Remington "Sportsman" 12 ga.

[Researcher]

Cruising GI this forenoon I see the Cabela's in Green Bay has a 12-gauge 30-inch The Sportsman that their ad says weighs 5 lbs!!!

[DarylC]

Cruising GI this forenoon I see the Cabela's in Green Bay has a 12-gauge 30-inch The Sportsman that their ad says weighs 5 lbs!!!

Does it come with a stock?

[Researcher]

I'd guess it should have been 8.5 lbs. I don't recall ever seeing a Sportsman as light as Remington advertised --

[jolly bill]

I thought I would join the conversation and show you a 20 gauge Remington Sportsman that belonged to my grandfather. I am blessed to be the current owner and I remember him well back in the day using the gun. Mr. Jacob Gregorius from Dansville, NY where I grew up.

Below are pictures of the gun along with the Owners Manual, envelope and sales receipt. You will note that he purchased the gun new in July of 1947 for $94.00. Dave's copy of the Remington Sales Brochure may be for earlier, prewar guns as it shows the plain barrel version at a price of $56.00, discounted to $48.50? Or my grandfather overpaid, way overpaid.

The date code on the gun is "X RR" which is December of 1946. And it weighs an ounce or two less than 7 1/2 pounds. Brochure says 6 1/2 pounds for a 20 gauge.

A neat gun for sure and one of my boys will be happy to be the owner when I pass it on. And I have the gun cabinet that he made for the gun. (Not pictured.)

Bill

[Jeff S]

Bill, that’s a beautiful gun and a great family heirloom. Thanks for sharing it with us.

[Hilltop]

Wonderful family gun Bill, your sons are lucky you’ve preserved all of the history that goes with it.

[Sporrns]

Awesome package of provenance, Bill, and what a gun! Gems like this are functioning an early American "auto revival" of entry level and especially graded guns from Remington, Browning, Marlin and Savage that are exploding in "prices realized" at better auctions. Kevin

[Researcher]

The folder I pictured was from the early 1930s when The Sportsman had the nicer checkering patterns on the grip and forearm and the three-bird roll-stamping on the sides of the receiver. From the other side of the folder --

I have an October 8, 1946, Retail Price List that shows The Sportsman A "Standard" Grade as $94.00 as minimum "Fair Trade" price. Many of us here are likely old enough to have a vague recollection of "Fair Trade Laws."

[DarylC]

Thanks for that Bill. Look how beautiful that handwriting is on the bill of sale and the gun is a true treasure.

[Researcher]

Here is an interesting The Sportsman from the liquidation of the Remington Archive --

Perhaps an evolutionary step from The Sportsman to The Sportsman-48.

[DarylC]

Here is an interesting The Sportsman from the liquidation of the Remington Archive --

111 01.png

111 06.png

111 02.png

111 03.png

111 05.png

Perhaps an evolutionary step from The Sportsman to The Sportsman-48.

Wow, talk about unique. Never knew it even existed.

[eightbore]

I have a Model 11 similar to the experimental gun in Dave's post. The extended, enlarged stock on mine covers the squareback as it does on the pictured example. I have no idea who built these guns, but I suspect Abercrombie and Fitch marketed them. I have only seen two. As I recall, the first one I saw was fully engraved by Arnold Griebel. I wanted to own it, but it had a crack in the receiver and I didn't know what to do about that.

[eightbore]

Notice that the Model 111 had the trigger set back about 1 1/2 inches from its normal position on a Sportsman or Model 11. On my gun, the trigger is set back the same 1 1/2 inches from its normal position. That makes a gun with standard length of pull 1 1/2 inches longer than a standard Sportsman with the same barrel length. Regular Model 11 barrels fit on my gun. My gun has four barrels and it works well with any of the four.