I bought my copy on September 17th, of 1977 for 50 whole dollars. It came from my late Father's deer hunting partner, a man I believe is still living and in his mid 90s. That would have been bait collecting money, I dug worms and caught crickets for pocket money when I was a kid. Mine had a cut stock, with about a 3" extension, and a hard-as-a-rock Pachmeyer pad on it, along with a vented Cutts. Both had to go.
Stan Baker eliminated the Cutts, cutting the barrel far enough back to get away from the bend that is part of a Cutts installation-I wanted a grouse and woodcock gun anyway. It came back 21" long, with two of his choke tubes, that he selected for the job at hand-I was about 19 when he worked on it, and glad to have his guidance. He included a Baker wrench for the tubes, fresh blue, on the barrel (all I sent him was the barrel) and a polished bore, one of his signature operations. I've never seen bores that compare to the job Stan Baker did.
I refinished the stock and put a new recoil pad on it at the cut length. I've had it long enough that it is on recoil pad number two under my ownership.
I bought a second 26" modified barrel for it off Ebay, from a parts gun from a gent in New Orleans. I also found, after using it for perhaps 30 seasons, a lefty safety, something I really could have used in an earlier part of my life. I might have simply stayed with the 17, if I hadn't had to fart around getting the safety off when I was hunting. But, the seed was already planted for aquiring a Darne, by the time the model 17 came along. The second barrel needs to be blued, it lived a really hard life, and bolted right up to the gun, with correct headspace, when I got it. Thank you, Eli Whitney. You 'da man.
I haven't fired it in a long time. But, I will. The last conversation I had with Steve Bodio, found him further into the grip of Parkinson's, and down to a Darne clone, a glass bedded LC Smith twelve that "handled like a Purdey", according to him, and a phenomenal little pump gun he had just discovered, that he wanted to tell me all about-the Remington model 17.
I told him he was a little late to the party.
I introduced Lloyd to my copy, and he informed me that "pictures don't do it justice". Mine was used as a loaner, and a gun safety trainer for many years, it has been used pretty hard, actually. I've killed buckets of grouse, woodcock, and pheasants with it. Weight, with the long rusty barrel, and the recoil pad, is 5 lbs, 14 ozs. With the longer barrel, and 2 or 3 rounds of ammunition in the chamber and magazine, it is a superb handling and balanced gun. With the short barrel, I actually stand a chance, taking a poke at early season grouse.
Do enjoy your new to you gun. Photo enclosed of my copy:
Best,
Ted
