JC Higgins Model 20 - shorten the barrel?

[Ivy Mike]

I have a JC Higgins Model 20, 5+1 rounds of 2.75" 12ga with the 28" vent rib barrel and an adjustable choke.
I don't hunt and this was my grandfather's shotgun and I don't really have any use for it.
Would you shorten the barrel to 18.5 inches to turn it into a home defense gun? And, would you have the adjustable choke put back on or just leave it off, put on a front sight (it has a brass bead now) to retain some kind of sighting? It's in really nice shape other than a crack in the stock that I am regluing, hence the missing stock. I believe the choke is either pressed on or maybe soldered in place. Whatcha think?

 

[22250Rem]

IIRC that was made for Sears by High Standard. The old High Standard pump guns are nice, and if it were my grandfather's I'd leave it as is. You sure you have no use for it ? You could always try some of the shotgun sports and discover that you like them. A home defense shotgun could always be easily made from an older Remington 870 or Mossberg 500, as the barrels can be swapped to whatever you wish. Plus there are tons of accessories available for those to convert them into all sorts of things. The High Standard guns are not built with "barrel swapping" in mind and there aren't very many, if any, aftermarket accessories. I'd look around for a used 870 or 500. There's millions of 'em out there, so they're available and usually at decent prices. They would make a much better basis for a home defense gun than cutting up an old High Standard.

 

[Ernie Bass]

I have the same High Standard in Semi that was my Dads. I would not have the heart to alter it.

 

[CajunBass]

Not a way in the world I'd alter that gun.

 

[rule303]

I say go ahead and shorten it if you will put it to use in that configuration. It doesn't have much monetary value, and it will still be Grandpa's gun. Better to be used than sitting in the back of the safe to me.

 

[Cvans]

First thing I would do if your going to cut it up is see of any of the other relatives would have an interest in it. I realize it's just metal and wood but you could make someone in the family really happy.
Used 12 ga shotguns are a dime a dozen and can be had at pawn shops for cheap. Why not chop one of those?

 

[shootbrownelk]

Don't cut up Grandpa's gun. Get a cheap used Remington 870, there are tons of aftermarket parts to make it a home defense gun. Extended mag tubes, saddle scope mounts and heat shields. I'd look for a used 870 wingmaster and not an "Express".

 

[CajunBass]

First thing I would do if your going to cut it up is see of any of the other relatives would have an interest in it. I realize it's just metal and wood but you could make someone in the family really happy.
Used 12 ga shotguns are a dime a dozen and can be had at pawn shops for cheap. Why not chop one of those?

That's what I did with my father's Sears 12 ga pump. I don't use a shotgun much anymore, so it was just gathering dust in my safe. My kids didn't want it, but my sisters boy was tickled to death to have it.

 

[Ernie Bass]

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[Ivy Mike]

IIRC that was made for Sears by High Standard. The old High Standard pump guns are nice, and if it were my grandfather's I'd leave it as is. You sure you have no use for it ? You could always try some of the shotgun sports and discover that you like them. A home defense shotgun could always be easily made from an older Remington 870 or Mossberg 500, as the barrels can be swapped to whatever you wish. Plus there are tons of accessories available for those to convert them into all sorts of things. The High Standard guns are not built with "barrel swapping" in mind and there aren't very many, if any, aftermarket accessories. I'd look around for a used 870 or 500. There's millions of 'em out there, so they're available and usually at decent prices. They would make a much better basis for a home defense gun than cutting up an old High Standard.

Yeah, I found out what they were and the gun itself is actually really smooth. I like the shotgun and I guess I should have been a bit more specific. I have no use for it as is, because I don't hunt. A home defense gun with 9 inches lopped off would definitely serve a purpose in my home.
Doing some hunting around the Youtubes, it seems that a good controlled spread buckshot from the usual characters, would be fine with a straight cylinder bore.
It's not really a sentimental thing for me, so cutting it and turning it into a High Standard riot model and making it more useful for me doesn't bother me a bit.

 

[Ivy Mike]

First thing I would do if your going to cut it up is see of any of the other relatives would have an interest in it. I realize it's just metal and wood but you could make someone in the family really happy.
Used 12 ga shotguns are a dime a dozen and can be had at pawn shops for cheap. Why not chop one of those?

No other relatives left. Grandpa was the youngest of the brothers and they're all long since dead. My father and uncle have both passed.

And we're not talking something rare either. It's a freaking Sears gun.

 

[Ernie Bass]

No other relatives left. Grandpa was the youngest of the brothers and they're all long since dead. My father and uncle have both passed.

And we're not talking something rare either. It's a freaking Sears gun.

Just a Freaking Sears?

 

[kBob]

Well I would not be fixed on 18.5 inches....you want to keep the vent rib if you can and that means cutting at one of the solid bits of the rib rather than the vents and being sure that solid bit is attached to the barrel. perhaps find one of the light pipe "fire eyes" type front sights that clamps on to the rib... as long of one as possible to gather as much light as possible.

While I think it would be a shame to cut off that adjustable choke, I already have a "social Shotgun" for maintaining Social Distances in my house and it is your gun. I always look at shows for a wood stocked Mossberg 500 with a C-leckt-a-choke myself.

I doubt you will notice a lot of handling difference between say a 18.5 inch Barrel and a 21 inch barrel and will be better off with a secure rib than without.

-kBob

 

[Cvans]

And we're not talking something rare either. It's a freaking Sears gun.

Well if it has no sentimental value cut it up. Your gun do as you wish.
Good luck with your project.

 

[Bama59]

No way would cut up my dads JC Higgins plenty of used shotguns on the market , sell it or give to someone who would appreciate it

 

[cc-hangfire]

I had a brief love affair with the JC Higggins Model 20 a few years ago. I bought various hacked up parts guns and parts and a couple of pretty nice complete guns. The parts I used to assemble 3 shotguns and one of those projects is still in a box in the gun closet. That Hi Standard design is one of the slickest & smoothest pump action ever made; most will cycle the action by gravity if you point the barrel up and press the slide release.

One of the hacked up shotguns came with an 18-3/8” barrel, and it’s my home defense shotgun. For in-house distances, the cylinder bore will be adequate IMO. If I’d cut the barrel, it would be to 20” just to be well within federal regs.

I understand sentiment because I have my grandpa’s bird gun, a Remington 1100, that will remain unchanged. I also understand that a gun you’ll use may honor your grandad more than one that’ll sit in the back of the safe.

One other thought: if you have any leanings toward sentiment, you could buy another barreled action and cut that one, swapping parts over for the HD shotgun while having the option to return grandpa’s gun to its original configuration.

 

[cc-hangfire]

I had a brief love affair with the JC Higggins Model 20 a few years ago...
One other thought...

One more other thought:
Clean97GTI, your photos show an adjustable polychoke on the shotgun. I don’t have personal experience but those were used in the day of paper wads, and might not function best with modern plastic shot cups & wads — as in the plastic may jam and blow the barrel. Please watch this YouTube starting at time mark 5:55.

The presenter is talking about the Cutts Compensator with polychoke, but I don’t see why it would not apply to the polychoke alone.

That’d be a compelling reason to cut the barrel.

[esquad 540 is a small channel YouTube - he calls it small town YouTube - who presents without edits and production work. Don’t sell him short because of that or his very informal presentation style; he distills decades of knowledge into succinct episodes.]

 

[kudu]

Polychoke has 'fingers' that squeeze down to the choke you want. The tightest has no gaps in the fingers =Full, as you open them up the choke becomes less until you get to cylinder bore and you can keep unscrewing the end off to take apart and clean. I always thought they were an ugly eyesore on the end of the gun. I bought a 1897 Winchester with a Polychoke on the end, one of the best patterning guns I shoot . The design will not let plastic wads hang up like the Cutts Compensator chokes. If it were not for the internal 'hidden' choke tubes of today the Polychoke would be much more widespread.

The ones the video shows is a combination unit that would be a problem with wads possibly hanging up in the comp part. The one on the end of the OP's gun is like the one I use on my Winchester, a very nice choke device.

 

[cc-hangfire]

Kudu, thanks for the correction & clarification.

 

[Cvans]

I've had and still use three different brands of adjustable chokes. I've never had a problem with wad debris. Not to say it can't happen but that's not been my experience at least with 20 ga.

 

[Ivy Mike]

If it is just a freaking Sears gun to you then Then why did you even ask or post? Who cares what you do with it.

Because a forum without new posts sucks and apparently you cared enough to click it and reply twice.

 

[22250Rem]

Got my first adjustable choke shotgun a year ago this month. An early model Mossberg 500, 20 ga. with what they called a "C-Lect Choke" No problems at all with debris and I've grown to like it. Makes for a versatile, user friendly shotgun. Which is why my opinion to the OP was to leave it "as is" and cut down a Mossberg 500 or Remington 870 barrel for HD use; as those barrels can be swapped by anyone in a few minutes. Then in the future the barrel could be easily replaced and the gun put back into original configuration if desired. I like that option. I've grown to like adjustable chokes, regardless of if I have to screw 'em in or just twist 'em to the desired constriction. Here's my first venture into adjustable chokes, (other than screw-ins)... ... ...OP's shotgun was made by High Standard and I wish my old 12 ga. High Standard Flite King pump had an adjustable choke, It would be even sweeter than it already is in the field, and I'd look to an aforementioned Mossberg or Remington pump for a quick, non-permanent, cost effective, alternative to a home defense shotgun desire.

 

[Blue Brick]

If you decide to sell it.. Let me know.

 

[Cvans]

Got my first adjustable choke shotgun a year ago this month. An early model Mossberg 500, 20 ga. with what they called a "C-Lect Choke"

You have what I consider to be the best adjustable choke out there. Hope you get many years of enjoyment out of it.

 

[Ivy Mike]

If you decide to sell it.. Let me know.

The whole gun or the adjustable choke?