TheOriginalMexicanBob
Ultimate Member
Know what type it was?
I've found that the private-label stuff usually brings less money at auction, which is great as it means you can grab a real classic for a lot less money.
The other thing to look for are the "blue-collar" grades of various name-brand firearms. The hardware/dept. store private labels definitely fit the bill here, but gun makers also had a habit, especially in the first half of the last century, of making less expensive versions of their signature lines with another name on them. This is especially true of the American double-gun market but also spilled over into the rifle world as well. Double-gun examples are LeFever from Ithaca, Riverside, Springfield, Cumberland, and many others from Stevens, etc.
The JC Penney shotgun I had was a Hi Standard Flite King under Penney's name. It was a nice piece...walnut furniture and a smooth action. I picked it up in a pawn shop cheap years ago. I used to work for JC Penney back in the '70s and I figured it was probably sold new through the store I worked at. That was the reason I bought it.
I sold it for large several months ago in Montgomery County where pump shotguns are hard to find due to fears of societal breakdown among those who voted for it.