started stamping date codes in 1949 with letter A, B=1950, etc.

PS: Sears in 1962 sold great stuff right out of their catalog, shipped by train right to your local catalog store.

 

[jeffrefrig]

I have a Sears Ted Williams Model 100, (Model 94 Win. 30-30).
A Crescent Firearms Co. Empire Hammerless #60 SxS in .410
A Western Field 480-XNH .410 pump
Never fired any of them. Was told not to shoot steel shot through the old shotgun barrels. After my outing with my grandson yesterday with the .22s, he wants to shoot the 30-30 now. I have a bunch of 30-30 cartridges so I might as well shoot a few. It had a side-mounted scope which I took off because it was literally broken. They all seem to be in working order. I cut the tops off three .410 shell and the shot guns at least ignited the primers.