doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com "new" Remington 17 from Bromely's

Tim,
My gun serial number is in the low 70,000 range, and the code on the barrel is CB-April of 1933, from what I know. No markings on the slide.

I have owned this gun 30 seasons as of September 17 of this year. When I got it, it had a Cutts on it, which rang like a bell when you shot it. Stan Baker shortened the barrel to 21", backbored it, installed screw in chokes and sold me two chokes, neither of which is marked-you stick a pinky finger in to tell which is tighter. It handles about like a 26" barrel double, I suppose, but, is a bit loud, and light, for all day type shooting. It hits birds hard.

Back when the world was a younger place, I used this gun when I was guiding birdhunts in central MN. It is the only gun I have shot a woodcock and grouse limit in one day with-5 of each. I got close a few years later with a 20 gauge Darne, but the last woodcock eluded me. I don't shoot limits of anything anymore, and usually knock off after a brace of birds.

It was my first repeater, and was purchased from my fathers deer hunting partner for $50, Jimmy Carter era dollars, and I dug bait and mowed grass all summer it seemed like to get it. Prime duty these days is a loaner for a cetain gunless friend (his wife won't let one in the house, or so he says) or as a first use gun for gun safety class kids, and, more often than not, their Moms or Dads. I haven't used it for perhaps a decade, but, I could never sell it. I refinished the wood in 1979 (it needs it again) and hurriedly installed a Galazon red recoil pad after the old Pachmayer that was on it broke in two in the mid 1990s! I should fit it up better one of these days.

Worth mentioning is the fact that I own two of the Kings Ferry Ithacas, a big 3" 12 with a deerslayer stock, used for trap, and a 16 Ultrafeatherlight with an aluminum receiver. This is a rare bird, they built less than 500 from what I understand, and with screw chokes and steel shot capability, something I should probably hang on to.

Enjoy the 17. I've been keeping an eye open for a spare barrel that is a bit longer for 20 plus years or so now, but, really don't need it. Mine handles great as is.
Best,
Ted

$2500 easy. There may be less than a handfull in existence. There were only 4 F grade mod 17s made. The E grade is rarer.
Granite

WOW!!!

No wonder you don't see them at firehouse gunshows!

Ted, I've thought about taking the poly off the barrel that was cold blued, rust blue it and use it for grouse. It would be around 24" or a little less. I have my eye on a King Ferry 3" gun for goose hunting, I probably need to move on it. It handles quite nicely and seems to be well made. The choke tubes are kinda nice as well.

Granite,

Can you tell me where that number comes from? Is there a book on 17's or does someone have the factory records?


Thanks, Rob

Ted,

About the date codes.

My 17 is a two barrel set, a 26" & a 30", both serial numbered to the gun, 117XX.

Both are marked on the left side, below the address, with the choke (MOD & FULL), a triangle, the serial number and S, a sideways wide U (almost like a big horseshoe but it might be a D) and a 3.

The 26" is stamped D(?) S 3 and the 30 is stamped S D(?) 3.

However the serial number on the frame (in front of the loading-ejection port) has a BO stamped above it.

Is the BO the date code? I doubt it as O wasn't used for a year code.

And S wasn't used for a month code. So would DS be the code for Sept., 1925?

I'm at work today but these are the codes, it's odd but maybe not unusual that an 28xxx gun is marked older than a 11xxx gun.

I'm going to look again at mine tonight. The one I just aquired has other stampings as well that someone told me represent it being sent back to the factory. Does anyone know anything of such codes?

B - Jan -- M - 1921 C - 1934 SS - 1947 G - 1960
L - Feb -- N - 1922 D - 1935 TT - 1948 H - 1961
A - Mar -- P - 1923 E - 1936 UU - 1949 J - 1962
C - Apr -- R - 1924 F - 1937 WW - 1950 K - 1963
K - May -- S - 1925 G - 1938 XX - 1951 L - 1964
P - Jun -- T - 1926 H - 1939 YY - 1952 M - 1965
O - Jul -- U - 1927 J - 1940 ZZ - 1953 N - 1966
W - Aug -- W - 1928 K - 1941 A - 1954 P - 1967
D - Sep -- X - 1929 L - 1942 B - 1955 R - 1968
E - Oct -- Y - 1930 MM - 1943 C - 1956 S - 1969
R - Nov -- Z - 1931 NN - 1944 D - 1957 T - 1970
X - Dec -- A - 1932 PP - 1945 E - 1958 U - 1971
------------B - 1933 RR - 1946 F - 1959 W - 1972



Using barrel codes (such as those listed above) to date the manufacture are reliable on Remington rifles, as the company rarely changed barrels on a customer's rifle.

Using these barrel codes to date a shotgun is somewhat unreliable, as shotgun barrels are often interchanged at random. One needs to be sure that the barrel is original to the gun before trusting the Barrel Code listing, above.

I have a weakness for engraved Remingtons as well as a few others. Several years ago I was trying to buy an F grade 17. I was too late, but did speak to the lucky buyer. He said he had records indicating only four F grades were built. When asked about E grades, he said that there were fewer E grades than F grades. As you know there were relatively a small number of 17s built. This E grade and the F grade I missed, are the only engraved 17s I have seen. BTW, I have had Ken Hurst engrave me a 17 in the style of an F grade. I cannot remember the name of the person that got the engraved 17. Someone in Michigan I think. Remembering becomes more difficult as the years pass.
Granite

Granite,

I'd love to see a photo of your engraved 17.

Tim

Granite,

Just wondering if you had any connections with Homer Koon and the Alpha Arms Rifles? They were located on Flower Mound. I've had three of the rifles and they were top shelf.

Ken

Haven't made his acquaintance. I'm not a rifle guy so I probably have missed him.
Granite