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75 buck shotgun - J C Higgins Model 20. I shall call you Rusty.(Hacksaw pics added)
- Thread starter sigp220.45
- Start date
gwpercle
Member
Could it be mounted on the shortened barrel ? I got to thinking just how wicked that rascal would look !
Gary
I may still have the stuff off the choke, I'll look in junk - if it survived you can have it for postage. I have "saved" some
shotguns that were cut short by putting those chokes on them
to bring to legal length. Chokes are threaded on at factory. After
cutting off choke, I put choke in lathe and carefully turn out
the threads, then turn muzzle for tight fit and silver solder.
shotguns that were cut short by putting those chokes on them
to bring to legal length. Chokes are threaded on at factory. After
cutting off choke, I put choke in lathe and carefully turn out
the threads, then turn muzzle for tight fit and silver solder.
manyguns
Member
Grew up with my Dad hunting with one in 28" FC. Now it is mine. All I have to do is take it out of the safe for the memories to start coming back.
BigBill
Absent Comrade
I'd like to get a coach double barrel cut it and leg holster or over the shoulder holster. Just dreaming.
BigBill
Absent Comrade
My dream gun would be a right hand and left hand Remington 1100's 12ga shotguns belt fed. Bolted together. Heart breakers, risk takers.
There's 3 different size (diameter) choke tubes for the Lyman PowerPac,,small,,med,,and large.
Each with a different recess at the front (or lack of it) and a different shaped 'seat' behind the threads.
IIRC the med and large were both avail to fit 12ga. But it was generally large/12ga, med/16 and small/20ga.
Tubes are marked on the end with the choke constriction in general terms 'short', 'medium', 'long range'.
Most have the gauge marked on the end also,,but not always!
By the looks of the choke body mounted on the M20 in question,it appears to be the Large one.
A slight recess at the front edge and a shoulder behind the threads IDs it as the Large one.
(The 'Medium' size choke device does not have a recess in front of the threads,,it does have a shoulder behind them but it is a tapered shoulder.)
Thread OD on the large tubes is something like 1.15"/.20".
I see them at shows quite often but not at giveaway prices. They're usually priced at around $30 to $40 /per tube depending on condition.
They came in a box w/a small thin flat wrench to install and remove them.
A couple of tubes could easily set you back more than you have in the gun!
If you do cut it off,,save it and the short section of bbl it's attached to.Put it on Fleabay,,it'll sell.
Each with a different recess at the front (or lack of it) and a different shaped 'seat' behind the threads.
IIRC the med and large were both avail to fit 12ga. But it was generally large/12ga, med/16 and small/20ga.
Tubes are marked on the end with the choke constriction in general terms 'short', 'medium', 'long range'.
Most have the gauge marked on the end also,,but not always!
By the looks of the choke body mounted on the M20 in question,it appears to be the Large one.
A slight recess at the front edge and a shoulder behind the threads IDs it as the Large one.
(The 'Medium' size choke device does not have a recess in front of the threads,,it does have a shoulder behind them but it is a tapered shoulder.)
Thread OD on the large tubes is something like 1.15"/.20".
I see them at shows quite often but not at giveaway prices. They're usually priced at around $30 to $40 /per tube depending on condition.
They came in a box w/a small thin flat wrench to install and remove them.
A couple of tubes could easily set you back more than you have in the gun!
If you do cut it off,,save it and the short section of bbl it's attached to.Put it on Fleabay,,it'll sell.
GatorFarmer
Member
I paid $150 for a 12 guage Hi Standard back around the 2008 gun buying panic. It seemed a solid gun. I cut it down to 18.5" and also cut it down to be a pistol grip shotgun, fitting a new eye bolt on the cut down stock so that it would take a shoulder strap and painted it camo. I think I sold it for $200 during a later gun buying panic. I had seen a similar looking conversion in a photo of evidence guns somewhere and wanted my own. Chuckle. I did keep the OAL around 29", well beyond the minimum.
Try the Pedersoli Howdah as sold by Cabelas etc, it is a side by side 20 gauge. It is a black powder percussion weapon so not an NFA item and will ship to your door in most states. A hip holster is available as is an optional detachable shoulder stock.
Try the Pedersoli Howdah as sold by Cabelas etc, it is a side by side 20 gauge. It is a black powder percussion weapon so not an NFA item and will ship to your door in most states. A hip holster is available as is an optional detachable shoulder stock.
cbore
Member
Great buy. I will offer $85 make a quick $10.
Serious hang on to its, a keeper
Serious hang on to its, a keeper
model70hunter
Member
In the 60's I knew a fella that would buy a gun and sell to buy something else in short order. One day he asked if I wanted to buy a black powder pistol. He said he'd been breaking down low brass shot shells to shoot it as our local Pawn/LGS wouldn't order any Black powder. I do believe it was Italian made. 20 gauge double barrel pistol. A Howda it was . I gave him $20 and killed some squirrels with it. Don't remember what happened to it. It was a very nicely made gun.
So I just happened to see Cabelas Howda on sale for about $798 or so. Well Howda. I thought $20 bucks was a fair price.....
Last edited:
GB
Member
Back in the day, ( 1970 ish) in my pre-LEO life, I worked as a rent-a-cop/security guard. There were, maybe, a dozen of us, working for a couple of small companies, working in the town. We were all cop wanabe types. We would meet up for coffee or just park in some lot and BS about the world/what a cheap *** our bosses were/ where we had applied for a cop job. I had acquired a Steven/Savage Model 67 pump from a guy that I used to work for (found it in the trunk of car he was turning into a stock car). It was cheap, it was rough, it worked. Off to my dad's electrical shop I go. After a little work with a pipe cutter and reamer a drill and tap for a bead. I had me a genUwine police riot gun. I carried it in my security car and showed it off to the other guys. Like I said, we were all wanabes. It lasted less than a week before someone offered me more money that I thought it was worth. With my profit, off to the local gun shop and I buy another cheap pump, either another Savage or JC Higgens/Wards/Western Auto, whatever they had for 50 bucks or less. I repeated that process several times until the market was saturated(or our respective bosses wouldn't let us carry them, I don't remember which) I used the last one that I bought(pre-surgery ) to hunt ducks with on days that I didn't want to take my good shotgun to the ponds. The first PD that I worked for, the issue shotgun was a Hi-Standard. Like my homemade riot guns, they worked but they weren't very good looking.
I think you will be happy with your new shooter!! GB
I think you will be happy with your new shooter!! GB
I recently did the same thing you are about to do. Found a Monkey Wards WesternField M550CD 20 gauge w/C-Lect choke(Mossberg), had to pay about 40 bucks more than you did for yours though. Got it home and promptly whacked off about 10 inches with my trusty hacksaw and smoothed it up with my Dremel. Going to put swivels and a sling on it. I gave it to my wife for Valentines Day, it's going to be her Copperhead gun.
Carrying this home made riot gun stuff to idiocy.
A long time ago I bought a very good condition 28 gauge Remington Model 11-48 automatic for $50. The catch was the seller handed me the front end of its barrel separate from the gun. I inquired about a replacement barrel, having choke tubes or a variable chock installed etc. Prior to the hack and whack it had been a good sporting gun but no repair made economic sense.
It came with a box and a half of shells. I got a crow with every one of them but it wasn't worth setting up to reload the relatively expensive 28 gauge components. Consequently it went to a young man who said it would make a good riot gun for his sweet young thing to protect herself with in her apartment. I didn't say so but I thought that was a riot.
A long time ago I bought a very good condition 28 gauge Remington Model 11-48 automatic for $50. The catch was the seller handed me the front end of its barrel separate from the gun. I inquired about a replacement barrel, having choke tubes or a variable chock installed etc. Prior to the hack and whack it had been a good sporting gun but no repair made economic sense.
It came with a box and a half of shells. I got a crow with every one of them but it wasn't worth setting up to reload the relatively expensive 28 gauge components. Consequently it went to a young man who said it would make a good riot gun for his sweet young thing to protect herself with in her apartment. I didn't say so but I thought that was a riot.
model70hunter
Member
I've owned a few 28 gauges and did reload for it. The ones I had were too heavy for the gauge and I eventually sold them.
I did not like the expensive hard to find ammo so I kept coming back to the 16 gauge.
I did not like the expensive hard to find ammo so I kept coming back to the 16 gauge.
I've got a JC Higgins mod 20 just like the one in the OP except it had
the standard 28" plain barrel with a modified choke. I bought it at an
estate auction about 15 yrs ago in excellent condition for $125. Since
I had no need for another 12 ga pump with the generic 28" modified
barrel I cut the barrel to about 18 1/4" with a tubing cutter. As the
above poster says they give a square cut with only deburring left to
do. The mod 20 is a solid gun with it's steel receiver and old style
bolt lockup. They are not highly valued in the marketplace however
which can be good or bad depending on your situation. I have several
short barreled pump guns and they are my favorite type of gun to
hunt rabbits with in thick cover. Lots of fun for a round of Trap also.
Having one handy around the house with a few rounds of double 0 in
the mag tube provides a measure of comfort also. If you want to hone
your reflexes and speed at getting that first shot off try a few rounds
of Trap with a "riot" gun. I bought several old pumps over the last
several years that had various choke devices on the barrel. I have
ended up cutting all of them off. Why? First of all they destroy the
handling characteristics needed for quick handling, second the weight
on the end of the barrel causes the gun to shoot low. Not what you
want for hunting.
the standard 28" plain barrel with a modified choke. I bought it at an
estate auction about 15 yrs ago in excellent condition for $125. Since
I had no need for another 12 ga pump with the generic 28" modified
barrel I cut the barrel to about 18 1/4" with a tubing cutter. As the
above poster says they give a square cut with only deburring left to
do. The mod 20 is a solid gun with it's steel receiver and old style
bolt lockup. They are not highly valued in the marketplace however
which can be good or bad depending on your situation. I have several
short barreled pump guns and they are my favorite type of gun to
hunt rabbits with in thick cover. Lots of fun for a round of Trap also.
Having one handy around the house with a few rounds of double 0 in
the mag tube provides a measure of comfort also. If you want to hone
your reflexes and speed at getting that first shot off try a few rounds
of Trap with a "riot" gun. I bought several old pumps over the last
several years that had various choke devices on the barrel. I have
ended up cutting all of them off. Why? First of all they destroy the
handling characteristics needed for quick handling, second the weight
on the end of the barrel causes the gun to shoot low. Not what you
want for hunting.
OP
sigp220.45
US Veteran
After lengthy deliberation, I decided today was hacksaw day.
I tried a pipe cutter, but my 6 dollar Home Depot jobby wasn't having it. It did make a nice mark to go by, though. So I clamped ol' Rusty into the cleaning stand and had at it.
It wasn't pretty. My first effort was decidedly off-kilter. From the side it looked like a guy sticking out his lower lip. But some file work got everything lined up okey dokey.
I know the acid test is the "down the barrel to the bolt face" measurement. I'm good to go at a solid almost 19" there.
But I also figured I'd rather not argue the finer points of law on the side of the road with a thin-blue-liner who measured from the muzzle to to where the barrel meets the receiver. I'm good there at a hair over 18".
Either way, ol' short Rusty isn't much longer than my work 870 with its 14" snout.
I found a snap-on fiber optic thingy in the junk box to hold me until I can put on a proper bead. Or I may just leave it - that thing really is bright.
I swapped the buttstock thing off my work gun since I paid for it and I'm retiring soon anyway. Here is Rusty, ready to guard the homefront:
Counting the 75 bucks I paid, I'm into this gun for a total of 75 bucks.
I tried a pipe cutter, but my 6 dollar Home Depot jobby wasn't having it. It did make a nice mark to go by, though. So I clamped ol' Rusty into the cleaning stand and had at it.
It wasn't pretty. My first effort was decidedly off-kilter. From the side it looked like a guy sticking out his lower lip. But some file work got everything lined up okey dokey.
I know the acid test is the "down the barrel to the bolt face" measurement. I'm good to go at a solid almost 19" there.
But I also figured I'd rather not argue the finer points of law on the side of the road with a thin-blue-liner who measured from the muzzle to to where the barrel meets the receiver. I'm good there at a hair over 18".
Either way, ol' short Rusty isn't much longer than my work 870 with its 14" snout.
I found a snap-on fiber optic thingy in the junk box to hold me until I can put on a proper bead. Or I may just leave it - that thing really is bright.
I swapped the buttstock thing off my work gun since I paid for it and I'm retiring soon anyway. Here is Rusty, ready to guard the homefront:
Counting the 75 bucks I paid, I'm into this gun for a total of 75 bucks.
Looks good.
I've chopped a few beater store models over the years.
My latest was a single shot 16 gauge. It went from 30" or so to about 18 1/2". Went with the same sight you did. My bead work on a Stevens 520 didn't work out so well. It was just slightly off.
I've chopped a few beater store models over the years.
My latest was a single shot 16 gauge. It went from 30" or so to about 18 1/2". Went with the same sight you did. My bead work on a Stevens 520 didn't work out so well. It was just slightly off.
I did the same with a Stevens 620 in 16ga a while back. It has become my favorite shotgun, possibly because i like 16ga over 12ga these days(wry smile). I cut mine to 20inch, since I like to shoot slugs and that length made the two halves the same size.
gwpercle
Member
Looks like a winner for sure ! I think it looks great !
I like the front sight thingy, I need a front sight for the old Stevens 77F 12 gauge pump I cut down. I used a pipe cutter on mine , but I bought a good one with a extremely sharp cutter and it did an excellent job...but it still has no front sight , I need to get one of those fiber optic thingy's !
Gary
I like the front sight thingy, I need a front sight for the old Stevens 77F 12 gauge pump I cut down. I used a pipe cutter on mine , but I bought a good one with a extremely sharp cutter and it did an excellent job...but it still has no front sight , I need to get one of those fiber optic thingy's !
Gary
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