Author Topic: HS Mod #31 ( J.C. Higgins) Question (Read 2728 times)

streak · « **on:** March 30, 2012, 05:42:22 PM »

My daddy had a HS Mod 31 .22 rifle which I have now after he passed away. I had never shot this rifle and had taken it to the gunsmith recently to be cleaned and checkout. I got a call from the gunsmith today and he informs that as he was cleaning out the barrel he found a crack in it.
The stock and receiver are in excellent condition, so I was wondering if they still have barrels for these and if it would be worth it to have a new barrel put on it.
If so where might one check for a new barrel?

gunnut69 · « **Reply #1 on:** April 02, 2012, 05:14:25 PM »

Check with GunPartsCorp. The rifle was made in large quantities and a cracked barrel would be an uncommon problem so there should be parts left. I have not seen this before but then that's life. It has been out of production a long time.... As to value they are good rifles though not greatly collected.

streak · « **Reply #2 on:** April 02, 2012, 05:33:20 PM »

Quote from: gunnut69 on April 02, 2012, 05:14:25 PM

Check with GunPartsCorp. The rifle was made in large quantities and a cracked barrel would be an uncommon problem so there should be parts left. I have not seen this before but then that's life. It has been out of production a long time.... As to value they are good rifles though not greatly collected.

Thanks gunnut!
I will check that out!!

Ladobe · « **Reply #3 on:** April 04, 2012, 06:45:59 AM »

The "stills" have it... I got my High Standard/JC Higgins Model 31 new in 1959, still have it and still have both the JCH Rifleman Sr and Jr scopes for it. It's still like new, still shoots any ammo without jams (even mixed 22S, L and LR) and is still plenty accurate.

As Gunnut said, most of the rimfires in that era were made in large quantity, were well made but were not expensive.

As for collectability, the Model 31 & 30 are more collectable than many of the others as an oddity because of their stock design with the beavertail forend covering the action, and the built in sling.

streak · « **Reply #4 on:** April 04, 2012, 08:05:26 AM »

Thanks for all the input!
I have checked GunPartsCorp and at the present time they have none in stock. At present I am checking a couple of other sources and waiting for replies.

gunnut69 · « **Reply #5 on:** April 05, 2012, 06:39:42 AM »

I got to wonering,, Where was the crack located?

Ladobe · « **Reply #6 on:** April 05, 2012, 08:00:30 AM »

Was thinking about that too gunnut. Not hard or expensive to sleeve a rimfire barrel. Did many of them when I had the gun shop, and did some of my own over the years as well that gave new life to them. One, a circa 1914 Winchester 1906 handed down to me (that had been in the family for decades) I sleeved twice before the action finally got so worn it started spitting lead. Sure got a lot of use out of that one between 1954-1997 before I retired it to the Winchester collection of a friend.

Keith L · « **Reply #7 on:** April 05, 2012, 08:47:31 AM »

I have been wondering how one cracks a .22 barrel.

streak · « **Reply #8 on:** April 08, 2012, 06:07:17 PM »

Quote from: Keith L on April 05, 2012, 08:47:31 AM

I have been wondering how one cracks a .22 barrel.

I also wander! After my dad passed away my brother showed my mother how to shoot it. No telling what might have crawled down that barrel and made a nest or plugged it up! I will be picking up the rifle tomorrow from the gunsmith and will find out where the crack is located.

Keith L · « **Reply #9 on:** April 09, 2012, 02:53:53 AM »

You might want to check into Ladobe's suggestion to sleeve it and use it for a long time more.

scootrd · « **Reply #10 on:** April 09, 2012, 03:33:50 AM »

You may be able to find replacement barrels cross referencing JC higgins line and checking Auction sites.

Here is a good place to Download some HS manuals.

http://www.histandard.info/manuals/sears/rfrifles/index.html

streak · « **Reply #11 on:** April 09, 2012, 08:39:16 AM »

Thanks guys I think I have found a replacement barrel! Dick Williams GunShop has one without the front sight and rear sight for $35 and says that the rifling looks good.
Going to to get with my gunsmith and have him talk to this shop and if no problems will probably get it!

Victor3 · « **Reply #12 on:** April 10, 2012, 12:42:15 AM »

Before you do anything, I'd make sure that the barrel really is cracked. If your gunsmith noticed something in the bore that looks like a crack, it might only be a scratch that was left there by someone who cleaned the bore carelessly with a steel rod at some time.

Cracks in .22 lr barrels are pretty rare. Did your gunsmith note any ring in the bore, or bulge on the outside diameter of the barrel in the area where he saw the crack? That would indicate the gun had been fired with a bore obstruction, which is probably responsible for most cracked rimfire barrels.

streak · « **Reply #13 on:** April 10, 2012, 06:14:38 AM »

Quote from: Victor3 on April 10, 2012, 12:42:15 AM

Before you do anything, I'd make sure that the barrel really is cracked. If your gunsmith noticed something in the bore that looks like a crack, it might only be a scratch that was left there by someone who cleaned the bore carelessly with a steel rod at some time.

Cracks in .22 lr barrels are pretty rare. Did your gunsmith note any ring in the bore, or bulge on the outside diameter of the barrel in the area where he saw the crack? That would indicate the gun had been fired with a bore obstruction, which is probably responsible for most cracked rimfire barrels.

Victor3 ,
I will be at the gunsmiths office today and will get to see exactly what is the problem.

streak · « **Reply #14 on:** April 10, 2012, 05:48:14 PM »

Well went by the gunsmith today and saw the barrel! I t is definitely cracked, and the cracked can be seen from the outside of the barrel if you look carefully between the tubular magazine and the barrel. The crack is very straight and runs up from the receiver towards the end of the barrel a pretty good distance. So do not know what caused this unless after my daddy passed away and my mother had it to keep squirrels off of her fruit trees that she left it out on the porch and possibly a dirt dauber got in the barrel and built a mud nest in it. Who knows!
But ordered a replacement barrel, so we shall see what develops.

streak · « **Reply #15 on:** April 30, 2012, 07:53:45 AM »

Well the replacement barrel came in and gunsmith said it fits like a glove. But the scope rings for a 3/8 inch groove on this barrel will not get enough "bite" into the grooves to give a good solid platform for the scope to be tight. Gunsmith says the grooves are slightly less than 3/8 inches in width. He says he can modify rings to fit. But I was wondering if any of you have come across similiar problems and any ideas without having to modify rings.

gunnut69 · « **Reply #16 on:** April 30, 2012, 02:45:53 PM »

There was a scope mount base that tightened on those small grooves and held the rings. All I've seen were for 5/8 tube scopes. I seem to remember one in my box of 'stuff', but of course that's based on an old and porose brain and no rings! I would modify a set of rings, clamp on of course, and put on a good scope..

streak · « **Reply #17 on:** May 13, 2012, 05:15:25 PM »

Well got the Mod 31 back today with replacement barrel and modified scope mounts!Looks like a new rifle! So now all I have to do is go sight it in and see what favorite .22 "pill" it likes best!

Ladobe · « **Reply #18 on:** May 13, 2012, 06:24:00 PM »

Sounds like a plan. If it's anything like mine has always been it won't matter what ammo you put in it, not even mixed. It will still be minute of digger, bunny or bird "good'nuff".

Have fun with it.

streak · « **Reply #19 on:** May 14, 2012, 07:40:34 AM »

Quote from: Ladobe on May 13, 2012, 06:24:00 PM

Sounds like a plan. If it's anything like mine has always been it won't matter what ammo you put in it, not even mixed. It will still be minute of digger, bunny or bird "good'nuff".

Have fun with it.

Thanks Ladobe!
My daddy used it for squirrel hunting and waged a relentess war on blue jays and kept a running account on confirmed kills on the jays. if he was having an exceptional good year on the jays he would spout out the exact number of kills, if he was having a not so good year on the jays and you ask him how many
he shot he would just mumble "a few"!

Ladobe · « **Reply #20 on:** May 14, 2012, 11:12:18 AM »

You just have to go with the flow... some years you don't get as many opportunities as others, in numbers present or in the amount of time you can spend in the field.

Being age 10 when I got my 31 I used it mostly for jump shooting jack rabbits. I had been using my Win 1890 & 1906 pumpers for them, but the semi auto was faster when they attacked in force, and it was pure death on them by the truck load. I had a place I called Jack Heaven where they ran by the hundreds and you had a choice of many to shoot "most" of the time. So I got a lot of shooting with it early on. Also used it for cottontail and snowshoes through my teens, just for fun plinking some and in the 70's for tree squirrels some. But it wasn't shot again I don't think until a few years ago when sentiment swelled and I took it out just for old times sake to walk up some ground squirrels. Like an old glove it shot where i pointed it. In part why it is still in near mint condition probably, hasn't been shot much since I was a kid. There was just too many other rimfire rifles I ended up owning and shooting more (I'm not a big semi auto fan), and I continued to favor the Win pumpers for most of my rimfire hunting until I wore them out. I started handgun hunting pretty serious a few short years after I got the 31 as well. My go to rimfire rifles in the 60's to mid 80's were a Mossberg 640K Chuckster and the Winchesters, and since the mid 80's a Ruger 77/22. Then when they came out my 17HMR's and 17HM2's retired all the 22 rimfire rifles. I kind of missed shooting the 77/22 though after shooting 10's of K's of rounds with it though, so I made it a switch barrel 22/17HM2 a few years ago - the best of both worlds. My rimfire needs will always be more than handled with just the Ruger and my customized Marlin 17VS Hummer. So I've sold most of the others and will sell more sooner or later. The 31 probably will not ever get shot again, but like my Win 94 and Stevens 410 shotgun, both that I've owned even longer than the 31, it will probably be among the last to go.