Remington Model 10

I received a phone call recently from a potential customer, claiming that he had this old shotgun that belonged to his grandfather (his favorite rabbit gun he reported) and that he was in the process of cleaning it up and possibly going to brown the metal.

He went on to say that he had taken the shotgun to two gun shops and was told in both cases that the gun was junk and, "Good luck finding anyone to work on it!" I asked him what the shotgun was and he quickly told me it was a Remington Model 10 pump shotgun in 12 gauge. I had done a little work on one of these in the past, so I asked him what he wanted done to it.

He stated that he mainly wanted the shotgun disassembled so that it could be cleaned and then left disassembled as he wanted to try his luck at browning the metal. After which, he would want my services again to re-assemble it. This seemed pretty straightforward to me and since he claimed it was in top working order, my interest peaked as many of these are typically broken or have parts missing. So, when I told him I would take it on, you can just imagine his delight. He was so very thankful!

Once I had the shotgun in my hands, I quickly found that it truly was still fully operational, albeit a tad sluggish from years of sitting after rusting and collecting household dust. The barrel was not dented; however, it was severely pitted in the bore from black powder use and the lack of cleaning for many years.

But overall, the shotgun was complete, the serial numbers on the barrel, trigger guard, and action all Top: Remington Arms Company Model 10 first listed in their catalog as the "Remington Repeating Shotgun" from the left side. The shotgun was offered in 12 gauge only with a six-shot magazine. The button shown in the center of the receiver is the action bar release. matched. From what I could tell, the action had never been opened up.

I decided to do some much needed research on it and was able to find some takedown information and other historical background regarding the old Remington. A Remington Owner’s Manual was located in my library and it mostly covers the safe use, care and cleaning, and also a listing of all Model 10 shotguns Remington had produced with their offered value when purchased new.

Besides the Owner’s Manual, I found some specific disassembly information with photographs contained within five books in my own personal library. In four of the five manuals, the disassembly steps, historical write up, disassembly drawings, and photographs were all exactly the same (reprinted). The best resource I found (and possess), however, is The Encyclopedia of Modern Firearms, Parts and Assembly, Volume 1 by F. R. "Bob" Brownell copyrighted in 1959.

This manual has a number of pages covering the Model 10 (among many other firearms) with functioning information, disassembly, how the parts interact with one another, and troubleshooting, along with many great photographs. I had purchased this encyclopedia from Brownells while in Gunsmith School and I have never been disappointed that I did. The cost of this book can and will most likely be recovered after just one repair on an old or obsolete firearm. This is one book that every gunsmith should own.

Model 10 History The Remington Model 10 shotgun had its place in history as a firearm produced many years ago and at that

This also shows the final locked position of the lever when the action has been reassembled to the barrel/ magazine tube assembly. Although the mechanism is substantially different, the operation of it is similar to that of the Winchester Model 12 takedown pin. time was considered to be a wellmade shotgun.

Back in 1908 to 1909, the Remington Arms Company produced and introduced anew pump shotgun (later to be known as the Remington Model 10) that was listed in catalogs as the "Remington Repeating Shotgun." This shotgun was a John Pederson (1881-1951) design, and history tells us there were drawings and patents for it as far back as 1903.

Around 1911, the Remington Arms Company became Remington-UMC (Union Metallic Cartridge Company) following a merger and it was then that the Remington Repeating Shotgun became known as the Remington Model 10. As far as serial number dating goes, it was around 1919 (post WWI) that the first serial number of the Remington Model 10 was purportedly found in Remington paper records. That serial number was approximately 172,xxx.

The shotgun on my bench bears the serial number of 196,386, so it was definitely produced after 1920. I have not located any materials that describe serial numbers by date or year as of this writing. In addition to the Model 10, Remington also produced a Model 10-A Trench Shotgun during World War 1, which was reportedly a modified Model 10 with a shortened barrel (23"), the addition of a sling swivel, a wooden heat shield placed over the barrel, and an adaptor lug/mount for the Model 1917 bayonet.

There were approximately 3,500 of these trench guns produced by Remington according to old historical records, with a serial number production range of between 128,xxx to 166,xxx. There were also reportedly some Model 10- As with 20" barrels and others between 26-30" for specific uses. The shotgun on my bench sports a 28" modified barrel and has never been cut down or shortened. According to Remington, Model 10 production stopped around 1929.

According to history, all Model 10 shotguns produced came in 12 gauge only and approximately 275,500 were manufactured. Of interest to me is that these shotguns were/are "hammerless" (essentially a striker fire type of action), something not common among firearms manufacturers back in that time period.

The various types of these shotguns are listed in the original Owner’s Manual, such as the Number 1 "Standard Grade"; the Number 2 "Special Grade"; the Number 3, "Trap Special Grade"; the Number 5 "Expert Grade"; the Number 6 "Premier Grade"; the Number O "Riot Grade"; and a solid matted rib could be had on certain barrels for an additional cost. The Owner’s Manual also includes a schematic and parts list, however, the parts list numbering does not match those published in the manuals I reviewed.

The shotgun on my bench has a 2 9/16" chamber. I have run across some chatter among Model 10 owners about this shotgun pertaining to chamber length offerings but there is no definitive source of information that lists this shotgun being offered with a 2 3/4" chamber, at least that I could locate. It is, therefore, imperative that you check the cham-

This is not necessary unless you are replacing the barrel. Note the solder where someone has repaired a crack or two in the thinnest part of the collar. ber length of your Model 10 (or any old shotgun) before ever introducing alive round to fire it. And, don’t make the mistake of using a small steel ruler to measure the chamber. You must use chamber gauges.

I say this because if you were to give ten people a chamber to measure with a small steel ruler (or anything other than a chamber gauge) you will come up with 10 different measurements. Just because you can "feel" the ruler rubbing up against the start of the forcing cone does not mean that is an accurate measurement.

And just because you can chamber a 2 3/4" shell does not mean "since it fits, it will work." Firing a 2 3/4" shell in a short chamber will exponentially increase pressures in a barrel that was never made to endure them. This is due to the fact that when fired, the crimped area of the hull opens outward, and when restricted, will force pressures far beyond those intended for this shotgun. These shotguns were designed and produced to handle black powder shells, which has much lower pressures when fired.

Therefore, my recommendation here is that you never fire any live ammunition from these old guns. And you should never tell a customer or potential customer that it might "be OK a couple of times" with light loads. Folks, you just do not know for sure if the advice will result in a blown barrel and injury to the shooter. It just isn’t worth it. In the case of the shotgun on my bench, the deep pitting in the bore makes it especially risky to fire any shotshell through it.

And so, the customer was informed of just that. Disassembly/Reassembly Having covered the background information on this old Remington, let’s proceed with taking it apart. Before you begin, make sure that you have the correct screwdrivers or screwdriver bits for the job and plan on being very patient with the take down operation. This is not a job to be rushed. Getting started, first work the action to be certain there is no ammunition in the chamber or magazine tube.

Open the action and visually inspect the breech and magazine tube follower. Once you are certain it is not loaded, close the action and pull the trigger to take pressure off the firing pin. Begin by pushing the magazine lever from the left side (smaller end) so that it opens up and outward to the right side. Grasp the lever and turn it a quarter turn so that the lever is below the barrel. This unlocks the threads on the magazine tube from the receiver.

Now grasp the magazine lever and align the slot with the barrel band/lug and wiggle it forward while pulling towards the muzzle of the barrel so that the magazine lever clears the barrel band/lug. Once clear, finish pulling the magazine tube and action bar far enough forward so that they clear the face of the receiver. Once clear, turn the barrel, action bar, and forend stock along with the magazine tube assembly clockwise a quarter turn.

Separate the barrel, forend, and magazine tube assembly off the face of the receiver. Those of you that work with the Winchester Model 12 will see distinct similarities here. The barrel has an adjusting bushing like

Go slow and be mindful as to how the two parts intersect when reinstalling them. the Model 12 so that you can tighten the assembly if it works loose over time. I’ll cover that later. With the barrel, forend, action bar, and magazine tube separated from the receiver, continue disassembly of that unit. Begin by locating the magazine lever detent attached to the magazine lever. Use a small screwdriver bit or just pull sharply on the lever to release the detent from the magazine tube plug.

Once the detent is released, the magazine lever and plug assembly can be pulled rearward to clear the barrel lug/band. Once clear, pull down at an angle on the magazine tube and It must go back into the receiver in this same position and not be forced into place. Be careful here during removal. then forward towards the muzzle to separate the magazine tube and forend/action bar from the barrel.

Once separated, return the magazine lever to the closed position within the magazine plug by depressing the magazine detent and inserting it back into the plug. What you want to do here is essentially return the magazine lever to the fully closed position. This is necessary so that you can pull the magazine tube out of the forend/action bar rearward.

You will need to turn the magazine tube as you withdraw it from the rear of the action bar so that you align the tabs mounted on the magazine tube with the slot openings on the action bar. This will release the magazine tube from the forend assembly.

With the magazine tube removed, remove the forend nut from the forend wood with a spanner wrench (a Winchester Model 12 spanner wrench works great here.) Unloosen the forend nut and remove it completely as this will now allow you to gently turn and withdraw the action bar from the forend wood. Remove the bar carefully so as not to crack or break the forend wood.

Turning attention back to the magazine tube, remove the magazine tube lever and magazine tube plug (combined assembly) by taking out the two magazine plug set screws that hold the assembly in the magazine tube. Note here that the magazine plug is under coil spring pressure, so when removing the second plug set screw, hang on to the magazine plug so it does not come flying out. The plug assembly will come out together along with the magazine tube spring and magazine tube follower.

To disassemble the magazine tube lever from the plug, begin by drifting the magazine lever pin out and this will separate the lever from the plug. To remove the magazine lever detent and magazine lever detent spring from the magazine lever, drift the small magazine lever detent pin out and this will release the detent and detent spring. Back to the barrel.

You can remove the barrel lug/ band by removing the set screw that secures it to the bottom of the barrel, but it won’t be necessary to remove it for refinishing. To remove the barrel collar from the barrel (located at the breech end) unscrew it counter-clockwise from the back of the barrel. The threads on the

Look familiar? It resembles and functions like that found on the Winchester Model 12 and is used to tighten up the barrel assembly to receiver fit. The safety is somewhat clumsy to use but does its job. It essentially blocks the trigger from moving when applied in the safe position. collar are the same as those used to secure the barrel to the receiver. Typically, you wouldn’t remove the collar unless you are replacing the barrel completely. The sight bead can be removed with a small bead vise if needed.

This completes the disassembly of the barrel, magazine tube, forend, and action bar assembly that has been separated from the receiver. Reassembly is done in reverse with no specialized reassembly tips needed here. Moving on to the receiver, you’ll want to take a break and prepare yourself mentally knowing that patience will be required here. To begin disassembly, first remove the trigger guard check screw from the right side of the receiver. Then, remove the trigger guard screw completely.

Next, remove the tang screw check screw located on top of the tang where it meets the rear of the receiver, then remove the tang screw completely. Grasp the buttstock near the base of the grip area with one hand and use the other hand to pull the receiver forward and off. Do not twist, just pull them apart. The trigger guard will slide out of the receiver along a track and will be secured to the buttstock.

And the reason you should grasp the buttstock further back is now evident—the front of the buttstock is hollow where the trigger guard was inletted. This is why so many of these shotguns had broken stocks. You’ll notice that the trigger and safety stay with the trigger guard. To disassemble fully, first remove the butt plate screws and the butt plate. Using along hollow-ground screwdriver, remove the buttstock bolt and stock bolt washer. This allows the buttstock to pull off the trigger guard assembly.

From here, remove the trigger by drifting out the trigger pin from right to left. This will also release the trigger spring so keep an eye on it when removing the trigger. It is a small coil spring. Remove the safety slide by drifting the safety slide pin out from left to right. Again, keep a watchful eye for the safety slide ball and safety slide spring as they are released when removing the safety slide from the trigger guard.

This completes the buttstock, trigger guard, trigger, and safety disassembly and reassembly is simply reversed. Turning our attention back to the receiver, begin by using a small screwdriver (tip) to lift up on the carrier stop located on the left side of the receiver. It is held in place by the carrier so just lift it up with the screwdriver bit and it will pop out. Now is the tricky part.

The manuals all say to just depress the action bar lock button, and at the same time, pull upward on the rear of the bolt assembly so that it moves past the recoil shoulder. To be honest, I tried this over and over and found that the bolt would not release (move downward out from the recoil shoulder.) After many tries, a close inspection revealed that the action bar lock was sprung outward and was preventing the bolt from moving downward enough to release it.

I used a small scribe to depress the action bar lock from inside the receiver (between the bolt and receiver wall) and the bolt then slid right down or away from the recoil shoulder. From here, carefully pull the bolt assembly and carrier rearwards until they both are extracted from the receiver. As you pull the two parts rearward, watch the relationship of the carrier and how it locks into the side of the bolt in a track.

With the bolt and carrier removed, access any missing or broken parts contained within the bolt. I did not strip this bolt down because there was no need to and any attempt to do so could weaken or break critical parts that are not yet broken. The customer’s plan to brown the action and barrel did not necessitate disassembling the bolt assembly. I did remove the action bar lock button and action bar lock button spring by pressing inward on the button from outside of the receiver.

To break down the bolt further (when necessary), start by removing the sear spring after taking out the sear spring screw. The sear, firing pin, extractor, and extractor spring can now all be removed by drifting out the retaining pins that hold them in place. The action bar lock is removed by drifting out the action bar lock pin. The extractor spring is very thin, so be very careful re-

2 Action Bar Lock 3 Action Bar Lock Button 10 Barrel Adjusting Bushing 14 Breech Block 18 Stock Bolt 20 Carrier 23 Carrier Stop 25 Cocking Head 27 Ejector Spring 28 Extractor moving it. Again, I would not ever disassemble this bolt assembly unless absolutely necessary to repair it. These guns were handmade to very tight tolerances. When reassembling the bolt and then replacing the bolt into the receiver, simply reassemble in reverse.

Just make certain to start the carrier into the receiver first and then interlock the tail of it with the cutout located on the right side of the bolt and slide them both in together at the same time. Never force this assembly into place. Back to the receiver.

Notice that there is a barrel adjusting bushing, Remington Model 10 (Speci ications subject to change without notice) 30 Extractor Spring 31 Firing Pin 32 Firing Pin Bushing 34 Forend 35 Action Bar 37 Forend Nut 38 Guard 39 Mainspring 40 Magazine Lever 43 Barrel Lug 44 Magazine Lever Detent 47 Magazine Tube 50 Magazine Plug 51 Magazine Follower 53 Receiver 55 Safety Slide 59 Sear 61 Sear Spring 64 Trigger 69 Action Bar Lock Shoe barrel adjusting bushing lock, and barrel adjusting bushing lock screw at the face of the receiver.

This design is identical to the Winchester Model 12 bushing assembly and enables the owner to tighten the barrel/magazine tube assembly to the receiver if it becomes loose through use. Unscrew the barrel adjusting bushing lock screw and lift up on the barrel adjusting bushing lock.

Move the barrel adjusting bushing counterclockwise one notch at a time, then reassemble and test fit the barrel fit to the receiver until you get a tight connection (no felt bump between the two when reassembled.) You should not have to force the fit of the barrel to the receiver when adjusted properly. That completes the disassembly and reassembly of this shotgun. This is one shotgun disassembly that takes a whole lot more to write about than to reassemble it.

With the shotgun disassembled as far down as I have specified, it should only take about 15-20 minutes to reassemble it fully. As far as issues with this model shotgun, I have heard that the carrier causes the most problems; being frail, it breaks easily. And over time, it can lose timing and no longer feed shotshells into the chamber. Since the carrier is so fragile, it can easily break; especially if/when the action is worked harshly or sharply.

These carriers are now extinct, so if you have a gun still in operating condition, be gentle with it. If you get a Model 10 in with broken forend wood, you can still get original replacements for it along with aftermarket forend wood. Parts for this old bottom eject Remington continue to dry up or are already extinct. And as mentioned previously, no one should shoot these old guns because they just cannot tolerate the higher pressures of today’s modern smokeless powder.

I talked with my customer about not shooting it and he agreed, it was not worth the chance—both for ruining a working shotgun with such sentimental value and the great risk of injury, especially after I showed him photos of the pitted bore. And so I will await the return of this shotgun from the browning job my customer plans to do on it. I bet she will look beautiful when done and he’ll also have a fine working specimen. I feel very fortunate to have had a chance to work with this old shotgun.

It has survived a time long gone and nearly forgotten. I suspect this gun will be handed down through the family for many more years. I can hardly call this shotgun "junk." AG