Sorry for asking these questions on this board, but the people here are much more knowledgeable about such things.
I have recently come into possesion of a couple of Remington model 17 pump action shotguns. They are a lot of fun to shoot, and they handle beautifuly.
My questions are; what was the original finish on the wood of these guns, and is it true that they were rust blued?
Thanks very much, Pete Davis

It sounds like you may be wanting to refinish them. Not sure how they were originally finished, but, IMO, I would leave them as is and enjoy, which you already seem to be doing.

Yes, they are rust blued. Stock a no gloss finish.
Granite

Thank you,was the finish linseed oil or varnish?

Pete

I always thought a 20 ga model 12 was the pump gun! I picked up a model 17 with solid rib 28" modified choke and it weighs 5 3/4 lbs and handles and shucks with the best of them. My gun is original and has what appears to be a varnish finish on wood and rust blue on metal. I read somwhere that the solid rib is made with the barrel,not soldered on. Bobby

Thanks all, Bobby, I agree with you about the model 17 . It's one sweet handling pump.
Pete

Lets have a love fest over the 17. Hope Dave allows us the pleasure. Does a lightweight 20 pump get any better than the Rem 17. Mine is in excellent condition with rib and Poly and I have great fun switching from trap to skeet and tinkering with the settings. The Pickle is going to stay. Chucking the spent hulls on your feet is a real kick. I love that gun!!! Randy

The stocks were originally varnished at Remington. Not so much a "no gloss" as not much effort put into "glossing". Just a couple of coats, and out the door. They were also rust blued.
Best,
Ted

My little ol Model 17 has become my primary dove gun - dog dingus looking Weaver choke and all.

Brace your selves. I've been slammed every time I bring up 17s the last year or so and was even harassed to take an add off that would have created revenue, albeit small, for Dave. I bought my first 17 as a bad weather back up for my SW 20 and liked it so much I sold the Fox. I've had a few and while the barrels have appeared to be rust blued the receivers often seem to be more blue gray than black. I've questioned this on the Remington society board and no one seems to know what process was used on the receivers. What fascinates me is the solid ribs are not soldered but machined as part of the barrel.

Tim

They were rust blued as my 30's Model 17 still retains 95% of its finish. Stocks were varnished. It is one very fine pump gun! I am fortunate enough to have one with unaltered full choke 28" barrel. It reaches waaaay out for a little 20 bore. I love mine and it is the only one I've ever seen after a lifetime of nosing around gun shops. $220.00 out the door! What a bargain! Chopper

That is how Remington made ribs, both solid and ventilated, until the Model 11-48 and the Model 870 came out. For some reason, Remington began offering a vent rib on the Remington Autoloading Gun/Model No. 11 in the 1910 catalogue, but I don't find a vent rib offered on the Remington Repeating Gun/Model No. 10 until the 1923 catalogue, and then only on the No. 10T "Target" Grade?!? The No. 17 seems to have been offered with a plain barrel, a matted barrel or a solid rib barrel, but not with a vent rib.

I'm with you guys ! I own a solid rib 17 and it is one sweet 28" shooter. I will change mine up a tad by adding a best grade Eng. or Turkish stock followed up by fully engraving gun with gold birds and dogs. Of course, this will be a ways down the road until I can find some extra time to do work.

i have 56' vintage 20ga ithaca 37 26" ic and would not give it up for this remington or any other pump gun. what are you going to do when your ole' remington goes caput ......are spare parts readily available?

Yup, a deluxe grade Rem. 20ga model 31! I wish I had mine back...Geo

Got to admit though that my model 17 helps fill the void.

you will have better luck finding one of those ltwt 20ga model 870s with mahogany stock. i almost bought one but didn't have much need for 28" full choke gun, and std 20ga 26" ic barrel would not fit. they're great guns and not inferior to old 31 plus if anything breaks replacement parts are readily available.

I just love the spot-welded stamped ribs on the 870's. You've come a long way (down) Remington. Chops

Jagermeister, you're probably right about the 870 being more practical, but the model 31 is the ONLY pump I've ever seen that when you stand it on it's butt and depress the slide release, will cycle on its on; just from the weight of the slide and fore-end. It is a fast son-of-a-gun on a covey rise...Geo

The model 31 was designed on the model 17. Remington was competing with the model 12 at the time and many shooters preferred the side loading feature of the model 12. The model 17 was redesigned to make it side loading and was renamed the model 31.
I have two model 17s, one with a 28" plain barrel with a weaver choke and one with a 30" solid rib barrel. I have a Grade B with a 28" solid rib barrel on the way.
I have only been shooting these guns for a couple of months, but long enough to know I love them.

Pete

You haven't many Model 12s then!

my wwi era model 12 will not cycle itself on empty when slide release is pressed in. do they have to be heavily worn to do that. the "grandma" has about 60% finish left but looking at the bolt head and the "guts" when i striped it completely for cleaning it hasn't been shot much.

True enough; just one, a circa 1919 with two front ends. One is an original cylinder bore 24" and the second a 28" modified, both numbered to the frame. Its a great gun, but the slide won't drop on its own.

Boy, I like talking about pumps. Sure hope hOjO doesn't see all this and get mad at us...Geo

My 17 is a 2 barreled set, both numbered to the gun, solid rib 26" Mod. (opened to Cyl. before I got it) and a 28" Full.

Good condition but needs a restock, a bit sort for me.

You guys are bad to the bone--BAD, BAD, BAD! Almost as bad as chewing gum during Ramadan!

I have mmy father's 17 that he purchased used in 1929. Would not sell it and still quail hunt with it every few years. Great gun!

Has anyone ever seen a matted plain barrel on a 17? Or a 31? I just picked up a 1950 870 20g BDL with a 26" matted barrel but have never seen one on any other model despite adds that mention it.



I also have some 17 parts and buy them when I find them. Numerich has quite a few as well.

Most folks don't realize how similar a 31 is to a 17 and how different a 37 is. Common ideas, different guns.

Finding parts isn't that big a deal for model 17s, at least since the internet came along. Two or three being parted out there in cyberspace daily, it seems.

I have a gun that drops it's slide from the verticle position-a first year model 12. I'm pretty sure this fact is of no relevance to anything, least of all, shooting the gun with any proficiency. Retarded children, perhaps, might be amused by this display, at least for a while.

You want to impress me, show me a pump that ejects the spent empty, cocks the gun and cycles a fresh round when the slide lock is released while the gun is held verticle.

That would impress the hell out of me.
Best,
Ted

Tim, your 870 looks like BDL Grade(ADL at the least). If it is, it will be marked on the side of the receiver. They are not common these days. In those days the standard 870 was called AP Grade. These early 870s are very nice guns.
The ADL and BDL's were only offered with Matted or Vent Rib barrels. The AP were offered with Plain, Matted or Vent Rib barrels.

Don,

Your correct, it's a 1950 first year BDL #48,xxx.