old store brand guns.

[sw44spl]

As a kid I loved going to JCPennys and western auto and Sears and looking in the gun and hunting section. I would get poped for wandering off to that section and not staying by my mom. Never did get one then we didnt have the money. Now I have several store brand guns. tomorrow I will get another a revalation pump 12ga. {western auto mossberg 500} to go with my revalation 22 single shot . both made by Mossberg in the 1960s I have a couple JC Higgins 22s and shotguns. A few Ted Williams shotguns. I hunted last year wtih my Ted Williams signature series semi 20ga {winchester 1400} any one like the old store brand guns?

 

[LoboGunLeather]

For those who know what they are looking at there are some real bargains in the store brands. Mossberg, Winchester, High Standard, and others produced millions of store brand firearms throughout most of the 20th Century.

Under the Sears "Ted Williams" brand you can find Winchester Model 70 and earlier Model 54 rifles. Mossberg Model 500 pump shotguns were made with at least a dozen trade names. J.C. Penney, Montgomery Wards, Western Auto, Herter's, and several other chain stores and catalog outfits also had their own brands of many fine guns.

For years I carried a .22 pistol in my fishing gear. Western Auto "Revelation" brand, actually a High Standard of the same basic design as their excellent Supermatic series. I think I paid $25 for it.

Some of these old pieces could form an interesting collection!

 

[sw44spl]

I find it kinda hard to pass one up.

 

[mauser9]

Well back in 72 bought a Ted Williams 200 which was really a Winchester 1200 in 20 gauge. Not bad for what I paid. Maybe under $150. Had the adj. choke, walnut, and nickel plated trigger. Aluminum receiver kinda bugged me but used it for many years for Upland game.

 

[biku324]

I killed my first deer with a Ted Williams 30'06 (post-'64 Winchester) bolt gun bought on credit with a Sears color TV.

 

[GeoJelly]

OK - I am a thread violator, but I just had to mention the Remington 870 I bought at Penney's at the Tacoma Mall prolly around 77 or so. It's still in the family although I sold it to my brother 25+ years ago. Nowadays Penney's isn't even worth walking into. But, back on topic, I don't remember any Penney's branded firearms but I'm prolly the young guy in this threat at 70-ish ...

 

[biku324]

Hey, I'm a mere child of 67!!!

 

[sw44spl]

I dont think pennys marked guns but they did sell them.

 

[mauser9]

Nope Geo I am with ya. That is why I am often shocked with prices these days. Often miss the days when $200-250 bought you walnut and high gloss bluing. Made a lot less $$$$$ but prices didn't triple 3 times over.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

First Gun I ever bought was a Store 'Brand.'
Still have it.

 

[DWalt]

My very first rifle was a Mossberg bolt action .22 single shot with "Wards (Montgomery Wards) Western Field" stamped on the barrel. It is long gone, sold it about 40 years back. But it still exists in my memory.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

In addition to the "Big Name" store brands there were a number of smaller, regional store brands. There are a number of websites that list store brand models and who made them.
I have a J. C. Higgins (Sears) Model 46-Marlin Model 56 with an aluminum receiver. Good shooter.

 

[diyj98]

I dont think pennys marked guns but they did sell them.

J.C. Penny sold the Foremost brand (made by Marlin and Savage).

 

[10mm Shooter]

I still own my first pump shotgun - it is a Western Field (Mossgerg 500) bought at a Montgomery Wards store in the early 70's. I have shot several thousand rounds through and it is on its second barrel, but it is still a great gun and I would never part with it...

 

[Kevin J.]

My first shotgun was also an Eastfield (Smith and Wesson) model 916 that 12 gauge pump the I bought at Coast to Coast hardware. I gave it to my nephew as his first shotgun. Still going strong.

I also bought a Westernfield model M550ABD (Mossberg) that is still in my safe. You can alway tell a Mossberg by the top receiver mounted thumb safety, which I do like.

 

[mikerjf]

I have a near-100 year old Western Field 12ga double-hump.

 

[hittman77]

Yes, I have fond memories of those old forgotten store brands. And the simpler times that came with them.

 

[sw44spl]

Amen hitman77 so do I.

 

[CajunBass]

For a long time, I didn't know of any place to actually buy a gun, except for Sears and Roebuck. I knew there were things called "gun stores" but I'd never seen one.

The first gun I ever bought and paid for myself was a Sears double 12 ga, a rebranded Stevens 311. 30" barrels Mod/full. Then later I got an AYA 20 that was also marked as a Sears gun. THAT was a really nice little gun and I wish I still had it. Again 28", mod/full.

I still have my Sears-Roebuck pump 12 I got about 1977 or so. I've always thought it was a Mossberg, but others say it's a High Standard. It has the tang safety like a Mossberg, and came in the same type packaging, with a 28" mod barrel, and a 24" rifle sight slug barrel.

And last but not least, is my Ruger 10/22 "Wally-World Special." While it's not marked as a "store brand" this particular model, with the 22" stainless barrel, and hardwood DSP type stock was only available at Wal-Mart at the time. "Wally-World Special" was what just about "everybody" called them, so it was a sort of unofficial "store brand."

 

[hivel37]

When I was a kid back in depression times, our family
had a single shot 12 ga marked "New White Powder Wonder".
I think it was a Sears gun. No clue which company made it.
My older brother kept it. Last time I saw it, it was so loose
it was unusable. Served a purpose many years.

 

[hittman77]

My little town of about 2000 people in Northern MO had a Western Auto, a Sears "catalog store" and a local mom and pop hardware store. The hardware store sold brands like Savage, S&W and Remington that I remember. The hardware store was also your best bet for good pocket knives and S&K brand tools too.

The Western Auto had Ruger along with of course Revelation and maybe others.

Sears has NONE in stock being a catalog store but could get something in for you in a couple of days.

 

[robvious]

Got a "Monkey Wards" shotgun so I could build a tribute gun in honor of my "Uncle Vern"
it was built by Stevens originally... turned out great... before & after photos attached

 

[DWalt]

My first shotgun was also an Eastfield (Smith and Wesson) model 916 that 12 gauge pump the I bought at Coast to Coast hardware. I gave it to my nephew as his first shotgun. Still going strong.

I have fabricated and replaced several broken 916 firing pins. I doubt original firing pins can be found today, but it's fairly easy to make one if you have a lathe. It's basically the same as the Noble pump gun. The 916 is not the easiest to disassemble and reassemble to get to the firing pin.

 

[Boudiepitbull]

Still have and cherish my Mom's 70 year old J.C. Higgins .22 bolt action rifle. It shoots tight groups, just not exactly where I'm aiming.

 

[OLDSTER]

Years ago, my father-in-law bought a beautiful .270 bolt action rifle at Montgomery Ward for dear hunting. Western Field I believe. I checked it out during deer season; low and behold it was made by Husqvarna.

 

[mikerjf]

There was a History Detectives show that featured a sawed-off shotgun reputed to have been used at the St Valentines Day massacre. It was a Westernfield 12ga just like mine.

Interesting to think about Wards being headquartered in Chicago, and a mobster picking up a new duck gun to use later that week. =:O

 

[ZGrand]

The first gun I ever bought was a Sears Ted Williams .22 semi-auto rifle in 1971 (made by Winchester). I still have it and it still works like it did the day I bought it. (The Nikon scope was added later).

 

[jeeps]

AYA made some nice double barrels for Sears. These are the AYA Madator SxS and are very fine shotguns.

 

[mauser9]

I recall High Standard made shotguns under the Sears name I believe before Winchester.

 

[DWalt]

AYA made some nice double barrels for Sears. These are the AYA Madator SxS and are very fine shotguns.

I once had a Sears O/U 12 gauge that was made by Antonio Zoli. I got it as part of a trade and never fired it. The only things I did not like were that it extracted only, and it was very stiff to open and close. I did not keep it long. I have a Browning Citori, and that is the only O/U I need.