JC Higgins Model 20 12 gauge choke tubes

[Donald E Osmundson]

1. 
   I have the above shotgun, and 3 Choke tubes with a small tool that fits them. I'm finding it difficult to remove the ventilated "shroud" at the end of the barrel, and dont want to force it or use a large wrench. Does anyone know how this is done?

 

[Col. Harrumph]

I may have no idea what you're talking about but as a knowitall Internet ExpertTM I feel obligated to reply.

Does this thingy unscrew? It may have been stuck on with LocTite... I'm thinking if so, it may have had a tendency to unscrew itself while shooting, like all of my choke tubes do. Try hitting it with a prolonged dose of hot air from Her Royal Highness's hair dryer (if you don't have a politician handy).

Here's a pic from Armslist. Studying it, I confess I have no idea what purpose these gizmos served:

 

[Donald E Osmundson]

Thank you Col H. The pic you sent clarifies some things for me. Apparently I have been shooting clays, and birds with NO Choke installed. It looks like the choke tubes screw into the knurled piece at the end. But there are no threads there?

 

[Varminterror]

There sure should be internal threads on the inside of the blast shroud, corresponding the external threads on the choke tubes, right below the checker-knurled ring of the tube.

A Model 20 12ga was my first shotgun I bought for myself as a kid, graduating up from my family heirloom Iver Johnson 410. I bought it at a farm sale for $100, using money the auctioneer owed me for loading and stacking bales for him that summer.

The idea, as I have been described it - was to vent pressure behind the shotcup and allow the cup to exit the support of the choke more uniformly. Another old timer once told me it was to allow pressure to vent when pressing the muzzle against the target, however, since the JC Higgins wasn’t a trench gun or breacher, especially in the long barrel format, I expect the latter was largely silliness which applied to OTHER models, but not this one.

Considering the photo in the OP, I see something I never have before. The knurled ring at the muzzle end is part of the choke tube, but the tube body, which should hang ~2/3 of the length inside the shroud, is missing. I expect that knurled ring should thread out of the shroud and the tubes you have will replace it. With the shroud and ring configured as it is, the shot cups could hang in the shroud - opening at the barrel muzzle and flaring to hit the forward ring, maybe being pushed out by the expanding gases, maybe not. In the original design, the shot cup is longer than the gap from the barrel to the end of the choke tube, so the cup is always supported.

If your shroud body is damaged and you are unable to use the replacement choke tubes, I would be glad to pay a fair price for the 3 choke tubes you have. I have only been able to find a Full and X full choke tubes for mine, and I would love to have a full set.

 

[Donald E Osmundson]

Thanks for the info Varminterror. I think the knurled ring should thread out as well. I've tried with a wrench, but do not want to apply too much pressure, as I dont have a bench vise to hold the gun. I've shot this shot gun for many years as is for Pheasant and Trap. I am interested in whether or not I can shoot slugs through this barrel set up, hence my question about the choke tubes. I'm including a pic of the choke tubes. Long, Medium and Short.

 

[Varminterror]

For slugs, I would simply pin gauge that threaded collar and determine whether it is larger than .729”, ideally a bit larger still, such it would freely let the slug pass through untouched. Looking at it and speculating the reason for its creation, I would BET it is larger diameter than any of the choke tubes, and made to be a thread protector for firing slugs - such the shotgun is effectively a cylinder bore choke right now.

Undoubtedly, that collar should thread out - it may be stuck, but it’s nothing more than a lightbulb, threaded into place. You’ll likely need to add some heat, and certainly some penetrating oil, since the thin shroud steel tends to hug pretty tightly onto the choke collars.

If it’s large enough diameter, or if you are willing to ream it to be large enough, I would consider that collar to be your “slug choke,” then the short is ~Improved, Medium Range is ~Modified, and Long Range is ~Full.

Originally, my JCH 20 only had an Xtra Long Range choke, an X Full, but I procured a few others over the years. I wouldn’t do so today, but I slug and buckshot hunted with mine for many years without a choke tube installed - I packed the threads with hardening grease to limit their fouling. Since they’re about an inch in ID, I never did get any contact on the threads, and the grease did well to stop powder fouling. Given a lathe at the time, I’d have turned a simple collar like that pictured here as an internal thread protector.

 

[Donald E Osmundson]

Thanks a lot! I believe you are right, and I will mic the collar to see if it is .729 or larger. It is actually beveled on the inside and toward the ventilated. I've never shot slugs before, and was concerned that a slug would "tumble" inside that ventilated shroud and would impact and destroy. I think this makes sense though, it wouldn't tumble at only 3" out of the bore. I'll let you know my findings. Thanks again!

 

[Varminterror]

Why would it tumble at all?

 

[Donald E Osmundson]

I did mic the knurled ring and it is .751. I believe you are right about this being the best barrel adapt for slugs. I had always believed that slugs would "tumble" on its way to the target. As I think this through however, of course that couldnt happen until well past the barrel. Thank you for all your help!

 

[Ivy Mike]

Mine looks a bit different.

High-std-200

• Ivy Mike
• Sep 17, 2020

Here's my Sears boomstick with its adjustable choke.

 

[Ivy Mike]

btw, I'm thinking about cutting mine down to an 18ish inch barrel so if you'd like the adjustable choke, I'd be happy to drop it in the mail to you.
You'll have to remove it from the leftover piece of barrel but it's in great condition.

 

[Donald E Osmundson]

Thanks, I do have the 3 chokes for the model 20-12 already. I had been looking for a method to remove the knurled end on the ventilated barrel (see my pic above).