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bigric
PostPosted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 8:32 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 26 Dec 2005
Posts: 79
Location: Round Rock, TX

My wife found a Remington 31 16ga that's in great shape that she really likes for about $400. I've read that these are very smooth guns and nice to shoot. Does anybody have any experience with one, and is this a good price, assuming that it's mechanically in order?
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Foursquare
PostPosted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 9:37 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 18 Nov 2005
Posts: 398
Location: S Fl

If it's in great shape, the price is in the ballpark. The smooth action is due to ball bearings that it rides on - imagine the cost of making it today!
Make sure the receiver is steel (see if a magnet sticks). The alloy receivers had a reputation for cracking with use.

Good luck,
Pete
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kgb
PostPosted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 2:29 pm  Reply with quote
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Location: Nebraska

FS, I've only recently bought one of these guns, so my experience is a bit limited. I'd say it's very smooth and personally like the way it shoots. Mine's choked Full and measures .033" so it's definitely well in the range. I bought it from a dealer who stands behind used guns and had confidence that if there was something wrong they'd make it good. That might be worth a lot on a used gun--mine came from a collection owned by someone who appreciated guns and took care of them as well. So far I've only hunted with my gun, not run any volume of shells through it. Function is positive, feeding, shooting and ejecting.

Asking prices seem to be 350-400 for 31's when you find them on Gunsamerica, AuctionArms and Gunbroker, so you're looking at a top end in comparison and if it's that clean the gun is in that top end. Then again, if it's a gun she likes and better yet can shoot very well, it'll be a deal no matter what. The grip is kind of trim, that may be part of the feel of the gun that works for her. Maybe for you as well.

Don't go looking for ball bearings, Pete's messing with you! They used to advertise the gun as feeling like the action rode on bearings. As he said, some of the guns had alloy receivers. I've seen one of those, and it looked like black paint rather than blued steel. Trigger guards can be made of alloy or steel, from what I'm told the smaller ones are steel. Larger, aluminum guards came later, serial numbers towards the end of production.

http://www.remington.com/library/history/firearm_models/shotguns/model_31.asp
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bigric
PostPosted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 6:37 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 26 Dec 2005
Posts: 79
Location: Round Rock, TX

Thanks for all of the advice. We went back down there today and she really fell in love with it ended up buying it. On Pete's advice, we took a magnet, and it's got a steel receiver. The bluing is about 90-95%, the wood is excellent, and it still has a Remington buttplate on it, which will be changed for an appropriate recoil pad. It just needs a little oiling and she'll be out on the range.
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Dave Erickson
PostPosted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 9:20 pm  Reply with quote
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Those model 31's are really nice. I played with a 12 gauge 31 the other day that I saw in a gun rack at a local shop. I was really impressed with the smoothness of the action and overall feel of the gun. Good solid quality!
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Foursquare
PostPosted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 7:53 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 18 Nov 2005
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Sorry about the ball-bearing comment, couldn't resist. That was indeed how big Green used to advertise them. Sweet.

As to putting a pad on it - If you remove any wood from the stock in the process, you have destroyed whatever collectability the gun had. Maybe not a big consideration on a gun in this price range, but worth a thought.

An alternative that I've used on older guns that I didn't want to modify are the "slip-on" pads. The better quality leather one use a velcro fastener and are available from CSM and Galco, among others.

Enjoy
Pete
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bigric
PostPosted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 9:44 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 26 Dec 2005
Posts: 79
Location: Round Rock, TX

I have no intentions of cutting wood on it; it's got the plastic buttplate screwed on that I would just be swapping out. I was also thinking about the slip-on pad for convenience, but wanted something that didn't look so bad on such a nice gun. May have to grind-to-fit (the pad, not the stock Smile ).
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pumpgun
PostPosted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 3:36 pm  Reply with quote
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bigric wrote:
I have no intentions of cutting wood on it; it's got the plastic buttplate screwed on that I would just be swapping out. I was also thinking about the slip-on pad for convenience, but wanted something that didn't look so bad on such a nice gun. May have to grind-to-fit (the pad, not the stock Smile ).


Consider a leather Galco pad. Looks a little classier than the rubber slip on pads, and does a nice job reducing felt recoil. I have one I use on my model 12.
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16gaugeguy
PostPosted: Wed Jan 04, 2006 1:38 pm  Reply with quote
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Here is another suggestion. find an old well used but sound stock and have it cut and padded for your wife's LOP. Then simply swap out the original for later trade purposes. I've done this several yimes and the small cost of a shooter grade used stock was more than made up for at trade time. I'm betting a 20 ga. stock will fit this gun. I think Remington actually used a smaller receiver on these 16 ga. guns. However, its been years since I've handled a 31.
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jerry
PostPosted: Thu Jan 19, 2006 8:16 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 26 Dec 2004
Posts: 15
Location: Mid West

Here is my Model 31 16ga.
I bought it in Tucson around 1990 for $125.00 That was a lot of money for me then. Had to put it on layaway.

[/img]
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bigric
PostPosted: Fri Jan 20, 2006 6:34 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 26 Dec 2005
Posts: 79
Location: Round Rock, TX

That's a nice-looking piece you've got there.

She got it out of layaway last Saturday and we took it out to the range. It's as smooth as glass and is a real joy to shoot.
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jerry
PostPosted: Fri Jan 20, 2006 4:37 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 26 Dec 2004
Posts: 15
Location: Mid West

Thank you Sir. I know your wife will enjoy hers. You just might too Wink

I installed a trimmer Pachmayer recoil pad. the black one in the pic was always too long LOP for me. I got into some educated rabbits this winter and decided it was time to go. The gun mounts way better now, even looks a tad bit better.
I re finished the stock myself. The checkering on the stock is not factory, someone cut it. They actually didn't do a bad job.

There is a little bit of scoring in the barrel. Dosen't hurt the paterning any. My dad says that when the gun was made, mid 40's people obviosly didn't have much money. Sometimes a shotgun would get loaded with old cut up nails or whatever to get some game on the table for a family dinner. I suspect this is what happened. Or it seen a little bit of steel shot. None the less, I'm sure it knocks a few bucks off, but it don't matter to me, never selling it.

I bought a 20 ga once, model 31. It was dead nutz same weight as the 16. It was also 2 3/4" Well you probably know where the 20 went, right back to the sho on consignment. Luckily I only lost $20 overall on the deal when it sold. Live and learn.
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clayflingythingy
PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 12:02 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 11 Jan 2006
Posts: 311

[quote="Foursquare"]

As to putting a pad on it - If you remove any wood from the stock in the process, you have destroyed whatever collectability the gun had. Maybe not a big consideration on a gun in this price range, but worth a thought.

I think "collectability" is way overdone on older used guns. If an Old English recoil pad is installed and a small portion of wood removed, so what? The important thing is how you enjoy the gun while at the range or in the field. I don't worry too much what a gun may be worth after I am dead!
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jmeili
PostPosted: Thu Feb 02, 2006 10:13 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 23 May 2005
Posts: 26
Location: McFarland, WI

Many years ago a friend gave me a framed print of a Remington advertisement. In it is this old gent coming in from the days hunt. A big bushy mustache, a couple rabbits in his mitt and a couple dogs by his side. Under his arm hangs a model 31, at least I think it is. Could be an older model but I like to think it's a 31, it's got that distinctive corncob forearm.

Anyway ever since than I've wanted one. This past year I managed to pick up a great 12 gauge in nice condition with very pretty wood in the buttstock, and just a month ago at the Fond du Lac, Wisconsin gunshow I purchased a 16 gauge field grade. Guy was asking $195, offered $175 and he sold it to me. "16 gauges not so popular around here", that's what he told me. "I've had that gun for years." As part of the deal I got the entire story of when he was in WWII he was a gunner and was trained by shooting at clay birds and the 31 was one of two guns that could be relied on to go well beyond the normal maintenance rebuild based on rounds fired.

My daughter, who recently got into trap shooting has laid claim to the 16, which is okay as long as it stays around the house where I can use it now and then.
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