Remington Model 11

[tbfmaine]

Hi - I am hoping that the interest here in Model 11s will arouse a Society Member who knows something about these guns.

My own 11 has a serial number in the 400 thousands, no stamp anywhere indicating that it is a Model 11, A Cutts compensator, stamps indicating "IMPCYL" (improved cylinder bore?), "R.E.P".on the right rear lower corner of the barrel, a small anchor on the left forward side of the trigger guard, "US" and flaming bomb on the left front side of the receiver near the top, tiny "Remington Arms Co., Inc. Ilion, NY, Made in USA" along with patent numbers on the top rear of the barrel, and "12 GA. for 2 3/4 or shorter shells" on the left rear of the barrel. It also has a magazine extension that brings capacity to seven shots with an empty chamber. Any information re: Model designation, date of manufacture, or anything else would be most apreciated. This gun does not seem to have any of the codes talked about in recent previous posts. Thanks.

[Researcher]

Does it say "Sportsman" anywhere on the gun? Around 1931 or 2 Remington introduced a three-shot version of the Model 11 with a different magazine tube and forearm. My 12-gauge Sportsman with a serial number in the 43x,xxx range has a barrel date code of LK which equates to February 1941. Sounds like your gun, whether it started life as a Model 11 or a Sportsman, spent its early days in the possession of the War Department. The services used a lot of shotguns during WW-II to teach aerial gunnery, beginning with Skeet shooting.

[tbfmaine]

Researcher - thanks for your reply. My 11 does not say "Sportsman" anywhere. The lack of any model designation was one thing that aroused my curiosity. The serial number is in the same ballpark as yours, though, and that is a good start.

[nicklessig]

I have a gun that has very similar markings. The code to the left of the little anchor is MM, but that doesn't seem to make any sense. In addition to the "bomb" markings there is a duck engraving on the left of the receiver and a pheasant on the right. It is equipped with a Cutts compensator and bead sight. The serial number is 477987 and the bolt says "The Sportsman".

I assume from what I've read that the gun is a model 11, but I'd really like to know the manufacture date.

[Researcher]

I have had another thought on this lack of model marking. There was a period of time when the square-back Remingtons had either "Model 11" or "The Sportsman" marked on the bolt. If these guns were War Department guns they could have very easily been stripped and cleaned in the ordnance shop in batches and reassembled in no particular order, hence a gun that wasn't marked on the receiver could have gotten an unmarked bolt. I have a 1934-version Remington Model 31 12-gauge with the RLB and the ordnance bomb on the left side near the rear of the receiver, and the receiver, the trigger group and the barrel all have different serial numbers, and the stock is for a 1941-version!?!