remington 31 problem

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john peek
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2012 8:42 pm

remington 31 problem

Post by john peek »

Need help on a remington mod 31 shotgun. The shell lifter often does not lift the shell high enough so it snags on the chamber (lower edge). Makes a lovely old gun unreliable and I would love to use it more.
RufusG
Posts: 23
Joined: Tue Feb 06, 2007 5:39 pm
Location: AZ

Re: remington 31 problem

Post by RufusG »

The carrier is a long dogleg piece that pivots from waaay back in the receiver. If the "knee" of the carrier wears a bit, the bolt slide will not lift it up high enough on the forward stroke for the shell to clear the bottom of the barrel. Simplest thing is to replace the carrier with one with fatter knees. Depending on the gauge/pattern you may find a carrier on GunBroker or elsewhere. I have some 12 gauge carriers laying around that might work. What's your gauge/SN?
john peek
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2012 8:42 pm

Re: remington 31 problem

Post by john peek »

Can't thank you enough for your help. May not be as simple as it seems as I am living in Australia and getting a part here might be tricky.
The gun is a 12 g, made in 1946, sn 73074 I think. Steel receiver
There is a story to it which might interest you. An old shooting partner of my fathers had a remington 31 which he bought from a Marine in the Pacific in 1945. He used that gun on duck and everything else until 1996 when our govt banned ownership of pump and auto shotguns to civillians. He let me shoot that gun sometimes whne I was a teenager and I just could not miss with it. He promised to leave it to me but it got confiscated which broke our hearts.
I recently bought a farm which made me eligible to own a pump gun. With third finger firmly raised at authority I went to great lenghts to get a Remington 31 in memory of my dear friend. I got it on Gunbroker and finally got approval to import it. I would be very interested in getting some parts from you if it could be done. Grape harvest is coming up in a few months and I would like her rocking and rolling by then. I also thought that if I got the bit chrome plated that might take up the wear. What do you think? Thanks again for your reply.
RufusG
Posts: 23
Joined: Tue Feb 06, 2007 5:39 pm
Location: AZ

Re: remington 31 problem

Post by RufusG »

Well, I hadn't counted on that. I have no idea what's involved in sending a gun part Down Under. If you want to give it a try email me (see previous private message). I might have one that would work better.

Your 31 is what is referred to as a '41 pattern, the last of the three variations. The carriers do not interchange across the patterns, so you would need one out of a gun with a SN higher than around 35XXX to 37XXX (not sure of the exact cutoff).

I have measured the "knee" of various carriers that either worked all the time or didn't, and in my opinion chrome plating would not add enough "meat" to the knee to make a huge difference, but that's just my opinion and I'm not a gunsmith. I assume it would be possible to have some additional "meat" welded onto the knee and then shaped but I'm not a welder or machinist either.
lonmower
Posts: 7
Joined: Tue Nov 20, 2012 5:33 am

Re: remington 31 problem

Post by lonmower »

john peek wrote:There is a story to it which might interest you. An old shooting partner of my fathers had a remington 31 which he bought from a Marine in the Pacific in 1945. He used that gun on duck and everything else until 1996 when our govt banned ownership of pump and auto shotguns to civillians. He let me shoot that gun sometimes whne I was a teenager and I just could not miss with it. He promised to leave it to me but it got confiscated which broke our hearts.
I recently bought a farm which made me eligible to own a pump gun. With third finger firmly raised at authority I went to great lenghts to get a Remington 31 in memory of my dear friend. I got it on Gunbroker and finally got approval to import it. I would be very interested in getting some parts from you if it could be done.
If it is okay with you, and with RSA, I would like to repost this quote on a social network. There is a bit of a debate going on about gun control, and my circle of friends (and myself) had no clue you guys have been dealing with this for the past 16 years? It sounds like a gunowner's worst nightmare, especially the "confiscate" part. Hope you make out okay with your model 31.
"Everywhere is within walking distance, if you have the time." Stephen Wright
john peek
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2012 8:42 pm

Re: remington 31 problem

Post by john peek »

to ionmower, go right ahead. It was awful. It happened in 1996 after a known mental patient stole an assault rifle and shot 36 people at a tourist attraction. The govt banned all semi autos and pump shotguns as well as semi auto centrefires and rimfires. We have had registration for years so we had to line up and hand them in. We did get paid for them but that was irrelevant. It was the saddest day of my life, lining up with my firends and handing the police the guns I had used legally for decades. I still can't look at a uniform. You couldn't buy plastic tubing of the required size for ages so there is an awful lot of "time capsules" in Australia!
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