Pre 1921 Model 8

[Poodleshooter]

Hi gents,
Can anyone tell me the date of manufacture for a Remington Model 8 with serial number 94X (X is a number of course). This appears to be made much earlier than the Remington numbering system established in 1921 or thereabouts (the month/year code system). It's a .35 Remington.
I believe this may have been made in 1906-08.
It's a family gun,so we're trying to figure out if my great grandfather bought it, or possibly my great-great grandfather.
thanks,
Pshooter

 

[Jim Watson]

I believe you are right. The Model 8 came out in 1906. Now if it were late in the year they might not have gotten to number 940 in 1906, but surely they did in 1907. So which generation of your ancestors was shopping for rifles then?

 

[Poodleshooter]

So which generation of your ancestors was shopping for rifles then?

It's a tough call,but it's probably my great-great grandfather. My great grandpa was about 16 or 17 when it was made according to this date,but my great-great grandfather was in his early 50's making him the likely purchaser. He died around 1919,and my great grandpa inherited their Minnesota homestead as well as his guns,being the sole surviving son. Great-great grandpa was a cobbler who moved out to a homestead following a logging job around the time of this rifle's manufacture. We think he purchased these weapons when he got the homestead. We have a 1906 Winchester pump that he purchased probably around the same time. There's also an old Lefever SxS shotgun,but that's probably 1880's timeframe,and therefore definitely was bought by my great-great grandfather for duck hunting in northern Minnesota.
In about 6 more years, my daughter will be shooting at least the 1906 Winchester: her great-great-great grandfather's rifle.