16ga.com ~ View topic - New Remington Model 11 with Solid Rib! PICS ADDED

Member Joined: 08 Jun 2009 Posts: 183 Location: SE Alabama

I'm excited about this one. The ribbed barrels aren't very common, especially in the subgages.
This one is about 90% finish. Really nice. 28" Full choke solid rib barrel. All original. Stock is uncut. One small crack starting in the forend that will get fixed ASAP.
It points like your finger. It's gonna be a fun one!

Oh yeah, I got a bonus when I opened it up. It had an original Remington Magazine Plug. The ones with the paster on it telling you what it's for and how to install it.

Pics from gunbroker. I need to take better ones...

Joined: 10 Jan 2007 Posts: 22

Congratulations! I have one also, though mine has the modified choke. I purchased mine through a gunsmith, and I think he may have refinished the stock. It is certainly a nice gun though. As you can see, mine is the Sportmans model. I'm not sure it's original though, as I have a 12 ga version that is a 3 shot model, while the 16 is a 5 shot. I guess I'm not as up on my Sportsmans as I could be....

Get those pictures up! Soon!

Kaiser Norton

[/i]

Member Joined: 08 Jun 2009 Posts: 183 Location: SE Alabama

Yours is definately a 5 shot magazine. Does the bolt say "SPORTSMAN" on it? If so, it looks like it had a magazine and forearm change at some point. Nice Model 11.

Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 728

I don't want to sound disagreeable Kaiser, but I agree with 35 Remington that it looks like your model 11 has a 5 shot magazine. I'm not familiar with all the many model 11 variants, but I've seen quite a few. In additio to "The Sportsman" being stamped on the bolt, the models I've seen had a forend screw bolt that was retained in the end of the forend (so you couldn't drop or lose it) with a push pin (similar to a model 12 magazine release pin) not a knurled tube cap nut like the one on your gun. Maybe it's a 3 shot because it's plugged?

Joined: 10 Jan 2007 Posts: 22

Member Joined: 08 Jun 2009 Posts: 183 Location: SE Alabama

The very first Sportsmans (EARLY 1930's) had 3 birds on each side. The engraving on all models came about the time they dropped the 3 bird engraving (to what we have) on the Sportsman, sometime in the mid 30's, I think.
The Sportsman models were all 3 shot versions with a beavertail type forearn. An interesting variation, but I never understood the reason. It's so easy to put a plug in a gun. At least it makes for another model to collect!

And, yes, they are sweet old guns!

Joined: 13 Jun 2009 Posts: 696 Location: WA/AK

"The Sportsman" with the modified magazine tube and forearm that only holds two shells making "The Sportsman" a three-shot autoloader --

Top 12-gauge with 30-inch solid rib barrel, middle 16-gauge with 26-inch solid rib improved cylinder barrel, bottom 20-gauge with plain 28-inch modified barrel.

[/img]

Remington Arms Co. introduced their 12-gauge, five-shot, John M. Browning designed, "Remington Autoloading Gun" in 1905. The company name was changed to Remington Arms - Union Metallic Cartridge Co. in 1911. Shortly after that Rem-UMC began calling that gun the Model No. 11. In 1920 the company name changed again to Remington Arms Co., Inc. Circa 1927/8 they changed the safety from the lever inside the trigger guard to a crossbolt behind the trigger. In 1930, they introduced the 20-gauge Model 11. Model 11 20-gauge serial numbers began at 1,000,000. In 1931, they added the 16-gauge to the line with 16-gauge serial numbers starting at 1,500,000. In 1930, they also introduced a three-shot version in 20-gauge called "The Sportsman."

The 20-gauge “The Sportsman” had serial numbers beginning low 1? Maybe 1000? They added 12- and 16-gauge "The Sportsman" in 1931, with 12-gauge "The Sportsman" having serial numbers starting at 500,000 and 16-gauges having serial numbers starting at 200,000. "The Sportsman" had a three-bird roll-stamping on each side of the receiver. In 1934 DuPont acquired controlling interest of Remington Arms Co., Inc. In 1937, Remington reduced the roll-stamping on "The Sportsman" to one bird on each side and started putting the roll-stamping on Model 11 receivers as well. At the same time, the name "The Sportsman" or "Model 11" began being stamped on the bolt. On Sep. 28, 1937, they stopped the separate serial number sequence in the 2xx,xxx range for the 16-gauge "The Sportsman"; on Aug. 24, 1937, they stopped the separate serial number sequence in the 5xx,xxx range for the 12-gauges and finally on Feb. 14, 1938, they ended the separate serial numbers for the 20-gauge “The Sportsman” at 16,753. From then on the "Model 11" and "The Sportsman" were serial numbered together, continuing the Model 11 sequences. Combined 12-gauge "Model 11" and "The Sportsman" serial numbers reached 499,999 on August 1, 1943. Serial numbers were then jumped to 700,000 and continued.

Joined: 29 Oct 2010 Posts: 115 Location: Vermont

Researcher, my sportsman was made in 1936 and has 1 bird on each side of the reciever and doesn't have the writing on the bolt. mine is a skeet model,Would the engraving be different on a skeet model? The serial # is 207823

Joined: 13 Jun 2009 Posts: 696 Location: WA/AK

I imagine that the change-over took time and was phased in as parts were used up. Serial numbers for 16-gauge "The Sportsman" go up really fast in the early months of 1936, (207xxx to 214xxx) so I'd surmise that is when Remington made a run of 16-gauge receivers and numbered them then. There isn't a "The Sportsman" Skeet Gun in the 1934 Remington catalogues, but it is there in the March 1936 Remington catalogue. I don't have any Remington paper from 1935. Essentially the Skeet Gun had a capped pistol grip, a slightly fatter 'beavertail" forearm and a SKEET bored barrel. The 1936 catalogue shows the three-bird roll-stamping, and the smaller patch of grip checkering, as does this 1937 skeet gun brochure --

By 1939 they show the one-bird roll-stamping --