Remington Model 11 Age Estimate?

andrewsw16

I inherited a very old Remington Model 11 shotgun from my grandfather and have been wondering about it's date of manufacture. It is an early model as it has the sliding safety inside the trigger guard and has no cutout lever on the left side of the receiver. The serial number is 74289.

That old humpback still shoots great. It is fun to have people stand just off to the side and watch the barrel recoil into the receiver during cycling. Many have never seen anything like it. JB sure had some cool innovations.

Herschel

andrewsw16, This link is taken from a "sticky" at the top of the forum. It will take you to a chart that shows what the date code means.
The date coded will be found at the left side of the barrel just forward of the receiver.

http://www.remingtonsociety.com/rsa/questions/barrelcodes

The cutoff lever is a feature of the Browning A5. It was never on the Model 11 Remington.

Edited after andrewsw16's second post. I have my grandfather's model 11, #314806, which also has the safety as you describe. It doesn't have the date codes on the barrel either. It does have the shotguns's serial number on the base of the ring on the barrel. I am not sure if a gun that came from Remington with two barrels would have the serial number on both. I didn't know how far back the sn chart went on the date codes. Still learning.

andrewsw16

Thanks for the link. I went there and read the chart. That chart appears to be only for rifles built after 1921, but I'll take a look at the barrels when I get home. I have two and do not know which is the original, or even if either of them are. They are so easy to interchange, you never know. Perhaps there is some listing somewhere that goes strictly by the serial number of the receiver. The story I got from Gramps when he passed it to me several decades ago, was that he thought it was made around 1911. If true, then that linked chart would be too late anyway.

andrewsw16

Well, finally had a chance to drag it out and check. No joy. Two barrels came with it. Both also stamped with the same serial number as the receiver, 74289, so they are probably the originals. The stocks have been replaced but the finish is very nice. Gramps probably had it reblued, since there is so little wear visible. The only other marking on each barrel was the label of Cylinder and Full. Any of you experts have access to a serial number-based DOM reference? Sure would like to know a bit more about this family heirloom.

asphalt cowboy

There isn't a ser# DOM listing that I am aware of Andrew.
Can you post images of all of the markings on your gun?

Remington manufactured a number of these prior to 1911 when it was officially named the Model 11. These were known as the Remington Autoloading Shotgun (IIRC, they are marked as such on the upper tang), often referred to as Pre-11's. I've never had the pleasure of handling on of the "Pre-11's", so I can't say for sure whether or not they were date coded.

Also, if you suspect that your gun has been re blued you need to check the recoil cushion in the rear of the receiver. Hot salts bluing most often destroys the fiber cushion and receiver cracks can result from firing it without the cushion.
Removing the bolt is the best way to inspect it, but you can tell whether it is present or it's general condition by removing the barrel, easing the bolt forward and peering in past the bolt and through the charging handle slot with a flashlight.

edit:
I just reread your previous, and my earliest is 227778 with date code of AN which makes it March 1922. Yours would be a much earlier gun.