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< 16ga. Guns ~ Back in the 16 game |
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Posted:
Sun Feb 11, 2018 2:52 pm
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Member
Joined: 18 Aug 2007
Posts: 211
Location: Alamogordo, New Mexico
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For some time now, the only 16 I had was my late father's Winchester Model 37 single shot, which he had purchased new about 1940 with money earned on a paper route. That changed today. We had a gun show this weekend here in south-central New Mexico and I found a Remington Model 31 in 16 gauge for a reasonable price. The metal is in good condition, with bluing 85-90 percent and a mint bore. Barrel is 28 inches and choked full. The butt stock cracked where the wrist meets the receiver and was repaired long ago. It needs refinishing. The original buttplate is in nice shape. A little Break Free and bronze wool and the old pump is as silky smooth as ever. Weight is a hair under seven pounds and frankly, the stock fits me better than any stock I have encountered on a Model 12. I may replace the butt at some point, but I am in no hurry. I will, however, look into having the beefy barrel cut to 26 inches and threaded for screw-in chokes. This is a plain-vanilla Model 31 with date codes suggesting it was manufactured in April of 1947, near the end of the production run. My first shotgun was an early Model 12 in 16, and it feels kind of like "coming home" to have a classic American 16-gauge pump in the rack again.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/23bxha7]
[/url]fullsizeoutput_b06 by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/93930283@N08/] |
Last edited by Baden Powell on Sun Feb 11, 2018 3:42 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Posted:
Sun Feb 11, 2018 2:58 pm
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Member
Joined: 15 Apr 2007
Posts: 9472
Location: Amarillo, Texas
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Well done!!
and
Thank You for the posting
What Joy, What Joy
Where in NM? Portales? Las Cruces?
Mike
P.S.
See below
ALAMOGORDO??
Interesting place
I go through there each October on my way to Juarez for a mission trip
Canadian River flowage is AWESOME |
Last edited by skeettx on Sun Feb 11, 2018 3:02 pm; edited 4 times in total _________________
,
USAF RET 1971-95 |
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Posted:
Sun Feb 11, 2018 2:59 pm
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Member
Joined: 18 Aug 2007
Posts: 211
Location: Alamogordo, New Mexico
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Mike, thanks. Just updated my profile. I moved from Oregon to Alamogordo last fall. Hey, back in the late 1800s my great-grandfather had a ranch on the Canadian just upstream from Billy and Olive Dixon's place. |
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Posted:
Sun Feb 11, 2018 4:34 pm
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Member
Joined: 04 Mar 2008
Posts: 1944
Location: Lowcountry Ga.
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The 31 has the reputation for having the slickest action ever made in a pump. I've never handled one. You sure it weighs that much? I thought those guns were in the 6 lb. or better range. Check for lead in the stock. Gil
PS I just did some googling and it was the models with the alloy receiver that were the lightweights. |
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Posted:
Sun Feb 11, 2018 6:06 pm
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Member
Joined: 06 Apr 2007
Posts: 3375
Location: The Great Northwet
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Nice! Congrats. I've always liked those 31's. If I was going to get a pump, it would be a 31L converted to straight grip. What a fun little gun that would be. |
_________________ Gun art: www.marklarsongunart.com
Gallery art: www.marklarsonart.com
The man's prayer from the Red Green Show: "I'm a man, but I can change, if I have to. I guess." |
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Posted:
Sun Feb 11, 2018 8:30 pm
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Member
Joined: 16 Feb 2006
Posts: 714
Location: Flagstaff, AZ
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My standard mod 31 w/ 28" tube weighs 6# 14oz.
If you have ever had the trigger assembly out of one of those it is easy to see why they weigh that much, that is a big chunk of iron. |
_________________ Dennis
Current 16ga. Stable
Browning Citori Gr I
Browning Belgium Sweet 16
A.H. Fox Sterlingworth
Remington 11-48
Remington 31
Remington 870
Geco/J.P. Sauer BLNE
Winchester Mod 12 |
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Posted:
Mon Feb 12, 2018 7:03 am
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Member
Joined: 18 Aug 2007
Posts: 211
Location: Alamogordo, New Mexico
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Gil, the action is every bit as slick as all the hype about it. I briefly owned the predecessor -- John Browning's Model 17, which became the Ithaca 37. I can see the family resemblance, but much prefer side ejection over bottom ejection.
Square Load, if I had a better scale I would bet mine was 6 pounds, 14 ounces as well.
Uncle Dan, I like the feel of the factory stock, but would love to handle a 31 with straight grip side by side to see if one is better than the other. Interesting idea. Have you handled one? |
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Posted:
Mon Feb 12, 2018 7:35 am
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Member
Joined: 06 Apr 2007
Posts: 3375
Location: The Great Northwet
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Baden Powell wrote: |
Gil, the action is every bit as slick as all the hype about it. I briefly owned the predecessor -- John Browning's Model 17, which became the Ithaca 37. I can see the family resemblance, but much prefer side ejection over bottom ejection.
Square Load, if I had a better scale I would bet mine was 6 pounds, 14 ounces as well.
Uncle Dan, I like the feel of the factory stock, but would love to handle a 31 with straight grip side by side to see if one is better than the other. Interesting idea. Have you handled one?
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No I haven't handled one. I just really like straight grips and can just imagine it being lightning quick. |
_________________ Gun art: www.marklarsongunart.com
Gallery art: www.marklarsonart.com
The man's prayer from the Red Green Show: "I'm a man, but I can change, if I have to. I guess." |
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Posted:
Mon Feb 12, 2018 8:54 am
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Member
Joined: 07 Jan 2013
Posts: 398
Location: Virginia
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The Model 31s were advertised as "the gun with the ball-bearing action." While there weren't any actual ball-bearings anywhere in the gun, they were indeed very smooth operating.
As for weight, the standard steel models weren't especially light. I have two 16s with 28" barrels made in the late 1930s. One weighs 6 pounds 12 ounces and the other weighs an ounce over 7 pounds. But the balance is good and the stocks fit me well. |
_________________ C&R FFL since 2002 |
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Posted:
Mon Feb 12, 2018 10:26 am
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Member
Joined: 31 Aug 2005
Posts: 1258
Location: Nebraska
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I'm a much bigger fan of the M12 than the M31 but have found the stocks on 31s have each seemed to fit me. Some M12 stocks, especially the earliest ones I've handled, are far from ideal. |
_________________ Bore, n. Shotgun enthusiast's synonym for "gauge" ; everybody else's synonym for "shotgun enthusiast." - Ed Zern |
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Posted:
Tue Feb 13, 2018 6:53 am
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Member
Joined: 30 Nov 2011
Posts: 1701
Location: Minnesota
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I remembered someone here already posting about doing a straight grip conversion on a 31. Caleb,are you still around?http://16ga.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=14752&highlight=model |
_________________ Great dog, Great friends,Great guns |
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Posted:
Tue Feb 13, 2018 10:41 am
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Member
Joined: 18 Aug 2007
Posts: 211
Location: Alamogordo, New Mexico
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Kgb, I start out with an early nickel steel Model 12 in 16 with the short chamber. I am a Model 12 fan to this day as well, but boy those early stocks were a disastrous fit for my frame. |
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Posted:
Tue Feb 13, 2018 9:11 pm
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Member
Joined: 31 Aug 2005
Posts: 1258
Location: Nebraska
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Baden, I bought a short chambered M12 16ga first and have come full circle to a different one, this time with a rib. At some point with that first one I bought a replacement stock from Shuman's Gun Shop and it has been on most of the M12 16s through the years to today. I made a straight grip stock a couple years ago but it doesn't feel as good as that Fajen replacement I've been using since the late 80s.
Kirk |
_________________ Bore, n. Shotgun enthusiast's synonym for "gauge" ; everybody else's synonym for "shotgun enthusiast." - Ed Zern |
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