I wanted to share what I believe to be a nice and pretty rare rifle I bought the other day. It is a mod 121 in
" 22 SHORT ONLY " !! I have myself only heard of one other in the last five or so years I have been looking for one. The other I was supposed to buy from a fellow Remington Society Member but unfortunately it was sold with a large group of guns so I missed it. I have had an add in the back of the Journal for a few years looking for one and have never had a response . The serial number is in the 31740 range and barrel code is "OH" signifying a July of 1939 production. Both sides of receiver have same serial number and the butt plate is also stamped with serial and even the butt it self has serial hand written in crayon or marker on it. The condition is nice but not perfect but all original !!! I was glad to find it.
Is there anyone out there that has a 121 in "22 SHORT ONLY " or that would know approximately how many were made ?? It would be nice to compare production dates and features to others out there. I hope to hear back from other people who own them !! Thanks ! John Taylor
P.S. I am looking for a 121 S . in 22 Rem Special if anyone has one they would part with. I have one but barrel has two holes drilled and plugged for an early scope block mount.
I don't have one like that (am jealous!) but Remington did make a series of "Gallery Guns" for carnival shooting stands that were 22 Short-only, although they were marked as Gallery Guns and had a ring to secure them via a chain to the table (ain't gonna have no terrorists in those days!) So While yours may be a low-production version, I am not sure it could be classified as "rare". Remington also made some of these in smooth bore for 22 Shot cartridges, and that's how I got my Boy Scout merit badge way back in the early 70's!
To Scorpion8
I have been collecting 22 slide action rifles of all brands for 20 years or a bit more and really watch all auction sites and classified adds and this is only the second 121 that I have seen in" 22 short only " so in my mind that is kind of rare !!! Maybe there are a lot of sleepers out there that's why I started this thread to find out production numbers and dates they might have been made ? What do you consider rare ? I saw a Savage 1903 in 22 short only go for big money a few years ago and that was the only one I had seen. I know Remington made the model 12 in short only and they were fairly common but not so much in the 121s !!
The smooth bore 121s were neat and do command a premium and I to shot the Routledge bores at Boy Scout camp as a kid. I have 5 or 6 of the smooth bore 121s but still haven't seen one in "Skeet Trap" version so I guess I would consider them rare or scarce as well.
Thanks for your reply and please let me know if you come across any more 121s I short only. John Taylor
54bullseye
While I don't collect Remington Pump 22's, I did collect 22 smoothbores.
After looking at many M-12,121, and 572's, I would agree that both the 121 short and Remington special are scares, if not rare. Also a M-12 in smoothbore would be in the same category.
Regarding your mention of the "Skeet Trap". I've never seen or heard of one in 121.
However, I have what is defiantly a Model 572, but with no Remington markings at all, no SN.
The receiver is marked Auto-Trap-Shoot. It has a Simmons rib and Rutledge bore.
When I purchased it years ago, I was told some were special ordered for a shooting gallery/range
in central Illinois. It's the only one I've ever seen.
To ChuckD
I would love to see a picture of that 572 with the Simmons rib ! I know a guy that has a 572 marked SKEET TRAP ! I have a 572 smoothbore but they were more common. I also read that some 121s had a smooth bore that was 22 cal all the way through not like the Routledge and Mo Skeet O Bores. I haven't seen one of those either.
I do have two 121s in Rem Special one the barrel has been tapped for two scope blocks but the other is all original but not high condition just decent !!
John Taylor
