Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Bought a shotgun off the auction

Sight unseen. It's J.C. Higgins branded, but actually it's an old Stevens 520-30. They're a Browning design. I paid $180 for it.

Very nice.
I get nostalgic over classic,well-used but not abused repeaters.

Cool, any idea on the year?

I played around with the model that came out directly after it, the Stevens 620A. It's basically the same gun but the receiver was made more streamlined on the 620 series. They're all forged, machined steel and walnut.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...n-messin-with-an-old-shotgun#Post5972425

Not exactly. Probably somewhere close to 1940. The first model was the 520. Then they made the 520-30. Then the 620 and the 620A. The actions are all very similar on all of them.

I became familiar with them when I bought the 620A in the linked thread. They're very heavy duty and parts are still available.

Congratulations on a cool grab.

Thanks. I expected it to go for a bit more. I think the J.C. Higgins branding threw some people off.

Another good option is Savage 28 which looks like Winchester Model 12. Not sure how durable they were, but one could probably be had for few hundred when found. Not many must have been made because they are not often seen.
One of the most interesting I have seen was Noble pump (ca. 1969) with aluminum alloy action, and aluminum alloy barrel w/o steel liner. Twenty gauge weight is just over 4lb. Twenty gauge Ithaca English Ultrafeatherweight was light but this thing was.....

A hump back pump.Too cool.

So this is a 102.25 model?

It is not a Remington Model 17, but ugly and kool at the same time.

Can't go wrong at that price.

Neatest takedown system ever.

True, it is hard to believe, but most will pay more for used a Mossberg 500.

I guess. I don't know what designation Sears put on them when they marketed them under the J.C. Higgins brand. As mentioned, they're actually a Stevens model 520-30.

The military bought quite a few of them. Nobody ever bothered to put a disconnector on them.

The J.C. Higgins designation wasn't used until 1946. FWIW

Good lookin shotgun

okay. The information I've found says that the 520-30 was made between 1939 and 1948. So it must have a manufacturing date somewhere between '46 and '48 for it to wear the J.C. Higgins label.

I've never seen one, really cool looking.

cool buy, great price