Sears & Roebuck J. C. Higgins Model 88 Revolver

Hey, you can read gun reviews on the latest tactical plasti-blaster 9000 just about anywhere, but here you get the exclusive stuff that you won't find anywhere else! When was the last time you saw a gun review on anything from J. C. Higgins, eh?

The J. C. Higgins model 88 revolver, in .22 long rifle, was manufactured by High Standard, and sold through the Sears & Roebuck catalog. (Boy, have firearms laws changed!) I think I can safely say it was not a pinnacle of hand gun achievement. Not really bad, but not too great, either!

The basic spec's sound pretty good, sort of a poor man's K-22. The barrel is long enough for some reasonable sight radius and accuracy. Holding 9 rounds makes plinking a lot of fun. That is, if you shoot it single action. Double action is another story. After lightening the hammer strut spring and polishing a number of the moving parts, I was able to get the double action trigger pull down to approximately 15 pounds! Stock, you could sprain your trigger finger!

Another problem on this particular one was that the hammer mounted firing pin would not travel far enough forward to get a solid hit on the rim of the cartridge, even with the full strength hammer spring. It was kinda adjustable by bending the hammer strut, and after a number of tries I got it so it would fire every time, but you have to pull the hammer back very slightly to swing out the cylinder. I would definitely not carry this pistol loaded with a round under the hammer. It does have a transfer bar of sorts, but I don't think I'd trust it.

J. C. Higgins Model 88 Revolver

Swinging out the cylinder is awkward, as the cylinder is released by pulling forward the rod on which the cylinder rotates. About all I can say is that it works.

This is the other side, but I guess you already figured that out.
It's sorta traditional that pictures have captions, though......

The finish, (chrome, nickel?), at least it's not galvanized. It makes it look kinda like an anemic pimp's target revolver. It does grow on you, and the black cylinder is an interesting touch. Is that original, don't know. High Standard did sell a very similar model under their own name, so the cylinder may have been swapped out sometime in the past.

Look Maude! It's a "Nine Shooter" !

How does it shoot? Not nearly as well as I had expected considering the barrel length and condition. I suspect that it shoots in a different spot from every chamber. From a bench rest some shots would go exactly where I aimed, and others would be off by over an inch at only 25 feet. Shooting it single action the trigger, after only a little work, is not bad at all. I managed to complete this month's e-Postal Handgun match "Golf" with it, and even though my score was nowhere close to what I shot with a High Standard semi-auto .22, it wasn't too embarrassing, either!

If you want to plink at large targets at close range with a .22 revolver, this one is actually kinda fun to shoot. I'm sure these are often sold for under $100 in reasonable condition, and it is fun to watch the facial expressions when someone asks you what you're shooting and you tell them it's a J. C. Higgins!