JC Higgins conversion project begins

1
My Christmas present this year was a JC Higgins Model 20 pump-shotgun, which we got specifically to shorten as a slug/defensive shotgun. So- tonight's project- shortening the barrel to 18.5 inches, fabricate and mount a front sight.

The ATF measures shotgun barrel length from the breech-face, so I inserted a dowel until it was in contact with the breech-face and marked the end of the barrel on it. Removing the dowel I measured just over 18.5 inches and marked the barrel by matching the OAL mark to the muzzle and then transferring the mark at 18.5 inches to the barrel. I checked about three times before I actually cut metal.

I stuffed a tightly rolled paper towel wetted with gun oil into the barrel to approximately where I would be cutting to catch any metal fragments. I carefully sawed the barrel off on the bandsaw, then squared it up on the Bader belt grinder using a machinists angle. I polished the crown, then removed the paper towel.

Next I got a piece of 1/2-inch mild steel, marked the centerline and the height I wanted (.6 inches) and ground each side on a 5/8-inch contact wheel to produce the sight-blade. I cut it off the bar, trued-up the bottom then mounted it in the vice and using a large round-file matched the bottom of the sight to the contour of the barrel. Then I ground the profile I wanted for the sight-blade and polished the finished sight.

Placing the shotgun in a padded vice I attached a large, powerful magnet to the end of the barrel and the vice- this held the sight in position for me to silver-solder it in place. I roughed up the surface of the barrel slightly where the sight would be placed, coated it in flux, coated the bottom of the sight with flux and placed a very thin piece of solder between them. I carefully heated the barrel and sight until the solder flowed. The magnetic field pulled it tight to the barrel, and I just had to brush away the excess. I let it cool then cleaned the sight and muzzle thoroughly with acetone to remove the residue of the flux.

I carefully removed the excess soldier with needle files, then blued the sight and muzzle crown. I finished by thoroughly cleaning the gun. Elapsed time- approx. 2 hours.

Now I have to figure out the adjustable rear sight, but that's a project for another evening... or two.
Image

Image

Image

Image

Image
"Aim for their foil beanies! It's the only way to be sure..."
https://tinkertalksguns.wordpress.com
https://www.facebook.com/michael.t.pearce.7

Re: JC Higgins conversion project begins

2
All your projects are so classy. The nice detail you put into your metalwork is always impressive to me.
"It is better to be violent, if there is violence in our hearts, than to put on the cloak of non-violence to cover impotence. There is hope for a violent man to become non-violent. There is no such hope for the impotent." -Gandhi

Re: JC Higgins conversion project begins

12
JoelB wrote:Since I know you are an excellent machinist, I strongly advise you to make and action rod for the other side. The only weakness of that design was the one side rod which invariably broke. Back in the '60s when I had a gun store we would replace 30+ a season. We bought them by the dozen from Sears.
Noted! I'll look into it.
"Aim for their foil beanies! It's the only way to be sure..."
https://tinkertalksguns.wordpress.com
https://www.facebook.com/michael.t.pearce.7

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests