From the Editor’s Desk
A Matter of Scope
An editor’s job is to decide what goes into each issue of a journal, choosing things that please a variety of readers, but in our case it is also to further the mission of the Remington Society, which is about more than just a journal. Unlike the Internet, which often makes it too easy for specialists to stay in well-defined specialist zones, we try to put up a big tent here, where people can branch out and discover new things.
Let’s start an ongoing conversation about who we are and who we want to be. And then we can talk about how our journal should support that, and ask if we need to make any changes in our mission. I have overheard people say that if we change nothing, then our entire hobby—and the virtues it embodies and engenders—is on the road to extinction. Strong words.
First, let’s talk about the gun culture. Some folks in the gun collecting community shy away from the term “gun culture” and avoid using it, but we must not let the anti-gunners define our terms for us. We do have a gun culture, and it is full of many good qualities. Let’s not apologize for it.
A healthy gun culture is about more than just the physical objects we call guns. Its activities can include ethical hunting, recreational shooting, self-defense training, competitive shoot-ing sports, handloading, gunsmithing, and of course collecting. Firearms, their use and their history, can be the gateway to (and a reflection of) deeply held values like freedom, self-reliance, self-discipline, comaraderie, ingenuity and invention, responsi-bility, stewardship, conservation, a respect for the past and its traditions, and a thirst for knowledge. The gun culture is one of several ways that we can nurture and conserve those values.
We might well ask, “What is the scope of our hobby?” Well, one of the best things ever written about guns and “gun bugs” (that’s us) comes from the jacket sleeve of Harold F. Williamson’s big 1952 history of that other gun company, which offers this insight:
“Men who love guns are among the most intelligent of hobbyists. The gun-bug’s interest leads him into many by-paths, from Nature study to metallurgy, and from ballistics to history. Not content merely to place his shots in the center of the target, the true shooter wants to know why one gun is better than another, and how it got that way.”
How is that for a notion of scope? The best part of this diversity of related interests is that it is a journey. We start out in one aspect of the hobby and then we start discovering things, meeting people, growing in knowledge and experience. We branch out. That’s why we put up a big tent and mingle among the guests.
A vital element is this culture of ours is fellowship. (Our own Jeremy Kucish runs a YouTube channel along these very lines). Ask any old-timer who has been on the collector show circuit for decades why they keep doing it. It’s not (primarily) about finding the sleepers anymore, and often not about the money. They will tell you it’s about the people—the fellow hobbyists who eventually became good friends. Think of our hobby and its particular focus—the Remington story—as an invitation to all these things. The collector’s path doesn’t necessarily lead to wealth, erudition, or museum curation—sometimes it just leads to cherished memories with your family and friends. That too is part of the Remington story, because they helped to facilitate that, and so it becomes the RSA story as well. Let me know your thoughts.
Jeff Edman
In this Issue:
- RemShots by Mike Alsop
- RSA News
- Remington Companies News by Rich Shepler
- Remington Model 8: An Introduction by Cameron Woodal
- The Remington Autoloading Rifle in Africa y Cameron Woodall
- RSA Historical Seminar 2025
- Rich Rains .22 Rimfire World
- Cartridge Loader – Webb’s Patent (Part 1) by Tom Quigley & Mike Alsop
- The Remington Bookshelf by Ed Hull
- Remington Advertising Trivia by Gordon Fosburg
- From the Remington Archives
- Classifieds
- RemThoughts by Mike Alsop
Welcome RSA Members!
I am pleased to announce that the American Society of Arms Collectors (ASAC) has made a charitable donation to the RSA archives Project. This generous gift will go a long way toward our goal of preserving the RSA archives. For those who may not be aware, the RSA has amassed a large quantity of Remington archives—140+ liner feet worth of paper! This includes advertisements, catalogs, scans from the many trips our research team made to Ilion, and research done by individuals throughout the years. RSA members have spent countless hours, along with their personal finances, to acquire and preserve these archives. Thank you to the members who have contributed. Your hard work will not be forgotten. The RSA is in the process of having the archives digitally scanned for future preservation. This daunting task will take several years to complete and is underway as we speak. Preserving this material is especially beneficial for future generations and this is one of the our main goals as an organization.
After serving over 10 years on the RSA board, from director to treasurer to secretary, Jeff Veselenak is stepping down to direct his attention to his family. He demonstrated hard work and dedication on behalf of the RSA throughout his tenure. I would like to thank Jeff for his time and effort in the RSA and wish him luck in his upcoming commitments. Family should always come first, and Jeff’s decision is a testament to that. Rich Shepler will finish out Jeff’s remaining term for treasurer/secretary.
The upcoming OGCA Annual Display show in May at the Roberts Center in Wilmington, Ohio is cancelled. The Roberts Center has decided to no longer host OGCA events. The annual display show will now be held at the IX Center in Cleveland, Ohio on June 21st & 22nd. While this is sad news and a temporary setback, the OGCA is currently researching a suitable replacement in southwest Ohio to accommodate their needs. Please watch for RSA email blasts for updated information on the OGCA July show and the RSA members meeting.
Virginia Military Institute (VMI) will host the 27th annual RSA Historical Seminar (open to all members & spouses) on September 10th, 11th, 12th. For details on this unique opportunity, see page 37.
Mark your Fall calendars for the Texas Gun Collectors (TGC) show on October 17th–18th. The TGC has kindly invited the RSA back as their guests. See page 16 for details.
Come join your fellow RSA members at any, or all, of these shows. Display and sales tables are available, or just plan to come and hang out with your fellow RSA members. I want to thank all the RSA members who help organize these events on a voluntary basis, as well as those who contribute columns, articles, and photos each quarter to this journal. Thanks also to the RSA board members who tirelessly spend their time keeping the membership up to date and making sure members’ questions get answered, and to the members who are managing our RSA projects behind the scenes. The RSA would not be here without you. They all deserve a round of applause for honoring and sustaining this group, which has been going strong for over 40 years, working to safeguard what our past members have built for us.
Mike Alsop, RSA President