old Remington shotguns

Status
Not open for further replies.
I have a model 31 made in 1937, and an 1100 made in 1970. Both were my Dad's. I also have his Model 12 Winchester Skeet with a Lyman Cutts compensator made in 1939.
 
I left police work in 1995 and deliberately cut myself off from that world for the following 20 years ('fraid I'd miss it...). Pretty sure that many many departments sold off their old riot guns during that time (those that were switching to "police carbines"). It was plain that that was the direction we were headed in before I left police work...
Of course now I wish that I'd had the sense to monitor things and get my hands on a lightly used Wingmaster from that era... If you scan GunBroker periodically (just look at Wingmasters since the Police models weren't on the market when I carried and used a riot gun) and you'll find an occasional ex-police popper up for sale. Now, of course, folks want a premium for them...

If your choice is Mossberg, Ithaca, or Winchester - figure out what model was likely in use then look for that and expect that maybe 5% of what's on the market might just be that old ex-police weapon.
 
IMG_20180402_152724334.jpg
This is my 1942 vintage Remington Model 11. It has a 24" barrel with a 10 rd. extended choke tubes, an MMC rear ghost ring sight, a Picatinny rail with a Nikon red dot and the action has been modified with a Browning Auto 5 2 piece lifter for speed loading. Tons of fun and very accurate with slugs.
 
Remington 31L 20ga pictured with a Kel-Tec sub2k.
Also have an old 870 Wingmaster 12ga that some previous owner swapped in a rifled barrel.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20181214_144415891.jpg
    IMG_20181214_144415891.jpg
    113.3 KB · Views: 18
My Dad gave me is late 50’s Sportsman 58 12 Ga and a 1960’s 1100 12 ga last year. Both are pretty rough on the outside from being carried through the deserts for decades hunting quail in Nev, Ariz and in the dove fields of South Texas near Cotulla.

Both also have a bulge in the barrel near the muzzle end where the vent ribs attach. I have no idea how they got there, Dad swears it was from a wad that got stuck in them when one shot was fired and then a second shot was fired with the wad still in the barrel. He always hated shooting reloaded shells, he said that they caused the issues. ( I wasn’t there, I have no idea what happened.)

If I decide to clean them up and refinish them, I’m going to have both of their barrels cut down to a point just short of the bulge and have them threaded for choke tubes as well.

Stay safe!
 
Riomouse, my 878 was a replacement for the 58. It also had a bulge in the barrel. I bought it for a song knowing that an 870 barrel would fit. I had to drill the gas ports but that was no problem. I also put a nylon bumber behind the bolt so that I could shoot modern loads. If you can find someone who has an extra barrel from one of the earlier 1100's it would cost less
 
The Winchester Widow Maker shotguns had no finger cocking lever like the Remington and Browning autos and Winchester semi auto rifles of the time did not either.

Browning actually held the rights to the little finger jobber we now all know and love and made it clear that Winchester, that had well and truly ticked him off, would have to deal with suits in law if they used one.

-kBob
 
I bought a Remington Model 17 20ga a few years ago. It had been completely and skillfully restored and functions like new, but still looks like the vintage gun that it is. With a full choke barrel, it does a number on long-shot doves. It has become my favorite dove gun. When the restoration took place the gunsmith found some old hunting licenses rolled up in the hollow of the stock. They were dated 1926 and 1927. So that gun has been around a long time.
 
Riomouse, my 878 was a replacement for the 58. It also had a bulge in the barrel. I bought it for a song knowing that an 870 barrel would fit. I had to drill the gas ports but that was no problem. I also put a nylon bumber behind the bolt so that I could shoot modern loads. If you can find someone who has an extra barrel from one of the earlier 1100's it would cost less


Hmmm, I guess I can look for a couple of older 1100 barrels and swap them out.

Stay safe!
 
I shoot a 1958 20 ga Sportsmans 58, a 1961 12 ga Sportsmans 58 magnum, a 1981 870 Wingmaster and a 1986 870.
 
The Model 11 Remington was made for many years. I was told that in the immediate post WW2 era Browning's A5's were modified Model 11's. The Browning marked guns were finished out and marked differently. There were no Belgium proofs. Wonder if some folks are shooting an old Remington and realizing it?

Addendum: Many years ago it was not unusual to run across Remington SxS doubles in active use down here. These, in our small sample, hammerless guns of featured automatic ejectors. My understanding is that the SxS guns were discontinued about the time the Model 11's were introduced. One of my hunting buddies would use a 1900 model SxS to bird hunt on occasion.
 
Last edited:
The Model 11 Remington was made for many years. I was told that in the immediate post WW2 era Browning's A5's were modified Model 11's. The Browning marked guns were finished out and marked differently. There were no Belgium proofs. Wonder if some folks are shooting an old Remington and realizing it?

Addendum: Many years ago it was not unusual to run across Remington SxS doubles in active use down here. These, in our small sample, hammerless guns of featured automatic ejectors. My understanding is that the SxS guns were discontinued about the time the Model 11's were introduced. One of my hunting buddies would use a 1900 model SxS to bird hunt on occasion.

As I understand it, when FN was closed, then bombed, Browning A-5 were made by Remington. The main difference is the magazine cutoff. Remington stopped making the Model 11 in 1948, but continued to make Browning Auto 5's for Browning until around 1951 or '52. Those guns had both Browning's and Remington's name on them. By 1952 or so FN was back in business making the Auto 5.
 
As I understand it, when FN was closed, then bombed, Browning A-5 were made by Remington. The main difference is the magazine cutoff. Remington stopped making the Model 11 in 1948, but continued to make Browning Auto 5's for Browning until around 1951 or '52. Those guns had both Browning's and Remington's name on them. By 1952 or so FN was back in business making the Auto 5.

OCxZ6wK.jpg

Per “The Book”, FN was assembling Auto-5’s and Superposeds for sale to US servicemen in 1944. By 1946 they were back in production — I had a 1946 Light Twelve. I’m pretty sure Remington was done making “American Brownings” by 1947.

By the way, the Browning website is full of contradictory and mis-information, as least as far as the Auto-5 is concerned.
 
The high grade Remington SxS's were a knockouts-really nice guns. Most of the 1900's or earlier models we saw here were very well used. Most folks are unaware that Remington was a major player in the SxS gun production.

On a down note local gunsmiths would not touch a Model 10 or 29 Remington pumps. This was related to complicated carefully built firearms that had fallen on bad days. That is, hard to fix. Many of these pumps were, working or not, used as "turkey shoot" guns thirty or so years ago. These shoots were the rage then.
 
Last edited:
I've got a 1973 20 ga. 1100 that was a gift from my mother when I turned 21. I've also got a 12 ga 1977 Wingmaster with 28" mod and 26" ic vent rib barrels. Killed a metric ton of ducks with it. And not a few rabbits and quail. I recently inherited a 12 ga 1992 870 Express with 28" remchoke. All three are well broken in, in very good used condition and totally reliable. I feel well covered.
 
Like wise, also had a very good condition 1889. I was the only Remington double I owned. We did make up some BP shells. The barrel was 32" damascus. A shooting partner came up with some Savage made chamber inserts allowing us to fire ;410 shells safely. Regretfully, the gun was sold many years ago. Can you figure out the age of those who have posted here?
 
Mine says carbonless steel,anyone know what that means. Was gonna have Briley make some 20 ga tubes for it. But if its safe to shoot Ill load for it.
 
Ks5shooter, be sure to load light loads. They put carbon in steel to harden and strengthen it. The shotshells from that era were low pressure. I would find some low pressure loads in the 7 to 8k range using euro hulls and federal or gulliani wads
 
Many a duck fell to the Model 10 I always borrowed from my brother for that task. It sported a tight full choke barrel and would reach out a long way to suck them to the ground.
Today I have sold all my older shotguns with the exception of one ,which will also come up for sale soon I think. It is a standard Model (12ga frame) 1100 in 20 gauge with a skeet choked barrel. I had several of the Model 1100's in the past as well as Model 870's. What's not to like ? Seems I have always had at least one Remington and one Mossberg 500 on the rack. Good guns.
 
I have 3 model 37 " ballbearing cornshuckers" probably the smoothest pump every made. They are a 12 ga with a ported Poly choke cut to 22", a 16 gauge deluxe Mod. with 28" raised rib, and a 20 guage L model with aluminum receiver also mod. 26". these guns take down very easily andare marvelsf craftsmenship andmachinng skills, Fully capable of any 2 3/4" loads , all though I don't shoot steel in them , they have been moved out of Ca.and into Oregon where I can still use lead. My son and his wife really dig them sooooo. :)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top