I've inherited my grandfather's old 12 gauge that he used to hunt quail with.

It's a J.C. Higgins #20.

We've taken it out to shoot clay pigeons a couple of times and it worked great.  Recently, the trigger has failed to reset.  Racking the shotgun (using the action release) does not reset the trigger.  Trying to manually pull the trigger forward does not....it won't budge.

I disassembled the entire internal assembly, cleaned it inside and out (very thoroughly), and reassembled it.  The trigger won't budge.  Nothing "appears" broken or bent, but it the trigger just stays locked back all the time.

I would really like to get this gun operational for use as a pigeon-shooter and a possible loaner gun for SHTF.

Any thoughts?  Thanks.

I was given by my neighbor a stevens single shot(westpoint) shot gun that the trigger did just that!!

The trigger reset spring was about the cheapest thin piece of wire configeration I have ever seen!!

You just punched out two pins and the trigger asembly was out!  But the whole trigger asembly was held in by these two pins!

So I had to make two identical short pins that I could put the trigger springs and assembly into before I could insert them into the frame,then punch the longer pins through to hold the piece in place!!

It wasn't pretty nor worth my time,but it did work!!

Now I have a free gun to trade off!!!

You may have to do the same!!
Good luck!!


Bob

Bump for suggestions.

Take it apart again ,and try to visualize what would make the trigger return spring work(it doesn't have to be broken)maybe just one leg of it not resting where it should!!


Bob