Remington Model 31--Info needed

[VirgilCaine]

Usually, I read threads like this. But I was surfing THR and my dad walked in from the truck and handed me a Remington Model 31. He bought it for $100.

12 gauge. There's a "28" underneath the model number. The follower (I think that's what it's called--the thing that moves the shell from the magazine to the chamber) looks pretty bare and getting soon-to-be rusted. There's some wear on the slide, it pumps nice and smooth--you can do the one-handed ka-chuck reload like Sarah Connor from T2. The stock has some dings and scratches, there's a little bit of weird rust beginning on the sides of the receiver, but nothing serious...my dad's gonna have to hit it with some Kroil.

How much one of these might be worth? I know they were made in the middle of the previous century.

Edit: Can you "ghost" a shell on the follower? It looks kinda like you can.

 

[Badger Arms]

I'll pay you $200 for a decent Remington 31 any day of the week! This was the updated version of the Remington model 17 (later Ithaca 37). There are lots of similarities between the common Ithaca 37 and the Remington 31. To compete with the Winchester model 12, Remington updated the model 17 by enlarging it to take 12ga and putting the ejection port on the side. This was seen as an advantage as ejection was more positive, single-loading was easier, and... well that's about it.

The Remington 31, like the Winchester model 12, required tons of machining to make. It became too expensive to produce so was replaced by the Remington 870.

Some things to look out for are cracks in the stock and forend. That's about all that I've noted in my experience. Great gun. Congrats.

 

[jlv08]

They are the shotgun that preceded the Rem. 870 and considered one of the slickest guns around.
Made a generation ago if you consider the age of the gun.
I almost bought one but considered that it would be better for a collector.

 

[Gordon]

What I still want to make out of one of mine is an SBS by cutting back the stock portion and barrel portion so it takes down to fit in an attache case.

 

[VirgilCaine]

Yep, this one has a 26" bbl.