Well I picked up a typically beat up old BE a few years ago. Two actually, and finally decided to do something with one of them. Not a letter perfect restoration because I included a few "flourishes" not orginal to the gun, but it's not what I would describe as an "upgrade".
The stock was beat, with the dreaded throughbolt, and the rest of it was prettily heavily scarred. I decided to restock it with a piece of wood that seem appropriate for a BE Remington, not a crazy piece of Turkish, allow my stocker to have a little fun with the chequering, taking inspiration from higher grades of Remingtons both through the grip as well as the forend. Hope you like it.
Last edited by Canvasback on Sat Apr 18, 2020 8:32 am, edited 1 time in total.
It had a Remington trigger gaurd that I don't think was original to the gun. Mainly because unlike all other B grades I have seen, there was no engraving on it. So I asked the engraver to do a little something replicating appropriately the kind of star design on the sole plate. Not overly pleased with what he came up with. Simpler and cruder than the original. One day I may address that.
The gun started off with me with one broken hammer and was slightly off face so both of those got addressed during the process.
Researcher, that is the Remington I identified about 5 years ago. Guy contacted me through PM on DG to ask whether what he had found was anything special.
I contacted him about a year ago to see if he still had it and whether he was interested in selling but he had sold it by then.
Nice job. I had thought of doing the same thing a number of times but never did it. I don't know what you find crude or wrong with the engraving on the trigger guard. Everything looks great to me -
Paul, funny you mention the engraving. After I posted the pic I was looking at it on the computer screen thinking "hey, that doesn't look half bad".
But in real life the difference is a little more obvious. I spoke to a really good smith about it and he said it is simply an issue of the engraver taking the time to select the right tool.....and practicing with it a few times to make sure it's the right one. A time/money thing. If I had known I would have been a little more specific in my instructions.
Researcher, that is the Remington I identified about 5 years ago. Guy contacted me through PM on DG to ask whether what he had found was anything special.
I went to add 112990 to my list and found it was already there with the reference to the October 2015 DoubleGunBBS thread. Of course the pictures are all gone from the thread. I had to search my desktop and three laptops before I found where I'd saved them out. Copied them onto all my computers now.
Fowlgunner wrote: ↑Fri Apr 17, 2020 7:37 pm
Speaking of documenting photos, have you noticed Morphy trying to discourage that? Lol
CB do you mind me asking who you used as a stocker?
I was impressed with the job he did, of course as picky as I am that says a lot!
Thanks, Will
Hi Will.
His name is Chris Dawe and he can be reached through his simple website Stillwater Restorations. Located in Canada so there is some effort involved in getting the gun across the border and back but as a Canadian myself, I don't know the ins and outs. On the plus side, with exchange being what it is, you won't find better work for the money. In US dollars that job not including wood, but including the chequering was barely over $1100. No duplicators involved, all hand done. YMMV.
Chris has done a lot of work for me over the years and he headed up that restoration. He outsources the CCH to a specialist who only does CCH. As he does for engraving. The rest was in house. Including that fantastic Damascus redo. He has also done a lot of work for people I know. So I'm not just thinking of the work on my guns when I'm judging the quality. He is held in high regard up here by a lot of the vintage gun community. AND he likes Remingtons. I know he just acquired a CE.
He also does excellent work on Foxes seems like I remember seeing an example or two over time.
I have a stock repair project or two, nothing involving a full restoration.
My experience is that a gun imported through Canada has to be "Import Stamped" which would probably be a deal breaker for me on a High End Restoration.
Will, regarding the stamp. I don't think that is true for guns temporarily exported for repair. But obviously there would need to be a paper trail to prove the gun's origins in the US (Don't mean a US made gun, just that it left the US for repair).
