The Model 50 came on the scene in 1951 made by Belgium's Fabrique Nationale on a commercial Mauser 98 action. It was superseded by the Model 51 (made by Husqvarna), the Model 52 (made by Sako) and the Model 54 (made by Browning). All bore the J.C. Higgins stamp. Higgins, it seems, was a long-time Sears employee. His name was deemed sufficiently outdoorsy to appropriate for a line of hunting, fishing and sporting gear. In the 1960s, baseball legend Ted Williams became the Sears sporting-goods name.

The Model 50 originally cost slightly under $100 without the scope (about $130 with the scope). More