doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Any issues with REMINGTON Model 17?

Joe, if it's anything like its successor the M37, I believe the solid rib is soldered to the barrel which withstands rust bluing technique, but not hot bluing as some have discovered. Gil

From the introduction of the Remington Autoloading Shotgun in 1905 until 1949 with the introduction of the Model 11-48 and "Sportsman" 48, Remington ribs on their pumps and autoloaders were milled integral with the barrel.

To my eyes, and I was raised by a Father who despised all bottom dumper pump guns, the Remington Model 17 looks "right" while the Ithaca Model 37 with its cheaper to Machine flat-sided receiver has always looked cheap. You can cover it with $2000 of Bill McGraw engraving and it still doesn't look as nice and graceful as a Remington Model 17.

Well thanks for the advise. I'll pull the trigger if he does on the trade. As to what to do with the stock I will leave the old stock as is and put a new one on that fits me, keeping the old one for the next owner after I am done. I see no problem doing that as my new stock can easily be removed and the gun restored to condition just as I found it. Chokes will be left as is as well. I will adjust my loads to do what I want. No point in reaming out every gun I have just in case I need them for close work.

And to those who wonder about my 28 Model 12 I still have it and will pass it onto my middle son. Of all my kids he likes shooting and hunting the most and I like to think he will keep it in the family to pass along. I strongly suspect my father figured I would grow tired of guns or pumping them at least and he would have taken over the 28 as his quail gun. Sorry Dad, that did not work out too well for you.

Good to know. Therein lies another difference between the M17 and M37R. The Upper Sandusky M37 vent rib barrels have a removable rib with sits atop machined stanchions integral with the barrel.
Jon, good to hear that you still have the M12 28 gauge. As you may know the rarity of that gun has spawned counterfeit versions.

Gil

Outers' Recreation published a 100 page booklet by Capt. E.C. Crossman in 1923, titled Gun and Rifle Facts, For the Novice and the Expert. In this booklet the good Captain has high praise for the Remington 20-gauge pump, because it is made for 2 3/4 inch shells and because it is offered in 26-, 28-, 30- and 32-inch barrel lengths, while that 20-gauge pump by the other guys is only available 25- to 28-inch barrel lengths and is only made for 2 1/2 inch 20-gauge shells.

I will resist the urge to fill this reply up with pictures, but I have had a fondness for Remington 17s for about 15 years now, maybe a little longer. I've collected adds, manuals, parts and currently have 5 of them, though one is a parts gun. I have had a dozen over the years, to include a pristine first year three digit gun that now resides in California with another collector. I have another 1921 UMC 17 still, and a 1927,1928,1931 and 1933. I just recently picked up a numbered 2 barrel set gun with both barrels being solid ribs. It's got some oddities about it but I had to have it.

As mentioned the ribs were machined into the barrels, not added on. They also were designed for the 20ga shell and are a bit thinner than a 37 as the 20ga 37 is just a "short" 12ga frame (all gauges of 37s are the same width to facilitate parts interchanging). The distance between the barrel and the magazine is also less making the 17 slightly more svelte.

What Ithaca did was try to take out as much hand work in the design as possible to maximize profit. Don't get me wrong, this was a very significant task and accomplishment. I do think something was lost in the process though.

The biggest downside is many of them were cut for "kids" guns, and even most of the uncut ones had 13 3/4" LOP. I've found an extreme difference in stocks outside of the standard plain stock and ringtail forends, which tend to be close in demension from year to year. One I have is very modern demensions with only about 2 1/4" drop and 14 1/4" LOP uncut.

These are uncommon but I'have examined close to half a dozen over the years. While there were more parts and a mano labor in their construction in terms of handling these are not as good as 20ga Wingmaster Upland Special with 23" VR barrel and Rem-choke tubes.

I have had: M12s, Wingmasters, 31s, 37s and lone 500. From those a minty 20ga Ithaca 37 was smoothest pump I have ever used. That was one from late 70s made during time when they put spurs on carrier prongs. When worked it left like there was some king of pump assist mechanism. Never experienced action like that before or since.

I had one of the original 20 ga. 870 Special Field with the 21" barrels (I think BPSs are the Upland Specials) and its handling didn't feel particularly good to me. Maybe the 23" barrel guns were better.

Jay

Wha??- I have a 1940 Model 12 field grade 28 gauge with a factory solid matted ribbed 28" barrel choked WS-2-- I'd like to have a flat of RST 28 gauge No. 8 shotshells for everytime I have had the same "myth" about the Model 12 solid ribs- it would be a machinist's nightmare to mill out a true cylindrical barrel with rib from a blank of nickel or nickel-chrome-moly steel--the M37 Ithacas and the Model 31 Remingtons and the Model 12's like 3 of mine (including the 28 gauge) all had their solid matted ribs soldered in place in a jig and fixture device--then rust-blued. I used to hunt preserve pheasants with a local peat farmer- who became a millionaire (but never dressed or acted like, say- Donald Trump) He could afford a Boss or a Purdey like I can afford a cup of coffee at McDonald's- yet he shot a 20 gauge M17 Remington with a solid rib and mod. choke for everything that had wings and flew in front of a pointing dog-- You couldn't write him a check big enough to get that M17 out of his big hands either-