Remington and the Sporting Arms Industry – More than Linked, Truly Intertwined

And if we were to talk about the war, we would find out that Remington served important countries like France, Britain and even Russia during World War I with rifles. Remington even provided arms for the Russian Revolution but unfortunately the payment was never completed and the company was on the verge of bankruptcy. They managed to survive developing a new line of sporting products and today they still maintain popularity in that field.

And how was America’s gun history influenced by E. Remington you may ask? Well, it does not take a genius to observe that Remington remained in history as an excellent gun manufacturer and one that respected tradition more than anything else. There is something special in every gun they’ve manufactured and we are going to take a closer look at some of their most popular models in the following lines.

There are perhaps hundreds, if not thousand of models made by Remington but some of the most popular are: auto-loading rifle model 740, slide action rifle model 760, bolt action 721, auto-loading shotgun model 1100 and slide action shotgun model 870. They will each be presented in a few short details, just to provide a better understanding on how much Remington has contributed to the writing of the American guns industry.

The auto-loading model 740 was introduced at the very start of the 20th century and managed to gain quick popularity. It was built on a very special recoil model and had rimless cartridges available in 25, 30 and 35 calibers. As the manufacturers at Remington were constantly looking to improve their products and make sure that they serve to the best interests of their clients, they’ve made some modifications to the 740 and introduced the 81 woodsmaster model. In just a couple of years, it was replaced by the 740 woodsmaster model that had implemented a special technology. It was a gas-operated self-loader and supported cartridges of 30-06, 244 and 280 Remington. Deluxe models were created at the request of the clients, interested to have the newest and most advanced products for shooting and hunting. Since then, it has gone through a wide variety of changes until 1980s when the 7400 model was introduced, providing one of the best auto-loading rifles for the sporting arms industry.

As for the slide action rifle model 760 there are many things to say that it will be quite hard to fit them into a few lines. The production started in 1912 and it was the first of a long line of slide action rifles that were going to revolutionize the way people thought about guns. It has the same drawback as the auto-loading model, not being able to support stronger cartridges but in the 1950s something happened. The first 14 model was substituted with the new and improved 760 model that had all the advantages a hunter could wish for. It was not too heavy, it was finely fitted to handle various cartridges, including the most powerful ones and it was almost indestructible. It had an incredible accuracy, extreme fire power and a 22-inch barrel. For connoisseurs, it was more than they could have ever wanted. Replaced in 1980 with a better model, the 7600, the slide action rifle certainly deserves its place in history.

We could talk about guns and their history for years and we wouldn’t finish. The bolt action rifles were especially defined by the 721 model. In 1921, the first sporting rifle using the bolt action mechanism was designed and sent to production. Back then it was called the 30 model and it didn’t take too long for it to be exchanged with an upgrade, called the 30 express model. The truth about this particular kind of firearm is that it didn’t quite manage to get the public’s attention until 1948 when two new models were announced. These where the 721 and 722, the first fitted for long cartridges such as the 300 Magnum and the second, logically, for shorter ones such as 275 Remington. An instant success, they’ve finally got the admiration of experts in the field. The year of 1962 brought new changes, making the arm even more interesting. Since then and up to 1999, these rifles series have increased in popularity and they are considered to be some of the most purchased sporting rifles worldwide.

The 1100 model is just another proof of how much Remington contributed to the development of the sporting arms industry. It is one of the first auto-loading shotguns ever made and one of the most popular indeed. There are many reasons for it being so widely asked for, including the gas-operated mechanism with softened recoil and increased shooter comfort. 1956 brought the introduction of a new model and in 1963 the appearance of the single gas-powdered gun was believed to be more than fortunate. For this model and just as for many other models standing under the Remington name, it was never about building or designing something to amaze. It was always about serving to the demand of the customers, providing enhanced comfort and innovative sporting arms. And just as the 1100 model and also the slide action shotgun 870 go to prove, it was always about respecting the highest standards of quality and improving constantly the flaws of existing models.

After browsing the Internet and reading all about Remington and its entire history, you are left with a sense of pride and amazement. How could one not be impressed by this American maker of firearms, rifles and shotguns? Even today, this company manages to maintain its integrity and want for better, respecting the same creeds as E. Remington did more than a few years ago. And we can all learn something from that, including how diverse and beautifully intricately is the history of American gun makers. We owe it to ourselves to find out more about these famous men and their place in American history!