.Thank you, Patrick
What exactly is this rifle?
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guest
What exactly is this rifle?
Recently, I purchased a bolt-action Remington rifle, but I am having difficulty in indentifying same. Here are the known facts: 24" barrel, detachable box-type magazine, caliber is stamped '30 U.S.A.' on top of barrel (30/40 Krag), Lyman front sight (looks original, or a very old addition), patent dates of 8/26/1884, 9/9/1884, 3/17/2885, 1/18/1887 are stamped on side of receiver, Serial #100107 stamped on top of receiver, the bolt has a "quarter cock" kind of safety.The original front sight is missing, but two holes drilled in the top of barrel approx. 2" apart remain. The stock appears original, but may have been shortened (only evidence for this is that the fore end of the stock has a hole that looks as though it would have been for a cleaning rod. I can find absolutely no markings anywhere on the firearm to indicate the model name or number, or any sort of military ownership. Any help is appreciated .
Thank you, Patrick
.Thank you, Patrick
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Gene M
Patrick,
You have a Remington-Lee Small Bore (M1899) Military Rifle sold to the Michigan National Guard. 1,001 were shipped in 1898 and 1,000 in 1899. These were used until the 1920's and then sold to the various Veterans Posts for parade and saluting purposes. Some of these were then used as hunting rifles and sporterized. Those used as salute rifles have full stocks but the bores show the ravages of firing blackpowder blanks. The ones used as hunting rifles usually have decent bores but like yours have been remodeled. In addition a number were sold to dealers and private companies such as the White Pine Copper Co. in the Upper Peninsula during the labor strikes of the 1920's and 30s.
Gene Myszkowski
Author - The Remington-Lee Rifle
You have a Remington-Lee Small Bore (M1899) Military Rifle sold to the Michigan National Guard. 1,001 were shipped in 1898 and 1,000 in 1899. These were used until the 1920's and then sold to the various Veterans Posts for parade and saluting purposes. Some of these were then used as hunting rifles and sporterized. Those used as salute rifles have full stocks but the bores show the ravages of firing blackpowder blanks. The ones used as hunting rifles usually have decent bores but like yours have been remodeled. In addition a number were sold to dealers and private companies such as the White Pine Copper Co. in the Upper Peninsula during the labor strikes of the 1920's and 30s.
Gene Myszkowski
Author - The Remington-Lee Rifle
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guest
Hello Gene, and thanks for your great information. 
The bore on this rifle is quite good yet, and that coupled the modified stock would seem to indicate that after its discharge from the Mich. Guard, it was probably turned into a deer rifle and not a parade weapon. What I meant to indicate in my original post was that the original rear sight is missing. The front sight is, as I stated, a Lyman (I believe original). Do you have any idea how difficult or expensive it is to obtain an original rear sight for this rifle? The origin and history info that you provided certainly make sense, as I live in Michigan. So it would seem that this firearm has stayed close by for the last century.
In appreciation, Patrick
The bore on this rifle is quite good yet, and that coupled the modified stock would seem to indicate that after its discharge from the Mich. Guard, it was probably turned into a deer rifle and not a parade weapon. What I meant to indicate in my original post was that the original rear sight is missing. The front sight is, as I stated, a Lyman (I believe original). Do you have any idea how difficult or expensive it is to obtain an original rear sight for this rifle? The origin and history info that you provided certainly make sense, as I live in Michigan. So it would seem that this firearm has stayed close by for the last century. In appreciation, Patrick