J.C. Higgins: How Sears Built America's Secret Gun Empire (And Who Really Made Yours)

J.C. Higgins: How Sears Built America's Secret Gun Empire (And Who Really Made Yours) J.C. Higgins never made a gun in his life. He was a Sears bookkeeper with a made-up middle initial, and his name ended up on rifles and shotguns built by High Standard, Marlin, Savage, Stevens and even FN of Belgium. Dylan Benett, who runs the service bench at a gun shop near Springfield, Missouri, tells the story of how Sears sold guns to rural America, and shows you how to find out who really built yours in about ten seconds. In this video: - Who John Higgins really was, and why the C stands for nothing - The gun factory Sears once owned in Meriden, Connecticut - The Model 20 pump and the M1 Carbine engineer behind it - How Sears beat Remington and Winchester to the gas-operated shotgun - The J.C. Higgins rifles built on Belgian Mauser actions - Why store-brand guns were not factory seconds - Why many old Sears shotguns and .22s have no serial number - Where to look for parts when nobody makes them under the Sears name - J.C. Higgins, Ted Williams and the end of Sears guns - How to read the Sears model number, and the 1998 recall every bolt-action owner should know about Nothing in this video is legal advice. The Bench Book, The Rip-Off Check and the 60-Second Checklist: https://dylanbenett.com