New Member w/Model 12-C

[geezerwithguns]

Hello to all forum members:

I'm new to this forum (first post) and have a model 12-C that has been in my family for many, many years.

I've tried to do some Internet research on the gun (limited success).

The gun has been in my family since the 1930's (or earlier). It originally belonged to my uncle and then was handed down to my Dad. My uncle passed away and my father is now 87 and doesn't remember any of the particulars about the gun except that it killed lots and lots of bunnies and squirrels. I inherited it when I was 12 around about 1959 and shot it a few years and then stored it for 35 years. I recently liberated it from my parents attic. By the way, it still shoots great!

Here are the details: Serial number is #513XXX. Chambered short, long and long rifle. It has a 19 1/4 inch octagon barrel (measured from the receiver forward). My assumption is that it has 3/4" of thread, so that would make it 20 inches overall. I can't find any historical reference about "short" (under 24") barreled model 12-C's. So there is a possibility that the barrel was shortened or it was re barreled by the factory? I don't know, but the front sight attachment and barrel crown look "factory." So it may have been some kind of special order? Don't know and either does my father. There is a tang mounted Lyman peep sight and a barrel mounted (dove-tailed) Marbles fold-down "V" sight with adjustable elevation. I looked at the barrel to see manufacture date codes (Year, month) per what I've seen on the Internet and the only marking there is a "G" followed by an "_" (underscore). This doesn't seem to jive with anything that I've been able to find on the 'net.

Here are a couple of pictures. Can any of the forum's resident "experts" help out?

I'm not interested in selling the gun because of its family history, but I'd like to find as much as possible about it for when I pass it on to my son.

Thanks in advance,

Wayne

[John Gyde]

It does appear that the barrel has been shortened. Your rifle was made in 1920, the year before Remington started using barrel codes to date the month and year of assembly. The checkering on the pistol grip was probably not done by the factory. The sights you describe were available from Remington, but were added later most of the time. There are no records that show the exact date of shipments nor the features of the rifles. Enjoy your heirloom. It looks to be in good shape.

[geezerwithguns]

Thanks for the quick reply. I had not even considered the stock checkering as being possibly non-factory since it's done so well. Ditto the barrel. It is crowned perfectly and recessed. The front sight is also dove tailed. That's why I figured that it was "factory." If not, then there was a lot of work done on the rifle after it left Remington.

The date of manufacture seems correct also. My father's older brother was 16 years older than my Dad so he would have been 15 years old when the gun was purchased. My father is pretty sure that it's only been in our family its entire life.

Thanks again.