Elric
Well-Known Member
Those Remodeled Remingtons By w. M. PUGH
American Rifleman, vol 63, no. 25, March 16, 1918 pages 485, 492
https://books.google.com/books?id=z...JzAA#v=onepage&q=Remodeled Remingtons&f=false
To think about, talk about, desire to have, and finally possess, have ever been and ever will be the logical steps by which the gun bug is led to produce The New in firearms.
Bruce Naylor, long-time member of the Baltimore Revolver Club for the past few months, has been traveling this road. Never once did he falter or fall out of the usual cadence, and as a result he has produced two target pistols which, for accuracy and finish, surpass any hand guns which have yet been seen down this way.
The guns started their careers as old .50 calibre Army model Remington pistols of the pattern which was patented May 15, 1864. The only external difference now apparent since their metamorphosis into target weapons is that No. 1 is blue-finished throughout, with plain wood stocks, while No. 2 has a case-hardened frame finish with checkered fore-end and grip. Each has also been equipped with modern sights.
Internally and balistically, however, they are fundamentally changed. No longer do they carry the heavy .50 calibre slug of olden days, but take the .44 Russian cartridge and spit it out with an accuracy which has amply paid Naylor for all the trouble taken in creating them. One is just about as accurate as the other, although No. 2 carries a trifle higher at 50 yards with the same sight setting as that on No. 1.
Now as to how the guns came into being: -First, Naylor thought that with all his one-hand guns he had not yet quite gotten the right one; then he entered into conversation with Snyder and this same Snyder told him that what was needed was a Remington, the final result being that Bruce followed the Snyder dope, faithfully. Indeed, Bruce is a prolific sort of mortal, after, the multiple disc plan, so he must needs buy not one Remington, but two and with his great good luck never deserting him, he secured good ones. After this came more talk with Snyder, which might have been further prolonged, but for the fact that the Remingtons needed Snyder at their works and called him to the bench as one who understood fine tool work.
After Snyder left some writing was in order and finally the two pistols were shipped to the Remington plant, to be rebarreled and otherwise refinished, the calibre of each to be .44 Russian, in place of the .50 calibre barrels, first on the two guns. A few weeks of waiting and then the guns were returned to Bruce, all finished and just as ordered, only more so; for as each of the members have said, the work done is the best they have ever seen.
Little difference in the refinish is noted except in the stocks, one being checkered and the other smoothly oil finished; barrels, sights, extractors, bore and chambering being identical; and the work on both the arms is of the best. Taking for a sample of this the most delicate barrel calibration, it is found that in the barrels, no loose pockets or rough places appear and the gauge does not show a variation in any way in the boring of either barrel of a half thousandth of an inch; while the finish of grooves and lands is up to a mirror-like smoothness. Such gun work has never yet been seen down in this neck of the woods, and Bruce is dancing round like the Candy Kid, to know that he now has the real thing in one-hand guns.
The weight of the guns before they underwent the remodeling process, is not known. Either of them now weighs a trifle less than 41 ounces. The new half-octagon barrels are 10 inches long. The sights are Lyman high front sights with ivory beads, the rear sights, Remington factory products, adjustable for drift and elevation.
The extractors are heavy with deep engaging groves and are finely beveled. They function certainly and quickly on a spent case, at once withdrawing it about 40 per cent of its length before the final finger motion. The distance between sights is 9 inches. The former trigger pull of these weapons was about 9 pounds as against the present adjustment for 3 pounds. The action is, of course, the old Remington Roller Block type.
As soon as the new pistols arrived, the problem of providing ammunition was in order. First it was necessary to obtain some empty primed shells and bullets, and to study a bit as to the proper charge, which being settled, Bruce began making his reloads and that means work when Bruce gets on the job.
A hundred or two will satisfy the average shooter, but not so Bruce. No; he just kept going until fifteen hundred reloads had been counted away in their boxes for the trials soon to come. Bruce is such a wonder at this reload game that a fact in connection with his moods and tenses that way, may be the thing in this article. This is it: a few years ago, he had a new Colt .45 Automatic and thought he had decided upon the proper bullet, thereupon he moulded night after night until 6000 bullets had been checked off into boxes and the family kitchen resembled the Krupp works at Stettin, with its vapors, gasses, smells and fierce heats, noise and the murmurs of Bruce in feeling terms at times when something went wrong in the work; then he fired a few of the bullets and found they did not do. He decided it was the Riley bullet he wanted and proved his case by scrapping the whole six thousand into the metal pot, get ting a Riley mould and with a few extra pounds of lead, soon had six thousand “Rileys.” All the boys down in Oysterville are ready at any time to back Bruce to the limit as champion remolder and reloader.
To get back to the Remingtons; they had to be tested, of course, and a general invitation was issued to the members to go out to the house of Pugh, who leads a sort of semi-frontier existence in the suburbs and has some range privileges in the woods nearby. Thither those of the bugs who could, accompanied Bruce as witnesses, tried and true and the shooting soon began and progressed, several taking hand. To relate all that went on would be out of harmony with the space allowed by the paper for such a skit. This much in summing up may be said: First, that the two Remingtons have it in them to make possibles, right along when held and pulled as pistols should be; again, they nearly made such possibles at the short twenty—yard limit, but what is really remarkable is the fact that for one string of ten shots fired by Bruce, at the extreme range of seventy-five yards, a score of 83 was made on fifty yard target. Do you get that ?—83 at 75 yards on 50-yard target; how often is it done or rather as they say, “It isn‘t done.”
After the first and some subsequent tests, it was found that the best charge to use—very likely there is none better—is the Anderton 205 Russian, with 1 to 15 alloy and for powder, 5 gr. down wt. of Unique; this powder seems to do better than Bulls Eye in these arms. In one test, forty shots of factory, black powder loads were fired from each pistol, and on cleaning, no leading with little powder fouling could be discerned; showing the fine boring of the barrels.
The tests showed the chambering to be quite close, so that the cartridges need just a tiny, continuous push to seat them and at end of shooting, but slightest trace of blow-back gas is to be noted around chamber and pin.
In closing, another word or two about the remarkable closeness of the shooting of the two pistols, with same setting of sights and holds; so close that as near as maybe averaged the smooth handle shoots exact and the check handle carries, say 3/10 of an inch higher at twenty yards; this after trying out say thirty shots with each, holding most carefully and in the same way otherwise conducting the tests.
Raymond Snyder tells on honor of one of these remodeled Remingtons of .44 Russian making, in the hands of its owner, an old westerner, a target score of 47 out of possible 50 at two hundred yards, the shooter holding firmly in both hands after two sighting shots to get the elevations; nor do we doubt this, having found Snyder to be a game lad, who shoots true and is an all-round fine young man.
American Rifleman, vol 63, no. 25, March 16, 1918 pages 485, 492
https://books.google.com/books?id=z...JzAA#v=onepage&q=Remodeled Remingtons&f=false
To think about, talk about, desire to have, and finally possess, have ever been and ever will be the logical steps by which the gun bug is led to produce The New in firearms.
Bruce Naylor, long-time member of the Baltimore Revolver Club for the past few months, has been traveling this road. Never once did he falter or fall out of the usual cadence, and as a result he has produced two target pistols which, for accuracy and finish, surpass any hand guns which have yet been seen down this way.
The guns started their careers as old .50 calibre Army model Remington pistols of the pattern which was patented May 15, 1864. The only external difference now apparent since their metamorphosis into target weapons is that No. 1 is blue-finished throughout, with plain wood stocks, while No. 2 has a case-hardened frame finish with checkered fore-end and grip. Each has also been equipped with modern sights.
Internally and balistically, however, they are fundamentally changed. No longer do they carry the heavy .50 calibre slug of olden days, but take the .44 Russian cartridge and spit it out with an accuracy which has amply paid Naylor for all the trouble taken in creating them. One is just about as accurate as the other, although No. 2 carries a trifle higher at 50 yards with the same sight setting as that on No. 1.
Now as to how the guns came into being: -First, Naylor thought that with all his one-hand guns he had not yet quite gotten the right one; then he entered into conversation with Snyder and this same Snyder told him that what was needed was a Remington, the final result being that Bruce followed the Snyder dope, faithfully. Indeed, Bruce is a prolific sort of mortal, after, the multiple disc plan, so he must needs buy not one Remington, but two and with his great good luck never deserting him, he secured good ones. After this came more talk with Snyder, which might have been further prolonged, but for the fact that the Remingtons needed Snyder at their works and called him to the bench as one who understood fine tool work.
After Snyder left some writing was in order and finally the two pistols were shipped to the Remington plant, to be rebarreled and otherwise refinished, the calibre of each to be .44 Russian, in place of the .50 calibre barrels, first on the two guns. A few weeks of waiting and then the guns were returned to Bruce, all finished and just as ordered, only more so; for as each of the members have said, the work done is the best they have ever seen.
Little difference in the refinish is noted except in the stocks, one being checkered and the other smoothly oil finished; barrels, sights, extractors, bore and chambering being identical; and the work on both the arms is of the best. Taking for a sample of this the most delicate barrel calibration, it is found that in the barrels, no loose pockets or rough places appear and the gauge does not show a variation in any way in the boring of either barrel of a half thousandth of an inch; while the finish of grooves and lands is up to a mirror-like smoothness. Such gun work has never yet been seen down in this neck of the woods, and Bruce is dancing round like the Candy Kid, to know that he now has the real thing in one-hand guns.
The weight of the guns before they underwent the remodeling process, is not known. Either of them now weighs a trifle less than 41 ounces. The new half-octagon barrels are 10 inches long. The sights are Lyman high front sights with ivory beads, the rear sights, Remington factory products, adjustable for drift and elevation.
The extractors are heavy with deep engaging groves and are finely beveled. They function certainly and quickly on a spent case, at once withdrawing it about 40 per cent of its length before the final finger motion. The distance between sights is 9 inches. The former trigger pull of these weapons was about 9 pounds as against the present adjustment for 3 pounds. The action is, of course, the old Remington Roller Block type.
As soon as the new pistols arrived, the problem of providing ammunition was in order. First it was necessary to obtain some empty primed shells and bullets, and to study a bit as to the proper charge, which being settled, Bruce began making his reloads and that means work when Bruce gets on the job.
A hundred or two will satisfy the average shooter, but not so Bruce. No; he just kept going until fifteen hundred reloads had been counted away in their boxes for the trials soon to come. Bruce is such a wonder at this reload game that a fact in connection with his moods and tenses that way, may be the thing in this article. This is it: a few years ago, he had a new Colt .45 Automatic and thought he had decided upon the proper bullet, thereupon he moulded night after night until 6000 bullets had been checked off into boxes and the family kitchen resembled the Krupp works at Stettin, with its vapors, gasses, smells and fierce heats, noise and the murmurs of Bruce in feeling terms at times when something went wrong in the work; then he fired a few of the bullets and found they did not do. He decided it was the Riley bullet he wanted and proved his case by scrapping the whole six thousand into the metal pot, get ting a Riley mould and with a few extra pounds of lead, soon had six thousand “Rileys.” All the boys down in Oysterville are ready at any time to back Bruce to the limit as champion remolder and reloader.
To get back to the Remingtons; they had to be tested, of course, and a general invitation was issued to the members to go out to the house of Pugh, who leads a sort of semi-frontier existence in the suburbs and has some range privileges in the woods nearby. Thither those of the bugs who could, accompanied Bruce as witnesses, tried and true and the shooting soon began and progressed, several taking hand. To relate all that went on would be out of harmony with the space allowed by the paper for such a skit. This much in summing up may be said: First, that the two Remingtons have it in them to make possibles, right along when held and pulled as pistols should be; again, they nearly made such possibles at the short twenty—yard limit, but what is really remarkable is the fact that for one string of ten shots fired by Bruce, at the extreme range of seventy-five yards, a score of 83 was made on fifty yard target. Do you get that ?—83 at 75 yards on 50-yard target; how often is it done or rather as they say, “It isn‘t done.”
After the first and some subsequent tests, it was found that the best charge to use—very likely there is none better—is the Anderton 205 Russian, with 1 to 15 alloy and for powder, 5 gr. down wt. of Unique; this powder seems to do better than Bulls Eye in these arms. In one test, forty shots of factory, black powder loads were fired from each pistol, and on cleaning, no leading with little powder fouling could be discerned; showing the fine boring of the barrels.
The tests showed the chambering to be quite close, so that the cartridges need just a tiny, continuous push to seat them and at end of shooting, but slightest trace of blow-back gas is to be noted around chamber and pin.
In closing, another word or two about the remarkable closeness of the shooting of the two pistols, with same setting of sights and holds; so close that as near as maybe averaged the smooth handle shoots exact and the check handle carries, say 3/10 of an inch higher at twenty yards; this after trying out say thirty shots with each, holding most carefully and in the same way otherwise conducting the tests.
Raymond Snyder tells on honor of one of these remodeled Remingtons of .44 Russian making, in the hands of its owner, an old westerner, a target score of 47 out of possible 50 at two hundred yards, the shooter holding firmly in both hands after two sighting shots to get the elevations; nor do we doubt this, having found Snyder to be a game lad, who shoots true and is an all-round fine young man.
