Remington Trench Gun

[David Mills]

All this talk about Trench guns made me curious about them....found this Remington supposedly marked US with flaming bomb------also on the receiver is a factory engraved roadrunner it looks like----surely this must be "bubba's work.

[Roadhustler63]

Looks like a pheasant engraving that was on my first Remington 20 gage. That is definitely strange. You sure somebody didnt phot-shop that. I can almost see a line as if there was an upper and lower receiver??? :confused:

[David Mills]

Sorry RH---that is a pheasant---I couldnt tell. These pics were taken from an ongoing auction on GB----=I just had to laugh when I saw this---I can just see one of our soldiers using a marked shotgun like this in combat!!! Dont think so!!!

[miles045]

Well I havent seen the auction but I can say for sure, that the US military in fact did procure sporting shotguns, many marked just like this and including loong barrels, and often Remingtons, for use as training aids more so than issue to infantry, though police and guard units did use the riot versions...they used them to train new anti aircraft gunners, teaching them to lead targets

Ill try to take a look at the auction, the US and flaming bomb sure looks legit to me....

Ive had several US WWII shotguns in the past, including a Remington Model 11, Stevens trench, winchesters...I had a box of commerical WWII era 12 gauge ammo that very similarly was for hunting but procured by the military and marked US PROPERTY in the form of a great big stamp across the lid...it was mint, until my wife who was "cleaning" dropped it on the floor and the cardboard box broke!

FYI Remington model 11's were always in "riot" configuration (unless they remained in the long barrell sporting version which can be found US marked too), "trench" configuration included a heat shield and bayonet lug

[miles045]

Quick search, found this one

http://www.coolgunsite.com/images/shotgun/remington_mod11b.htm

[David Mills]

Well, I'll be dipped!!!! Learn something new every day around here!!! Jonathan was it because the manufacturers could not keep up with wartime production, so they substituted commercial models? Thanks D

[Roadhustler63]

Thanks Miles,
I stand corrected. I was on David's side thinking that was entirely too ridiculous to be on a US marked weapon. I appreciate the lesson, not to be so quick to cry foul. :o

[David Mills]

Never really liked Remington's anyway---I am a Winchester guy!!!! ROFL

[miles045]

Hell we all have plenty to learn, WWII can keep us busy for a lifetime...I learn something everyday too from you all!

Im not sure without reading up on it, I just think that when the war began, like many other military items, the military was short so bought up alot of stuff at first, until contracts were made and things put into production, shotguns just one of many things like this is my guess

can you link the auction, I cant find it

[David Mills]

Here you go!!! I searched using "trench gun"

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=148430155

Thanks, I appreciate your knowledge!!!

[David Mills]

I was also surprised that the shotgun was semi-auto---I was under the impression that they were all pumps.

[miles045]

I dont know about the front sight, the choke, and the cocking handle, meaning I really dont know they could be right, but I do know that that is a legit gun otherwise...except that it is not a trench gun

that thing is in great shape too

yeah I loved the model 11 I had because it was semi auto and WWII...it was cool

[Dave]

It is certainly not a "Trench Gun" . A number of semi auto guns were acquired by the government in WW2 for use as trainers for future aerial gunners to teach basic target acquisition and tracking techniques before moving on to machine guns. These guns are commercially marked, commercially produced guns that had the U.S. surcharge applied at the time of government acceptance.