Remington model 31
Encyclopedia
The Remington Model 31 was a slide-action shotgun that competed with the Winchester Model 1912
for the American sporting arms market. Produced from 1931 to 1949, it superseded the John Pedersen-designed Model 10 and Model 17 and was replaced by the less expensive Remington 870
.
enjoyed some success, a solid, 12-gauge featuring side-ejection was needed to compete with Winchester. C.C. Loomis sized up the Model 17 and adapted it for side ejection. The Model 31 was Remington's first side ejecting pump-action shotgun. Stocks were walnut with checkered walnut forend and later changed to a ribbed forend. The Model 31 was made in three different gauges with 121,000 12-gauge models made and 75,000 16- and 20-gauge examples also produced. There was also at least 3 different series of the Remington model 31 shotgun, The 1931 series, the 1934 series, and the 1941 series, as well as a Remington model 31 L light weight that was made with an aluminum receiver and trigger housing assembly that was offered by Remington beginning in 1941 to compete with the Winchester model 12 feather Weight model. There were certain changes made on the different series Remington model 31 pump action shotgun. The most noticeable being the trigger housing assembly on the different series. The internal parts inside the trigger housing assembly on the different series have completely different parts and they will not inter change between the different series. Despite being well received, sales still lagged far behind the Winchester. Remington went back to the drawing board and designed the Model 870; this model 870 shotgun was produced at a significantly lower cost because it was made with cheaper stamped out parts and faster to produce, where the Remington model 31, the Winchester model 12, and the Ithaca model 37 was made with quality milled parts and was hand fitted and finished, and the Remington model 870 wasn't. Quantity, not quality and cheap production cost is what killed the sales of the Remington model 31. Winchester model 12, and the Ithaca model 37. The Remington model 870 is no where close to the quality of the Remington model 31, Winchester model 12, or the Ithaca model 37. Despite the overwhelming success of the 870, many shotgun connoisseurs consider the Model 31 to be the ne plus ultra of pump shotguns with its "ball-bearing" slide action.
The Model 31 was later used as a basis for the modernized and simplified Mossberg 500, 590, 835 and Maverick 88 shotguns. The biggest differences being the use of aluminum alloy receivers in most variants.
Winchester Model 1912
The Winchester Model 1912 is a hammerless slide-action, i.e., pump-action, shotgun with an external tube magazine. Popularly-named the Perfect Repeater at its introduction, it largely set the standard for pump action shotguns over its 51 year high-rate production life...
for the American sporting arms market. Produced from 1931 to 1949, it superseded the John Pedersen-designed Model 10 and Model 17 and was replaced by the less expensive Remington 870
Remington 870
The Remington Model 870 is a U.S.-made pump-action shotgun manufactured by Remington Arms Company, Inc. It is widely used by the public for sport shooting, hunting, and self-defense. It is also commonly used by law enforcement and military organizations worldwide.-Development:The Remington 870 was...
.
History
While the Remington Model 17Remington Model 17
In 1915 John Browning patented a pump action, hammerless, under-loading, tubular-magazine, bottom-ejecting, take-down shotgun which became the Remington Model 17. The manufacturing rights were sold to Remington Arms shortly after, but due to the production efforts of World War I, Remington was...
enjoyed some success, a solid, 12-gauge featuring side-ejection was needed to compete with Winchester. C.C. Loomis sized up the Model 17 and adapted it for side ejection. The Model 31 was Remington's first side ejecting pump-action shotgun. Stocks were walnut with checkered walnut forend and later changed to a ribbed forend. The Model 31 was made in three different gauges with 121,000 12-gauge models made and 75,000 16- and 20-gauge examples also produced. There was also at least 3 different series of the Remington model 31 shotgun, The 1931 series, the 1934 series, and the 1941 series, as well as a Remington model 31 L light weight that was made with an aluminum receiver and trigger housing assembly that was offered by Remington beginning in 1941 to compete with the Winchester model 12 feather Weight model. There were certain changes made on the different series Remington model 31 pump action shotgun. The most noticeable being the trigger housing assembly on the different series. The internal parts inside the trigger housing assembly on the different series have completely different parts and they will not inter change between the different series. Despite being well received, sales still lagged far behind the Winchester. Remington went back to the drawing board and designed the Model 870; this model 870 shotgun was produced at a significantly lower cost because it was made with cheaper stamped out parts and faster to produce, where the Remington model 31, the Winchester model 12, and the Ithaca model 37 was made with quality milled parts and was hand fitted and finished, and the Remington model 870 wasn't. Quantity, not quality and cheap production cost is what killed the sales of the Remington model 31. Winchester model 12, and the Ithaca model 37. The Remington model 870 is no where close to the quality of the Remington model 31, Winchester model 12, or the Ithaca model 37. Despite the overwhelming success of the 870, many shotgun connoisseurs consider the Model 31 to be the ne plus ultra of pump shotguns with its "ball-bearing" slide action.
The Model 31 was later used as a basis for the modernized and simplified Mossberg 500, 590, 835 and Maverick 88 shotguns. The biggest differences being the use of aluminum alloy receivers in most variants.