JC Higgins

N

Nunya53

New member
So, I was browsing one of the local pawn & gun shops and come across a JC Higgins M50 in 30-06. Everything I read say they are excellent. Anyway, it has been used but not abused, appears to have a Lyman rear sight (not sure) and a plain jane stock. Thinking of picking it up to use the FN action in a project.

Does $389 sound like a fair price these days?

Thanks,

Nun
 
Buy it!!!

Run don't walk to that shop and snap it up.

Don't be too quick to strip it for that fine FN action, the high standard ought six chrome lined barrel is darn good.

I have the same rifle in .270. I got a unique piece of wood on mine so chose to refinish it. Would still like to send it off for checkering....one of these days. The only down side is the weight, they are heavy suckers.

I put an Elite series Bushnell 3-9 on mine to replace the vintage 4X that was on the gun when I got it. I paid about 350 for mine over twenty years ago, it not going anywhere other than to my son when I leave this world.

Buy it!! Oh am I repeating myself..........
 
After reading the internet all morning and your recommendation, it will be mine tomorrow at lunch! Just wish it was a 270, though...

Thanks,

Nun
 
The 30-06 is arguably tbe most versatile big game caliber going. Enjoy that rifle please please post pics...
 
I've got a JC Higgins bolt action 20 ga. Shotgun, I inherited from my father. Appears to be late 40's early 50's vntage.
 
Nice chance to own a what is likely a FN mauser that has been rebarreled to a very versatile cartridge. I have seen several on gunbroker in good condition in the $700 range. If it's not trashed $389 is a steel.
 
Test fire it before you make any changes. My stock model 50 in 30-06 with a K-4 scope shoots MOA with factory ammo. No alterations whatsoever.

I added a cheekpiece and called it a day. It has a High Standard chrome lined barrel.
 
The model 50 and 51 JC Higgins rifles were made by High Standard using FN actions for Sears in New Haven, Ct.

My late dad made tooling for HS and I recall waiting in their parking lot when he picked up his.
 
I had one, the factory trigger was a little rough and would probably swap it for a Timney. I worked it over with a stone and it became tolerable, but never was a great trigger. I also added a recoil pad as it was missing the factory butt plate. Anyway I sold it, and I got my money back out of it including the $100 I paid to have the recoil pad installed. It shot well enough even with the trigger issues to make me look at them every time I see one in a pawn oelr gun shop.
 
Thanks for all of the replies. I picked it up this morning for $350. It is an honest 60 year old hunting rifle....used but not abused. It even has a Williams peep sight. I'll try to get a picture up this evening if anyone wants to take a look.

Thanks,

Nunya
 
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TonyZ

THose Model 5831 shotguns are a different animal. The only one bolt holding the action into the stock are a problem child.
 
Sears, Roebuck made nothing; it had its trade named products (J.C. Higgins, Ted Williams, Silvertone, etc.) made by whichever companies could give them the best price. The association with High-Standard was of long standing, and H-S came to depend so much on Sears that when Sears decided to stop selling guns after the JFK assassination, H-S began its slide into bankruptcy. "J.C. Higgins" was a real person, as was, of course, Ted Williams. Higgins was head of Sears' sporting goods division.

Jim
 
Been awhile but I thought I once heard some JC Higgins center fires were made by huskvarna.
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JC Higgins products were made by many various manufacturers, including Winchester, Marlin, Husqvarna and others.

The Model 50 uses an FN commercial Mauser receiver with a High Standard chrome lined barrel. They are very accurate. I own three and I'd still buy another if I ran across one under $400.
 
Thinking of picking it up to use the FN action in a project.
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I can understand the temptation, but give the barrel a good cleaning and shoot it before you think about rebarreling it. Model 50s come in two of the most useful chamberings ever devised - 270 and 30-06 - and are unusually accurate from the factory.

You could sink $500+ into rebarreling it and end up with a rifle that's not as accurate as the one you started with.
 
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Highly accurate

My model 50 in .270 is a tack driver. To reproduce a model 50 today would be a 1,500 hundred dollar proposition.

These rifles used to be a secret. The word got out a few (10?) years ago with regard to how darn good they are.

Most folks get turned off when they see the JC Higgins / Sears logo on the barrel. So much so that they miss the FN logo on the receiver.

Congrats on purchasing a very fine rifle....with a department store pedigree. Kind of like that Heinz 57 mutt you got for the kids....you know the one that becomes the best dog ever.

That's the Model 50, and it's no dog, it just lacks the papers for a proper pedigree.
 
My model 50 had already been restocked before I bought it, and was a tack driver with factory ammo back in the '80s when I first got it. One three shot group with Winchester 150 grain loads could be covered by a dime, and most with any load were under ¾ of a minute.

HigginsMauser_06.jpg~original


The rifle was loaned to a friend who stumbled while hunting, and in using the rifle to stop his fall, busted the stock at the wrist. Another gunsmith friend of mine repaired the break with dowels, accraglassed the whole barreled action, and added the ebony forend tip. I bought and installed a Timney trigger and adjusted it to 3 pounds. The rifle will still shoot half inch groups with regularity.
 
As others have said, the model 50 is based on a Fabrique National receiver, and has a High Standard chrome lined barrel. Very nice rifles. One note of caution, the trigger sear is a goofy two piece setup that can be made dangerous if you start messing with inletting of the trigger guard. Take it apart and look at the fit and function and you will see what I am referring to. Just a note of caution on that.
The model 51 and 51L are built on the Husqvarna (HVA) 1640 action. IMHO, second only to the BRNO 21/22 as the finest small ring commercial mauser type actions ever built. I have two 51L's, and they will go to kids. Had a model 50 and enjoyed it but it had to go to make room for other stuff.
 
Those Sears M50 & 51 rifles were made by High Standard.

I recall being with my late dad when he picked up two of them from H.S. in 30-06 for himself and his brother in the 1950's.

I still have his rifle.
 
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