Sears Ranger
Stevens · Shotgun · Discontinued · 1931
Also known as: Ranger Model 30, Sears Roebuck Ranger, Stevens Model 520
Overview
The Sears Ranger is a hammerless, takedown, pump-action shotgun chambered in 12 gauge, sold under the Ranger store brand by Sears, Roebuck & Co. It was manufactured by the J. Stevens Arms Company as a rebranded version of the John Browning-designed Stevens Model 520, most commonly catalogued as the Ranger Model 30. Feeding from a tubular magazine holding five shells, the Ranger was an affordable working-class field gun aimed at hunters and farmers buying through the Sears catalogue during the 1930s.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3400 g (119.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1219 mm (47.99") |
| Barrel Length | 711 mm (27.99") |
| Action Type | Pump Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Tube |
| Muzzle Velocity | 400 m/s (1312 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2560 J (1888 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 40 m (44 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | None |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 12 Gauge · primary — also known as 12GA, 12 Bore
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Tubular Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Cross Bolt Safety
- Features: Takedown, Tubular Magazine, Internal Hammer, Full Choke
Service history
Operators
- Civilian sport and hunting market · adopted 1931 · as Ranger Model 30
Production
Production years: 1931-1941
Sears Ranger branding ran roughly 1931-1941; the underlying Stevens Model 520 design dates to 1909.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: John Moses Browning
Discontinued: 1941
Notes
Sears 'Ranger' was a store brand, not a manufacturer; the shotgun was built by J. Stevens Arms (later Savage Arms). The civilian Ranger/Stevens 520 is the same basic design as the militarized Model 520-30 'trench gun' used by U.S. forces in both World Wars.
Background
The Ranger name was one of several Sears, Roebuck store brands used to sell mass-market firearms by catalogue. Underneath the badge sat a genuine John Browning hammerless pump design, giving budget buyers a Browning-engineered shotgun at a fraction of a name-brand price.