Department Store Shotguns

[44 Bulldog]

I go through em like wildfire. I still own a Ranger 104.3 sXs 12ga, which is a 1916-19 era Sears branded LC Smith by Hunter Arms. Tight as a drum and a good shooter.

Does it shoot modern shells?

 

[The Saint]

Does it shoot modern shells?

Absolutely.

 

[robslamka]

Westernfield Ward ATI 600.. Remington 878 with fancy pressed checkering and Dog and Pheasant on sides of action. Great shooters preceding the 1100's limited production, but very hard to pass on at $270 . Shot a 41/50 first time out on sporting clays.

 

[Wiley]

Saw a Ted Williams (Sears) M400 over/under in 20ga for sale for $900 recently. Passed on it. Regret it.

I would love to own a department store gun, just as a piece of history. Coincidentally I'd also like an O/U in 20ga for teal/dove.

What other shotguns should I be on the lookout for? Have any of you seen any good deals on old dept store guns?

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

I think that the Ted Williams o/u 400 20ga was a remarked Winchester 101 made in Japan

 

[gunstock99]

If anyone is interested I will cut the pressed checkering typically $200-$300 2 week turnaround.

 

[44 Bulldog]

Absolute

Absolutely.

The Gunsmith that looked at my Mauregan Arms 12 ga put something in where the shell goes and said not to shoot modern shells, he told me to hang it on the wall.

 

[The Saint]

The Gunsmith that looked at my Mauregan Arms 12 ga put something in where the shell goes and said not to shoot modern shells, he told me to hang it on the wall.

If it's a short-chambered or damascus, just load roll crimped black powder or sub 2 1/2" shells...it's what I do for my ~1894 Burgess. I have a whole thread on how to do it somewhere on here.

EDIT: Here it is. https://www.mdshooters.com/threads/black-powder-2-1-2-plastic-shotshells

 

[steves1911]

I have had a western auto parts revelation (mossberg 500) for 23 years now. It was a 15th birthday gift purchased used at the gun shack in Union Bridge for $75.

 

[slsc98]

I have had a western auto parts revelation (mossberg 500) for 23 years now. It was a 15th birthday gift purchased used at the gun shack in Union Bridge for $75.

Dang, that was a memory jolt! I guess I was 8 or 9 when I received a .410 bolt action (since sold) that had it‘s barrel engraved “Western Auto” and iirc it was purchased from the store location that used to be in the small (tiny, actually) strip plaza that used to sit at the intersection of B-W Pkwy and Rte 410 / Riverdale Road …

 

[44 Bulldog]

If it's a short-chambered or damascus, just load roll crimped black powder or sub 2 1/2" shells...it's what I do for my ~1894 Burgess. I have a whole thread on how to do it somewhere on here.

EDIT: Here it is. https://www.mdshooters.com/threads/black-powder-2-1-2-plastic-shotshells

Cool, I don't have the means to do any of that I guess it will just stay in the safe for now as I still haven't hung it on the wall but they are great conversation guns. BTW thanks for the info

 

[The Saint]

Cool, I don't have the means to do any of that I guess it will just stay in the safe for now as I still haven't hung it on the wall but they are great conversation guns. BTW thanks for the info

It's not hard to learn, if I can do it anyone can. Shooting weird calibers or weird variations of common calibers is just plain fun.

 

[jabber6]

Mossberg made some nice shotguns for Wards IMO like my WesternField M550ABR.

 

[slsc98]

Saw a Ted Williams (Sears) M400 over/under in 20ga for sale for $900 recently. Passed on it. Regret it.

I would love to own a department store gun, just as a piece of history. Coincidentally I'd also like an O/U in 20ga for teal/dove.

What other shotguns should I be on the lookout for? Have any of you seen any good deals on old dept store guns?

Uhhhhh, get thee to thy chosen FFL …

Sears Roebuck M-300 12 gauge $300​

Gun has a 2-3/4” chamber and shoots well.

SOLD - Sears Roebuck M-300 12 gauge

Just making room in the safe. Gun has a 2-3/4” chamber and shoots well.

carolinafirearmsforum.com

 

[44 Bulldog]

Uhhhhh, get thee to thy chosen FFL …

Sears Roebuck M-300 12 gauge $300​

Gun has a 2-3/4” chamber and shoots well.

SOLD - Sears Roebuck M-300 12 gauge

Just making room in the safe. Gun has a 2-3/4” chamber and shoots well.

carolinafirearmsforum.com

My father told me long ago he purchased the JC Higgins and Wards Hercules after he came back from WW2. So in guessing late 40's early 50's that's all I know about them

 

[tallen702]

Saw a Ted Williams (Sears) M400 over/under in 20ga for sale for $900 recently. Passed on it. Regret it.

I would love to own a department store gun, just as a piece of history. Coincidentally I'd also like an O/U in 20ga for teal/dove.

What other shotguns should I be on the lookout for? Have any of you seen any good deals on old dept store guns?

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

The Dept Store guns are diamonds in the rough in many cases. Especially if you can find a cross-reference guide that will tell you what it really is since most of the Dept. Store guns were made by reputable and well-known firearms manufacturers including LC Smith, Fox, Savage, Stevens, Marlin, Winchester, and in only one instance, Remington, which is explained below:

Westernfield Ward ATI 600.. Remington 878 with fancy pressed checkering and Dog and Pheasant on sides of action. Great shooters preceding the 1100's limited production, but very hard to pass on at $270 . Shot a 41/50 first time out on sporting clays.

Not be to the "Actually" guy, but it's a Wards Westernfield 600A-ERI, and yes, it is indeed a Remington 878 and they are one of the absolute BEST upland autoloaders that you can find. I have one in the Wards name as well as a legit 878.
Remington never made any other model that they allowed someone else to put their name on. This is the only instance in their history. They had just switched to the production of the 1100 on a new line, and still had the 878 line set up and tooled when Montgomery Ward approached them about making a semi-auto shotgun for them. Remington figured they could just crank out more 878s with a simple plate change on the roll engraver for the name and keep more people employed with more money coming in, so it was off to the races. They aren't super rare, but they aren't exactly common either.

OP, if you ever find a 600A-ERI for anything less than $500 and it's in good shape, buy it. You will not be disappointed. I regularly use mine in the field for pheasant and chukar. They're fixed choke guns (mine is a fixed full choke) so you have to be aware of what they'll do at what range, but I have been known to absolutely crush pheasants at 40-50 yards with mine on shots that simply stunned my guides. They shoot soft, point incredibly well, and seem to have a drop that fits virtually every single shooter. Below are my two examples. The OG Remington is at the top, and the 600A-ERI is below. Truthfully, the 600A-ERI is the better of the two guns. It has a raised vent rib and double beads (the rear bead is removed in the pictures) which gives a better sight picture.