Inconsistanies Dating Model 11

[The Rattler]

I need help resolving inconsistent information dating the manufacture of my 12 gauge Remington model 11 auto loader.

I was given the shotgun when I was in high school sometime during 1963 or 1964. I do not know anything about the gun's history before that. I used it for doves and duck back then. I brought it out of storage in 2013 and had a gunsmith shop clean it up. Of course, the gunsmith delegated the chore to a "cleaner." (The relevance of this will be evident below.)

The facts are:

1. The serial number is 36469.

2. On the left of the barrel near the receiver are the letters CJ.

3. The safety switch is on the inside of the trigger guard in front of the trigger.

The inconsistencies are:

1. The "cleaner" at the gunsmith (not the gunsmith) said the manufacture date is 1931.

2. I paid a small fee for an expert opinion on Guns Value Board who said that the "CJ" means that "CJ" on the barrel means that it was manufactured in April of 1940.

3. I was told yesterday by a historical data person at Remington that the seal number indicates the manufacture date is 1929.

4. I recall reading a post I believe on this forum that if the safety switch is on the inside of the trigger guard, the date of manufacture is before 1926. Perhaps My memory of that year is flawed, but nevertheless, that is what I remember.

I suppose there is a potential that the barrel is not original to this gun. That, however, only explains some of the inconsistencies.

Can you help me resolve these inconsistencies?

Thanks.

[Researcher]

C = April, J = 1940. That dates the barrel. A five-digit serial number would make it a fairly early receiver, probably a Remington Autoloading Shotgun, which was made Remington Arms Co. from 1905 to 1910.





When Marcellus Hartly Dodge combined his arms and ammunition companies as Remington Arms - Union Metallic Cartridge Co. in 1911, they began calling this John M. Browning designed autoloading shotgun the Model No. 11.



In 1916 to finance expansion for war production for The Great War, they incorporated and became Remington Arms - Union Metallic Cartridge Co., Inc. There is available a Factory ledger covering the years between the Wars, and the as of September 30, 1919, the highest Model 11 serial number they had reached was 199611. After The Great War, they were greatly over expanded and reorganized as Remington Arms Co., Inc.

[Fowlgunner]

Rattler,

Like Researcher suggests the quickest way to know what period the barrel is from is to look at the Manufacture's Stamping (Barrel Address).

What does it say?

The barrel may have a serial number stamped on the Barrel Ring Ramp, but you will have to disassemble to see.

This is not conclusive as I have examples of barrels which have no SN and those that have very early serial numbers that were placed on much later production barrels.

According to the research information provided by Jim Tipton SN 36,469 would have been produced by the Remington Arms Co. in 1907.

Will

[The Rattler]

Thank you very much for your replies. They a certainly answer my questions thoroughly.

Thanks again.

[The Rattler]

How is it that the Remington personnel answer of 1929 be so wrong? Are they unreliable?