I picked up this shotgun. It's a vintage 12 gauge semi-auto Sears Model 66 made by High Standard. It was made between 1958-1963.

All the documentation on "similar models" shows an adjustable choke assembly and compensator on the barrel. This shotty clearly doesn't have such a thing, but looking in the end of the muzzle, there are no threads. So what I wondering is, has this barrel been shortened?

Any of you familiar with this? Is something missing that should be there? Is the shotty ok to use this way?

This one needs a little LTC. I'm going to recondition the wood and reblue it. There's a lot of faded blueing on the receiver.

I think I'm gonna have a really fine weapon when I get her all fixed up. The nostalgia alone is worth it, and I paid $135 OTD, so i feel like I got a fair deal anyway.

Planning on taking her skeet shooting on Sunday.

Anyway, here are the pics:

I don't think the barrel has been shortened. That looks factory. Could be that someone changed it out if all the others you've researched have the choke. just daydreaming but it could be that a 'smith did the shortening. did you measure it? Is it a standard length? By all appearances (sometimes hard to judge pictures) I would say it's perfectly fine to fire it. Did you take it out Sun?
If nostalgia was your aim, I'd say you got a great little shotgun. The Hi Standard guys are no slouches.

yes. i took it out. the first round jammed. the extractor jumped the rim so the shell didn't eject. i had to poke the shell out from the muzzle end with a cleaning rod. don't know why it did that. have been researching it. best thingi can come up with was some dirt or obstruction in the chamber that caused the shell to jam.

i took it down and cleaned it real good, and it appears to be extracting the shells properly now. It was really nasty inside. all kinds of grunge in the bolt/slide assembly.

I can't test fire it till this wekend tho.

I hope it works now.

Oh, it's a 24 in barrell.

Clean it load it with 00 buck and forget the refinish job . Spend that money on ammo and target practice.

The "adjustable choke device" was a type of polychoke. You twisted an outer sleeve to change the pattern. It was very handy but ugly as sin. Big old lump out on the end of the tube.

The cheaper forms of this device, like Sears used, were press fit and soldered to the barrel. That is why the step is present in your muzzle. It will not hurt anything so just ignore it and enjoy the shotgun.

You are working with an open choke at the present time so allow for that.