doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Remington 1889 (1950's factory replica) 20 guage

Yup, the big boys at Remington loved those Ohio game wardens. Are the guns highly engraved? Fancy wood? We would surely like the pictures. Even a scan of the letter would be nice.

Yeah, Bill, There is something wrong with this story. I can't imagine some of us have never hear of anything(at least a little) about these guns.

Hey guys, I knew this would be the place to get answers. I'm no expert and never claimed to be. I was looking for my dad a pair of antique spurs when I ran across this gun. The letter looks official, but who knows? I've called Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) to see if they had any history on these guns and/or authenticate the letter. But nothing yet. X-mas and Muzzleloading season going on right now so I'm sure their busy. The gun says Remington Arms on each side of the receiver and nothing else. Exposed hammers and definetely 20 guage. I knew the last Remington SxS was made in about 1910, but have never even had my hands close to one, let alone know anything about them. I'm going to get pictures on very soon and I'm sure that will help. I'm a regular reader on this site and I knew better than to post w/o pictures. Sorry.

Lloyd, Since you're in my area, would it be possible for me to see this gun.. MDC

Wouldnt it be funny if it ended up being an old hardware double that some old farmer from ohio fit a pair of Remington locks to for some reason or another? That seems to be a logical answer, since it appears nobody has heard of this gun before. If it is the real deal, why was it so unpublished and secretive? Can anyone think of old publications that would give us any insight on the gun? Maybe a 50s Shooters Bible or any of the numerous books written about Remington Arms? All I can say is pictures pictures pictures!

Yes, pictures are the clue. Posters on this site know a bit more about Remington shotguns than the office staff at Ohio Department of Natural Resourses. "Some old farmer", CM, wouldn't have faked the letter "for some reason or another". The "some reason or another" would be to hoodwink a future purchaser. I have seen more than one sidelock Crescent Arms .410 with Parker Brothers or L.C.Smith stamped (not engraved) on the sideplates.

Good point eightbore, I completely forgot their was a letter involved. I am now agreeing with eightbore, in that somebody was probably trying to make a pretty penny on this. Wonder if old master gunsmtih Ed sold the gun to antique dealer, hehehe.

Iron Man:

I think someone in the chain of title to the gun decided to snooker the next guy in the chain of title.

Why?

1) Commemoratives or "Specials" are produced for advertising and marketing purposes. Everyone knows about Ithaca's DU guns, and the commemoratives produced for Quail Unlimited. Anniversary guns such as S & W 125th , ec. are ballyhooed and photographed and accompanied by press releases. Doesnt seem likely that such a gun would be secret, or even unknown to the collector set.

2) Where would Remington get the frames? Surely they had not been sitting around the shop since 1904. ( I know that Cyril Adams found ONE unfinished action when he bought Atkin, Grant and Lang - but to find 88 hanging around strains credulity). Fabricating frames from scratch seems enormously far fetched - thats what makes English guns so expensive.

3) Why 20g? I would expect a game warden to prefer a 12g.

4) If Remington wanted to do a special thing for the 88 Game Wardens of Ohio, why not a special - made Remington 11-48, or one of the then-new, cutting edge Wingmaster 870 pumps? What good, from a marketing standpoint, could Remington accomplish from the GREAT expense of 88 special made shotguns, when those shotguns are not in the regular sales line, and cannot be expected to produce other sales or justification for the expense on the bottom line?

5) Gifts to public officials, simply because they are public officials, are frequently illegal, or must be handled through very narrow and controlled channels. Another reason this sounds, odd, to say the least.

6) Perhaps the Ohio DNR is more forthcomiong than most agencies, but I would expect it to be impossible to get most bureaucracies to acknowledge, in writing, the purchase or acquisition of a box of paperclips, much less shotguns, even in 1950.

7) I would suggest you give the alleged 1950's letter the Dan Rather "Microsoft Word" text test.

I look forward to pictures, but my guess is someone has put one over on someone in the chain of title, and has managed to turn a 50 buck gun into a 1000 buck gun with a little creative gunsmithing and fiction writing.

Of course, I could be wrong ,I have been in the past and likely will be in the future. Nonetheless, never forget "Caveat Emptor".

Regards

GKT

Sounds like a 16 that's been sleaved to a 20. Just a thought. If it was done right it's a nice shooter.

Again.
JR