[Milkmaster]

Today I set a path forward to restore a 1958 vintage Remington model 1148 in .410. The wood is off and will go through a strip and refinish. Disassembly is also in progress to let the parts soak in preparation for some scrubbing. All went well except for not being able to remove the charging handle. I am assuming it comes out by pulling it, but I was unsuccessful. I will not force it and cause a worse problem. I am hopeful a gunsmith friend of mine can help me tomorrow. Maybe he can show me a trick from experience to get that charging handle out without damaging the gun. I have attached some pics. Stay tuned...

[TurtlePhish]

Tagging on for future progress...

[Rail Driver]

I have a 12ga barrel for that model gun. If you know anyone looking for one please send them my way!

Good luck with the resto. I'm interested to see how it turns out!

[single stack]

I too am looking forward to your progress with the
restoration process.
You've taken some nice close-up photos as well.
Thanks in advance and good luck.

SS

[Milkmaster]

Difficulties right off the bat....I have been working two days soaking and even heating the charging handle a bit trying to remove it from the 1148. Nothing I have found in the manual or by asking older knowledgeable folks suggests anything special to remove the charging handle. It is supposed to pull straight out best I can tell. So far no luck. I do not want to cut it off until I find out if it is the same charging handle as say an 1100 or 870. A trip to a good gunsmith may be coming up soon unless my luck changes.

[rugerman]

I used to have a 11-48 I had the opposite problem the handle fell out all the time I finally drilled a hole thru it and put a lanyard on it & tied it to the trigger guard. It pulled out had a detent ball if I remember correctly. I'd spray it down with oil, let it soak and give it another try.

[rcmodel]

Are you trying to remove the bolt handle with the bolt locked open?

I believe it comes out with the barrel removed, and eased bolt foreword all the way.

rc

[Milkmaster]

I am trying it any and every way possible. I have been soaking it for several days. I have pulled, heated it slightly, tapped on it, backwards, forwards, and standing on one foot. Still no luck. The manual says to wiggle it and pull it straight out. I think maybe the detent ball could be corroded, but I can't see it. I would cut off the handle and remove the bolt if I knew I could find another one. Then I could get to the other side of the bolt and probably see what the problem is. I am not cutting anything yet. I have a good gunsmith I want to see it before I do anything rash. He has been sick and will not be able to look for a time.

[Rail Driver]

See if numrich has the part you need. gunpartscorp.com if I'm not mistaken, but google will tell you for sure.

[dprice3844444]

http://www.stevespages.com/ipb-remington-1148.html

[dprice3844444]

http://stevespages.com/pdf/remington_1148.pdf

This might help you?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Remington 11-48 Semi-Auto Shotguns


Model 11-48: This model was the first of the "New Generation" semi-auto shotgun produced after the war & is considered a recoil operated firearm.
It's model number was derived from the older model 11 that the recoil system was copied from & the newer stamped out internal parts that have become so popular since, developed in 1948, but not introduced until 1949. It was discontinued in 1968. It was made in 2 3/4" 12, 16, 20, 28 ga, & 3" 410. The walnut stocks were machine checkered. There was no engraving on the receiver. It utilized many stamped out sheet-metal parts, & an aluminum trigger housing that became common to most all of the Remington line of pumps & semi-autos that allowed easy removal by pushing out 2 pins that are spring detented to hold them in place. It 's magazine held 4 or 5 rounds.
Remington 11-48
The receiver was machined from a solid billet of steel. The magazine tube & action spring tube were silver-soldered into the receiver.
This firearm functions by using 2 opposing springs. One small diameter, but strong spring is housed in a approx 1/2" tube that is silver soldered into the rear of the receiver & protrudes into the buttstock. The rear external portion is threaded that then is utilized to hold the buttstock onto the receiver with. Inside this tube the spring has a follower fitted to the front & 2 heavy sheet-metal links pinned from the breech bolt drive the follower rearward & subsequently back forward to close the action.
At the same time there is a large coil spring around the magazine tube that puts friction against bronze plated steel friction rings on the front that are pinched in the barrel hanger bracket on firing & subsequent recoil. This recoil spring is made in different compression strengths & is critical to the actual power of the round used in the gun. It is critical that the magazine tube be lightly sanded lengthwise with light emery cloth & a light coating of oil of about 30 weight motor oil on this tube for the gun to function properly
Also any recoil operated firearm can be very sensitive to how the person firing it holds the gun. The word is that you have to "Back it Up". This means that you need to hold it tight against your shoulder. A skinny 110# weakling will have trouble with the gun not cycling, while a 250# logger may well have no trouble at all. The guns have to have some resistance to function properly.
One of the Remington service personnel said that this gun never really worked when it was new & that he was glad that he came onto the scene right after it was discontinued as the factory repairmen could always count on something to do when they showed up for work. He said that they could get it to function with one brand of ammo & another brand would malfunction.
I used one for a good number of years & never really had a problem, even with reloads.

Gunsmithing the11-48: Spare parts are not available from Remington if you order from the 11-48 list. However the firing pins, FP springs, extractor, spring & plunger for the 870 will interchange. The 11-48 operating handle is held in by a detent plunger putting pressure on the bottom of this handle. The current model 1100 handle #91197 is designed to accommodate both the 11-48 bottom plunger & the 1100 plunger which comes in from the rear. Therefore you can use the 1100 handle on the 11-48 series guns.
The friction piece & shell latch are usually the first to need replacement. Recently Gun Parts Corp. has listed these friction pieces in their catalog.

When this gun starts spitting operating handles, the usual things to look for will be a weak detent plunger spring. These detent plungers are however factory staked into the bottom of the bolt slide & not really designed to be replaced.

I had one customer bring a gun in with a hole drilled in the outer end of the handle & a piece of fish line tied into it & on to the trigger guard, so that he could recover the handle when the gun spit it out.

In all actuality the handle is only needed to charge a live round into the chamber or to extract a live round. It does not effect the firing of the gun.

On the above gun, after much trial & error, then some head scratching, I finally, many years ago (about 1975) called the factory & was fortunate enough to be able to talk to a repairman that worked on these guns at the time they were being factory serviced. The real problem is that there is too much headspace. A harmonic vibration is set up at the firing/unlock time that results in spitting these handles out like popcorn.

Look at the locking lugs on the barrel & on the locking block. These will usually be worn & or set back This repairman said the method of deciding if this was the problem, was with the gun unloaded, place a ½" dowel down the barrel until it rests on the face of the breech bolt, mark on the dowel the muzzle location with a pencil. Now push the dowel down until you feel the locking block unlock from the barrel lugs, but before the bolt starts to move rearward. Mark this position on the dowel.

Ideally there should be minimal movement. I do not really remember his exact dimension, but it seems that if it moved more than about .040", this was the problem, and the symptoms get worse as the wear increases. The solution that they used then, was to replace the locking lug with a oversize one. These lugs were numbered using letters, I have encountered many with just the ga. stamped on them, & a few with letters. I assume the non lettered are standard & the A size to be the next oversize or longer. Not sure how many oversize sizes were made

Since no spare parts were available from the factory or any of the parts suppliers even then, I cleaned the barrel lugs up & then annealed the locking block, TIG welded 3% nickel material onto the back of the locking block lug. I figured that if I screwed up that maybe I could find another locking block, but to find a barrel extension would take time & perseverance. I then refitted it, using lay-out die as a wear marker, and then heat treated & tempered the whole block. If anyone would try this I recommend you take a Rockwell hardness reading of the locking block before you start, so that you have a known hardness to return to (mine read 53 Rockwell C). It could be slightly softer by a point or two, but not any harder, since it would break off.

I however think a simpler solution would be to soft solder a piece of steel shim stock to the bolt face. In order to determine the proper thickness, a piece of different thickness shim stock cold be cut to the approximate shape of the bolt face & tried under a loaded round until one too thick was placed there so that the locking block would not close. Then back off & use a thinner one. You might even Super Glue a shim onto the bolt face as a trial to see if it would work first.
Heating it to a soft solder condition would create no problem since the breech bolt only is a means of holding the locking block. To do this tin the bolt face and the steel shim with solder. Then heat them up & place the shim on the bolt. After it cools you can cut the shim off with a sharp knife or a Dremel tool. You would of course have to have enough clearance for the extractor to hook the shell's rim.
Model 48 Sportsman: The 48 Sportsman was the same gun except it was made so that it would only accept 2 rounds in the magazine, conforming to the Federal Migratory bird regulations. It was introduced in 1949 & discontinued in 1959.
This magazine restriction was made possible by simply taking a 11-48 magazine tube & stamping 3 detent dimples around it thereby restricting the follower from going beyond this & limiting it to 2 rounds in the magazine.
You can modify these dimples by using a long rat tailed file & filing off these detents inside the magazine tube. Do not try to swage them out, as you WILL deform the outside of the tube. These tubes are what the recoil spring’s friction piece slides on to make the gun function.
Model 48 Mohawk: This gun was apparently a final clean up of the 11-48 & the 48 Sportsman parts. They appeared a few years after the previous models were discontinued. They were usually found with walnut stained birch wood. Possibly distributed thru some of the mass merchandisers
__________________

[Milkmaster]

Thanks dprice3844444. I had also read that information. I also have the original manuals. One manual is for the 1148 in general and the second is like a supplement for the .410 I have version which has a few significant differences. I my be worried about nothing, but it concerns me thatt the charging handle may be different too. I am hopeful my gumsmith can tell me when he gets well. Thanks again!

[WardenWolf]

Sounds like restoring an 1148 would be like polishing a turd. After reading about all the gun's problems, and how they rarely worked right even when new, you might want to consider putting your efforts into a better gun. The problem with working on a gun like that is that, even when all is said and done, you're still limited by the flaws of the original design. This gun is obviously severely flawed.

[Milkmaster]

Don't believe everything you read on the internet Wardenwolf. You can read all sorts of reports on how sorry the 1100 is, but a lot of them were sold! I ran a box of shells through this 1148 before I started without a hiccup.

[Dave McCracken]

Wardenwolf, I'm suprised at your statement. I know many happy 11-48 owners. That includes those with skeet guns with impressive round counts.

[6x6pinz]

I have to take the barrel off of mine to get the charging handle to remove. Once the barrel is off you can see the other side of the handle and should be able to give it a little pry from the opposite side. I have to pull back slightly on mine and out to remove it. The detent ball keeps it in there pretty snug.

Reliability issues with the 11-48 wow not any I have seen. I have all but the 28ga, still looking for the right one. I had to do a similar refurb on my 16ga. It looked to be in about the same shape as milkmasters 410. My 410 is still my favorite dove gun and goes out with me every year.

[Milkmaster]

SUCCESS! Finally after soaking it for a week, I was able to remove the charging handle. I switched to "Kano Kroil" that we have at work as the penetrant. Now I plan to have a nice weekend rubbing on this old gun. I want to make sure the mechanicals are in nice shape before I start on any wood refinishing. Oily hands make for terrible wood working :)

[Dave McCracken]

Great!! Keep us posted, thanks....

[Milkmaster]

Bolt out and cleaned up easy. I will say it comes apart a little different than what I am used to, but I figured it out.

[Milkmaster]

A little elbow work on the trigger group paid off. Now it really shines. Wear is barely detectable.

[Milkmaster]

Gettin' closer! As I had researched... getting the trigger group back in with the bolt stop in the right place was a bear. I will probably forget again how to do it by the next time I take her completely apart. That's whay I take so many pictures. Anyone got a good name for this gun when I am finished? Turd gun has been suggested, but I would not make that my choice.

[Milkmaster]

Mechanicals complete. Got it all assembled and stowed away in a gun case until the wood is ready. That brings on another entirely different challenge. Stay tuned...

[Milkmaster]

The wood refinishing brings on a challenge. I may need some experienced person to help me here. Look closely at the forend picture. The metal sleeve is inside the forearm for the entire length. Is it pressed in or actually glued? I would like to remove it, but I am afraid I will break the wooden forearm. I am not entirely certain which end should come out first. I tried pecking on it with a dowel rod at one end hoping it would come loose. Not so after 54 years. I would love to hear from anyone who has been successful with a similar forend.

Anyone got a sweet little procedure to get the forearm in two pieces without breaking it?

[chas08]

Just my .02
Those things are delicate. I think you stand to lose more than you will gain. I'd leave it alone and work around it.

[rehorne]

chas08 has the right idea. Leave it alone and work around it. Those sub gage fore ends are HARD to come by. No need to ask me how I know!!

[Milkmaster]

I did as suggested and left the metal insert alone during the stripping process. I detect a glue like substance around the edges of the metal and suspect it would not have come out anyway. Turns out to be a good thing. The harsh stripper did a great job and cleaned the light rust off the metal portion. It's clean as a whistle now. I can already tell the grain is pretty on these pieces. They are ready now for some 0000 steel wool and 3-4 light coats of polyurethane.

[Red Cent]

WardenWolf, you may have been misled as to the reliability of the 1148. I have posted this before but......My Dad purchased this shotgun new in about 1950. The 1148 has been a dependable shotgun taking many squirrel, quail, and a few grouse. A passel of pigeons (clay) was laid in pieces (most) over the last 50 years plus.
The blowback design is similar to the Brownings of that day. With low velocity loads I catch the movement of the barrel recoiling into the receiver. With the blowback design, what can go wrong? Heavy flat spring wound around the mag tube. Barrel actually follows the bolt for a short piece. Another round coil spring catching the recoil of the bolt. No lugs, no gas, and the sucker kicks.

Receiver chromed, barrel deep beautiful blue, stripped wood, and bout six coats of TruOil.

That 410 would be fun on the skeet range. Keep up the nice work on that shotgun.

[Red Cent]

Got out of the shade.

[Milkmaster]

Thanks for sharing the pictures of your nice 1148. I sure like the finish on the receiver.

I think maybe Wardenwolf misinterpreted the read that he sent me. Those article are the same for every model in that they describe the gun and then describe common problems and what people do to repair them. I read more of "Steve's Pages" on other models like the Remington 1100. The information is great, but it doesn't mean every gun has a problem. It just tells you what to do when it has a problem or excessive wear etc.

[Milkmaster]

First coat of polyurethane is drying. Gonna be purty I think!

[single stack]

I think you're right! Your stock has a good looking "wave".

It looks like your project is comming together well.

SS

[chas08]

Gonna be purty I think! I think it already is!!!
Is that .410 2 1/2" & 3" capable or just 2 1/2" only/ The reason I ask is because I recently ran across an 1100 in .410 that was 2 1/2" only. It looked like brand new and I would have loved to own it, but the $700 asking price was too steep for me. For some reason people really place a high value on anything in .410.

[Milkmaster]

.410 up to 3" is what the barrel says :)

[Milkmaster]

The old butt stock end cover pieces are not broken, but they have seen better days. It looks like they might have had some type of solvent on them in the past. After all my work to make the gun look nice, I just hate to put them back on the gun looking bad.

Does anyone out there have these pieces that still look nice and would part with them?

I haven't looked real hard until tonight. Can these pieces still be bought new? They are common to many Remington shotguns. I wouldn't mind buying a new set.

[chas08]

Other than Numrichs I wouldn't know where to look. But you might be able to buff them with a wheel and jewelers rouge to a nice new luster again. Just be careful not to burn them.

[rehorne]

Give me a little time and I will dig around in my shop. I may have a butt plate, I'm pretty sure I don't have a pistol grip cap but I will look. BTW what did you use to reblue the metal? it looks GOOD!!

Robert

[Milkmaster]

I didn't reblue the metal at all. I just used some Kroil on it and the rust lifted right off about the second swipe of the 0000 steel wool. The slight speckles where the rust was located are barely visible now.

It isn't gong to be a new gun when I am finished, but it will be functional, clean , and attractive. That's all one can ask of an old 54 year old shotgun or shooter :)

I will put one more coat of polyurethane on the wood tonight. Then it can sit a few days to harden up good before I put it back on the gun. Sometimes I let the wood sit in my welding rod heater for a few days. That also seems to help it harden up without damaging the wood. It is about 110-120 degrees F in that heater to keep moisture out. I should be ready to take some pictures of the final assembly by this weekend hopefully.

The buttstock, buttplate, and grip cap, had some sort of coating on them. It looked like a previous owner had sprayed a laquer or rubbed some sort of wax/polish on the stock areas. The stuff would be pinkish in color when you scraped it with a fingernail. This morning I discovered that rubbing alchohol would soften the coating. I used that and a tooth brush to get it off without marring the plastic. The covers have a few legit scratches still on them, but are 100% better than they were before. I can still use them if I don't find replacements right away.

Thanks for looking! Let me know what you find.

[Tom Held]

Midway has a very good DVD called Gunstock Refinishing and another called Gunstock Checkering, might be helpful to you. Personally, I like the 11-48s.

[Sam1911]

Sorry, late to the party! I've had recurring trouble with the bolt handle on my 20 ga. 11-48 (Actually, Sportsman 48) and once blew the detent ball and spring right out the back of the bolt slide trying to free up that little ball. I got a replacement slide from Numrich, oiled it up well, and reassembled...and it seems to have stuck fast again.

I've not been tempted to force the issue and disassemble it again since. $22 for a new slide each time I clean is a problem!

[WardenWolf]

Apologies to the OP. Reading DPrice's post, along with other peoples' reports on these guns, definitely made them seem like highly tempermental beasts fraught with problems. The 11-48 was the prototype of the series of guns that would eventually evolve into the 1100 and 11-87, but just like any prototype, there were major problems.

I'm not saying it's not a very nice looking gun. It's beautiful after what you did to it. But personally I'd rather clean up an older 1100 than mess around with a gun that's going to continue having problems no matter what I do to it. That's just my perspective. I love older guns, and I love seeing them restored, but if I'm putting my effort in, I at least want it to be something good when done.

[35Rem]

The 11-48 was NOT a prototype of any gas operated gun. It was an evolution of the long recoil Browning action. It was made from 1948 to 1968, well into the 1100 production (started in 1963). It wasn't that bad.

[Milkmaster]

You are correct 35Rem! My 1148 is indeed recoil operated. And since it is a .410, it does not have the friction ring assembly that the larger 1148 shotguns used. Mine is a simple matter of two opposing springs. I am looking forward to seeing it all reassembled and taking it out for a round of trap. I haven't shot trap with a .410 before. I am sure those high scores will be a little harder to achieve. The price of the .410 shells won't allow much trap shooting with a .410 :(

[WardenWolf]

The 11-48 was NOT a prototype of any gas operated gun. It was an evolution of the long recoil Browning action. It was made from 1948 to 1968, well into the 1100 production (started in 1963). It wasn't that bad.
What I meant is that it introduces many of the components and concepts that would eventually be used in the 1100, even though the 1100 was gas-operated.

[Milkmaster]

The wooden forearm is finished. The buttplate/trigger grip cap cleaned up to an acceptable level. The last coat of finish is on the buttstock. Almost there...

[Dave McCracken]

Nice lumber. I can't wait to see the final pics...

[chas08]

Very Nice!!! Looking forward to seeing the final assembly.

[Milkmaster]

Final pictures. Nice little .410 semi-automatic shotgun if I say so myself! Most of the investment was just time.

[Milkmaster]

And a few more final pictures of my Remington 1148 project gun from 1958.

[Milkmaster]

One last picture and all done.

[TurtlePhish]

You did a VERY nice job. Congrats!

[chas08]

Awesome job, congratulations. Enjoy your new toy!!!

[single stack]

That is one super looking 11-48!

Aw shucks. I'm goin' ta give my little howitzer some love too.
Sniff, sniff, aw shucks......

[Dave McCracken]

Great, now awaiting range report.....

[kev778]

That is awesome!

I was very glad to see you ignored the jealous doubters about the quality or should I say "supposed" flaw with the mechanics of the gun. (I think they just were jealous that you had the time and money);)

You had an idea, saw it through, and now you are looking/holding a beautiful classic!

Congrats again, and let us know if you harvest anything with it

[Milkmaster]

I am proud to report that the 1148 functions flawlessly. I ran at least 20 shots through it in 2.5 inch shells and at least a dozen 3 inch .410 shells. No problems with either. Both sizes ejected fine and fired without issues. The barrel is a full choke. I didn't have access to a pattern board, but it seemed to shoot exactly where I aimed it. I will know more after a round of trap when that time comes. So far.... so good! Thanks for all the compliments and encouragement on my 1148 restoration

[chas08]

Full is my favorite choke in a .410. You have a real "Keeper" there!

[Milkmaster]

I did a little research. In .410's with 7.5 size pellets, there are approximately 65 pellets difference between a 2.5" and a 3" shell.

2.5 = 173

3.0 = 238

The velocity of the 2.5 is actually greater on the boxes I found. Not much difference when the 2.5 shells are just a little over half the price. Not saying I prefer either. I just thought the information might interest someone else as it did me.

[chas08]

Even though 7.5's are my prefered shot size overall, in .410 for Dove I like 2.5" #8's. I've got an old Bolt action Mossberg that I shoot a few birds with, just to say I did. It's fun, and somewhat unique, to break out on opening weekend.

[Dave McCracken]

Thanks, Milkmaster. This has been an interesting read. And, it's personally satisfying to see an old shotgun resurrected and USED.....

[AdioSS]

This thread is what finally got me to sign up here. I picked up a 12GA 11-48 last night

[stan rose]

Pictures?

[TurtlePhish]

Welcome to THR!

[stan rose]

Yes my apologies, WELCOME to THR. And pictures are always nice.

[AdioSS]

Here are the pics the previous owner was using in his for sale thread

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/age_ranger/DSC07573.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/age_ranger/DSC07574.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/age_ranger/DSC07575.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/age_ranger/DSC07576.jpg

Sure, it's a bit beat up on the outside, but the insides look fine & that's all that really matters :)

[stan rose]

That gun has character, very cool, enjoy.

[foghornl]

It is great to see such classic shotguns returned to service.

I HAD a 'Sportsman' Model 11 20-Ga many years back, wish I still had it.

[stephen.lamade]

My friend and neighbor passed away last fall and his wife recently found a Remington 11-48 in 16 gauge in the back of a closet. The outside is a bit beat up but the inside looks like it's in good shape. There is some rust and pitting on the receiver but it's not too bad and the stocks could be stripped and reconditioned back to good shape. I was able to cycle the action but have not fired it. I would rate this gun in "fair" condition and I think it could be reconditioned back to "fairly good" condition if someone gave it some attention.

Judging from the letter markings on barrel it was probably manufactured around 1950. It was used for bird hunting in the '60's and '70's but has probably not been fired since. It looks like it would make an excellent skeet gun as it feels balanced and points very well.

Would anyone be interested in this gun? I can post some pics if there is interest.

Best,

Steve

[samspade77]

I just purchased a Sportsman 48 for $200, which isn't bad here in California. The downside is I have to wait 10 days to get it. Your post is great and I can only hope my project turns out as awesome as yours did. You have one sharp looking 11-48! Thanks for the inspiration too.

[samspade77]

I forgot to ask. Did you stain the wood and poly; or just the poly? Thanks.

[Milkmaster]

I used stripper on the wood twice to get everything off it initially. Afterwards, I applied several light coats of polyurethane over a week letting each dry and sanding lightly with 0000 steel wool between each coat. I did not stain the wood. It is the natural walnut color.

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=163114&d=1335034494

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=163441&d=1335406061
Good luck!

[samspade77]

Thanks for the details and once again; you did an awesome job on the wood.

[shiftyer1]

I have just finished a sportsman 48 in 16ga. At least I thought I did, it came to me rusted/gummed up solid from adjustable choke to bolt to safety. It was missing the charging handle, which came in the mail today. I ordered one for an 11-48. Now I want to purdy up the wood:) I thought it was a good user till I saw ur pics. Guess I ain't done yet:)