Does anyone know about Sears and Roebuck guns?

According to the Numrich Gun Parts cross reference your gun was built by Winchester. Most likely a New Model 70 re-branded for Sears.

You see a lot of older guns branded "Sears", Ward's" and "Western Auto" among others. I believe all were made by established makers as a "private label" effort. I used to have a 12 gauge Sears shotgun made by High Standard. Usually good guns at a somewhat lower price than if labeled with the actual maker's name.

IAW the cross reference chart on e-gunparts site, it shows the Ted williams 73 to be a Winchester Model 70. The value of a ' Store Brand "gun will be at least 10 to 20% less than it's " Name Brand " sister. At one time in the early 1900 Sears did have their own gun making company. As noted for the last 80 or so years all the " Store Brand " guns were made by established gun makers.

It's hard to believe now, but many companies in the past had well stocked hunting sections. Our library has copies of the sears catalogs from the early 1900's to the 1950's. You could get handguns, Mausers, even M-1 carbines!
You'll find guns out there with the names, Sears, Wards, Western Auto, Coast to Coast, J.C. Penny, and many others. It was a different world back then, we'll never see it again either.

I had a friend who had a Sears brand motorcycle.

I had a friend who had a Sears brand motorcycle.

Click to expand...

Like this?

Back in the '60s, I worked for Noble Mfg. Co. in Haydenville, Mass. We made private label shotguns for Sears, Monkey Ward, H&R, Western Auto, and a few others. The Ted Williams line was made by some other company, we made JC Higgens label guns.

What happened to Noble? Sears said 'We'll take all your production." so the company kissed off all the others. One day, Sears said "Cancel our order." and that was the end of the company. Some of their guns were good, inexpensive guns, some were inexpensive and not good. Pump shotguns were OK. Double bbl and semi-auto 410s were not.

Anyway, the company goes belly up, an auction of the entire inventory is scheduled and just before the auction, the entire stock was stolen. They never appeared on the US market, word was that they all went overseas but nobody really knew.

That was impressive.

But, no. I don't know much about motorcycles, but his was a little more normal looking - round gas tank, etc.

And, Bamagirl the chain stores used their own

brand names. Western Auto was a hardware chain that used the brand name Revelation so you see that on some guns. Montgomery Ward used the Hawthorne as a brand name, J. C. Penney had guns but I do not know if they used any other name. Sears had J. C. Higgins and Ted Williams brands (The Big League baseball player was a shooter also in case someone does not know that so his endorsement was purchased by Sears.). There were others but now you get the idea.

IIRC. in the 60's Sears motorcycles were sold under the "Allstate" name, like this one.

There were certainly some nice firearms made under the various trade names of Sear, Wards, Western Auto, etc...

My favorite .308 is a J.C.Higgins, about 1960 vintage, and made by Husqvarna of Sweden. The rifle is quite graceful and well balanced, with a nice, hand-checkered walnut stock...and it twas' bought for about $200 used...in great condition.

I understand that a variant of the Winchester 101 was marketed under the Sears logo also...

Things were pretty good prior to 1968. Sigh......

(Funny how you could leave your house and car unlocked, sit out on your porch at night, etc. and buy guns over the counter or by mail without needing to fill out forms or get permission or show proof of age. Think that maybe the problem isn't guns?)

I was given (by my mom) for my 16th birthday , er.. a looong time ago a .22 rifle from sears labeled J.C. Higgens. I still have, still shoot it. It's been a terrific rifle, I believe it was made by Marlin. An extractor and a new magazine have been the only repairs.

I was given (by my mom) for my 16th birthday , er.. a looong time ago a .22 rifle from sears labeled J.C. Higgens. I still have, still shoot it. It's been a terrific rifle, I believe it was made by Marlin. An extractor and a new magazine have been the only repairs.

Click to expand...

My folks weren't keen on guns. I didn't get my first til I got one myself at about age 35. lol

My daughter, however, has been shooting since age 4 and has 4 rifles now, at age "gonna be 13 in a week".

I hope someday she will be posting on THR forum about how her dad got her her first rifle at 4, 2nd at age 6, a black rifle (.22 rimfire AP74) at age 10... hehehe

A while back I picked up a Ranger Model 34, a semi-auto .22 that fires from an open bolt. Helpful people dug up that it was made by Marlin for Sears under the name Ranger, back in the 30's.

I like the store-brand guns, as it gives me a chance to buy good guns cheap:

@ Pawnshop:

"Well, your Marlins sell for $250, but what the heck is a "Sears" 30-30? I thought they just made pants! Hmmm, do I really want to mess with an off-brand gun? Tell you what, I'll give you $150 for it..."

-MV

Back before 1968 you could order guns from mail order and it was delivered by the US Mail. Hand guns, surplus arms, rifles, shotguns what ever.

I've got a Ranger, 20ga, double barrel. My dad bought it from Sears in the 20's or early 30's iirc. He told me when he gave it to me in the 50's that it was the first model Sears sold that was hammerless. I think the patent was 1918, but I'd have to go get it out of the gun safe to be sure.

Numrich arms has a cross reference for almost all private lable guns such as yours so ther mfg can be determined. www.gunpartscorp.com

My only .22 rifle (because it's a tack driver and all I need) is a JC Higgins semi passed to me by my father. Made by HIgh Standard, the rifle/scope combo cost him about $25 new.

My Sears & Roebuck .410.

I've got a bolt action, box magazine .410 that was my Dads when he was a kid. Unsafe to shoot now due to a worn sear, but under the wood, stamped on the barrel, is U.S.R.A.C. Not bad for a "cheap dep't store gun".

Sears and Roebuck did sell some high quality guns. I have a 12 ga. O/U sold as the Sears and Roebuck Brand. It was made by Antonio Zoli, a fairly reputable Italian gun company.