More Pictures:

 

It is very CD Miroku-like. Was shooting today with a chap who has one of similar vintage, although I must say the wood on yours is a definite step up. Nice quirky find. Enjoy it!

 

Took the gun back to the range and it's still hanging up if I fire both barrels in succession in either order. It's much better than it was, but the gun still requires a slight bump to unlock the action. Tried several brands of ammo too just to make sure that wasn't the issue.

I noticed while I had it apart that the firing pin return springs were very weak. Almost no spring pressure to retract the firing pins after firing, so I'm pretty sure that is the issue. They were just common coil springs so finding a suitable replacement should be pretty easy.

Weagle

 

The OLD Herters used to have some pretty good guns. A friend bought a 7MM Remington Mag. Mauser in their Supreme Deluxe Certified Alaskan Guide grade or some such (loved their marketing), and it looked downright terrific and shot wonderfully. Another friend bought a 20 gauge SxS for quail and it was a pretty little gun and handled great. I bought a cheap German made 22 revolver from them, and it was the second most accurate handgun I have ever owned (most accurate was another cheap German 22 revolver). Amazing - they even shot better than Smith, Colt, and High Standard semis.

 

Great find weagle! Nice looking gun. Hope you can get the issue sorted out easily.

 

Interesting. The Herters I've seen appeared to be yet another 101 sold in violation of the Olin contract, and badged "Herters."

I wonder what "NRS" really was.

 

Hello All:

I also found one of these guns earlier this year at a local shop. The action is built like a tank, it points and shoots great, and was super-affordable. The checkering is hand-cut on a nice walnut stock, and the overall fit and finish is quite nice. My gunsmith says the gun is built as well as any "high-grade" gun he has worked on, and that it should be no problem to keep it shooting for many years.

In regard to the "sticking" problem, I have experienced the exact same thing on my gun. I shoot skeet with it, and after doubles, I have to break it open across my knee. Since the gun appearrs to have been fired very little during its life, I am just going to see if it "works in" a bit.

There could not have been many of these guns produced. Mine is in the low 500's serial number range, and they don't seem to show up very often.

Good luck with it.

Jeff

 

Just thought I'd throw this out there, though most is speculation;

I've got a low two-digit serial S27, with 28" barrels, and I/M chokes. As I understand it, the "N" and R" in "NRS" stands for "Nihon Ryojyu" which I have been told is loosely translates as "Japanese Hunting Weapon/Gun".

According to various rumors I have read, NRS Fuji became "Fuji LTD" at some point, and then ceased production altogether. After that point Howa controlled some of their assets.

As for the number in existence, I have seen numbers between 750-1500, though it would be real fun to found out more info.

 

I've got one of these sweetheart guns too. AND I also have the same ejection issue, but it has seemed to improve as the gun is used. This is a wonderful gun - and beautiful!

 

The trigger/hammer/firing pin mechanism appears to be identical to my 1967 Win 101 20 ga. This supports BarryD's contention that these guns were knockoffs of that design. I'm wondering if 101 parts will fit. The ejectors are a very different design.

Bob

 

I'm going to try to get around to replacing the firing pin springs this week and see if that's what's causing the gun to hang after firing both barrels.

 

For what it's worth, in my endless quest to see how many old shotguns I can accumulate, I've come on quite a few "sticking" double guns. Each and every one, so far, has been cured by carefully reducing the length of the firing pins and reshaping the end of the pin. I have an old gunsmith do this for me. When the gun fires, if the firing pin is too long or not correctly shaped, is that the firing pin catches the shell. Old American "hardware store" doubles are just notorious for doing this, and they have soft steel firing pins that will "grow" and cause it.

You might ask a good gunsmith. It's scary to work on firing pins, especially for such a rare bird as an old Herter's. Too long and they "stick" and too short and they misfire, and you don't get to call up Herter's for a new firing pin.