1918 Remington - need help

[racerguy00]

Nice rifle Shotar.
You're not far from me at all. There's a show this weekend about 50 miles south not far off Rt. 11 that I normally go to but probably not this weekend. It's a pretty good one if you have never been there.

[desdem12]

[Shotar]

I am a regular at the Niles show, was thinking of going to see if I can find a cleaning rod. My reloading supplies guy will be there too. I planned on being there Saturday.

[racerguy00]

A couple of us are regulars there.
If I somehow am able to go it would be Sunday. Give me a heads up if there is anything interesting.

[Shotar]

Will do. I did hear back from Remington's historian today. She knows the rifle was sold to the US goverment, but we knew that too. As to the sunburst mark, she could not identify it, but is aware of a similar mark on the rolling block rifles. The starred square with eagle and initials she believes to be a National Guard or State Guard mark, but she does not know which one as she stated, many were lost to history. She did however say that the general form of the mark leads her to think US and in that time period. She knows mosins and also does not believe there are any foreign military markings on it, she affirmed that the Tsar's crest was stamped on by Remington. So, that's where I'm at with it.

The bore is now soaking in hoppes. Every dunking and every pass produces better and better rifling. I can detect no rust in the bore, just compacted carbon and gunk. The muzzle passes the bullet test with honors.

[Junk Yard Dog]

The vast majority of rifles sold to the US government ended up as DCM sales rifles for a few dollars during the Great Depression. A tiny number were used as training rifles during the Great War and some were used during the North Russian expedition in 1919-20. Of all the US bought rifles only a very few from that expedition could have fallen into Russian hands as US forces were in combat with Red Russians at that time and some rifles were left behind with White Russian's.

[desdem12]

Hmm ...And now I need a cocktail for some reason...

[Shotar]

The vast majority of rifles sold to the US government ended up as DCM sales rifles for a few dollars during the Great Depression. A tiny number were used as training rifles during the Great War and some were used during the North Russian expedition in 1919-20. Of all the US bought rifles only a very few from that expedition could have fallen into Russian hands as US forces were in combat with Red Russians at that time and some rifles were left behind with White Russian's.

So, that leave my rifle, with no foreign marks, what looks like a Guard mark, and a sunburst that Remington used in the 19th century, but also looks very much like an SCW Basque mark that has previously only been seen on 91/30s . How did it get from here to there and back here? More so, if it did make a trip overseas, what are the odds that it would remain all Remington, or not get dragooned or refurbed by the Russians? If it was SCW, how would the spanish get the Remington?

Did I mention that this is the smoothest Mosin action I've ever fired?

[Junk Yard Dog]

Many weapons were smuggled to the Republican forces in Spain from sympathetic American sources, some also traveled there with American volunteers who fought for Republican Spain. Highly unlikely that this rifle was one of them, these were a very common rifle on the US surplus arms market in the 20's and 30's, countless thousands were sold here and some survived intact. It's possible that it could have traveled to Spain with an American who then brought it home when the tide turned against the Republicans, but I think it would be a remote possibility as a privately owned rifle would be unlikely to get Republican government markings on it.

[Shotar]

This leaves me the quandry, I was tempted to take it to the show tomorrow and have some others look at it. My fear is that they will make offers and I don't really think I want to sell, but I've been known to be swayed in the past. It would take stupid money, but as mentioned, I am sometimes swayed. I do want to see if I can find a 91 cleaning rod though.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Leave it home, don't sell it, you will learn about the rifle in time, and you have time, the world will not explode for at least another two months. My first milsurp was a Swiss 1869/71 Vetterli, it required five years to even learn it was a 1869/71. That was before the age of home computers and the Internet.

[Shotar]

Yeah, I kind of already decided that. I can't let it go until I least know what it is. I don't really think of myself as a collector, more of a trader and accumulator. Pretty much everything I have is a shooter.

Still no trace of rust in the bore, but no end to the black gunk. Pvt someone must have shot this with cosmoline still in the grooves and created tar. At first I thought it was pitted or frosted, but those do not smooth out between brushing/patching.

[Junk Yard Dog]

It is likely very old cosmoline in the bore, that it's there makes it very likely this rifle has not fired a shot since it left US government control.

[Shotar]

Still cleaning. I get to the point where the patch is just gray, swab it again with hoppes, let set overnight and black when I patch it the next day. Layers of carbon with a thin coat of copper in between.

[Longcolt44]

Foaming bore cleaner is good for getting out the old built up gunk. Does the work of Hoppes in less time.

[Kyle]

Nice rifle, I would love to get a Remington in my collection.


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