GHE 28GA Skeet

[Researcher]

Originally Posted by Chad Hefflinger

attached are the flats of a GHE 12 I once owned, and a VHE 16 I own now. The GHE 12 only had IBM a record, but did sell through Abercrombie back in the day and I received full records from them as it being a Skeet gun. I have not sent in for info on the VHE 16, but I do not doubt it being an original skeet gun.

Both of those pictures are angled to obscure the location of Remington era barrel date codes.

[Jeff P]

The letter on mine shows it was shipped to a (T.S) C.V Bracher. Research shows that he wasinvolved with Remington ammunition and had some patent letters ?

I have no doubt that mine is an original skeet.

[J.B. Books]

Originally Posted by Jeff Peck

The letter on mine shows it was shipped to a (T.S) C.V Bracher. Research shows that he wasinvolved with Remington ammunition and had some patent letters ?

I have no doubt that mine is an original skeet.

I have no doubt your gun is an original GHE Skeet gun. I have it's sibling 237880. Oddly enough my letter says it was started in June '34, shipped to warehouse Jan '35 and shipped to it's first owner in Mar '36. The barrels are stamped on left side of the lug L E, Feb '36.

Two things, it looks to me like the barrel date stamp was not applied by Remington until the gun was being prepared to ship to a buyer given my letter and stamping??? I also think it was likely your gun was returned to Remington in May '41 and was probably rebarreled at the request of the owner because they wanted to change/increase the choke constriction and that could only be achieved with a new set of barrels. Just supposition on my part and if so still original IMO. I will try to post a picture of my letter and barrel stamp tomorrow when I have better light for picture taking.

[Jeff P]

Originally Posted by Pete Lester

I have no doubt your gun is an original GHE Skeet gun. I have it's sibling 237880. Oddly enough my letter says it was started in June '34, shipped to warehouse Jan '35 and shipped to it's first owner in Mar '36. The barrels are stamped on left side of the lug L E, Feb '36.

Two things, it looks to me like the barrel date stamp was not applied by Remington until the gun was being prepared to ship to a buyer given my letter and stamping??? I also think it was likely your gun was returned to Remington in May '41 and was probably rebarreled at the request of the owner because they wanted to change/increase the choke constriction and that could only be achieved with a new set of barrels. Just supposition on my part and if so still original IMO. I will try to post a picture of my letter and barrel stamp tomorrow when I have better light for picture taking.

J.B,

Thanks !

Mine was one of 3 guns in consecutive order all with " skeet" options. The odds of this being returned and remarried with exact length barrels would be unusual versus a repair return.

It is amazing, based on some of the responses here, that if " only " 46 GHE skeet guns exist per TPS, they certainly have a great following.

[J.B. Books]

Originally Posted by Jeff Peck

J.B,

Thanks !

Mine was one of 3 guns in consecutive order all with " skeet" options. The odds of this being returned and remarried with exact length barrels would be unusual versus a repair return.

It is amazing, based on some of the responses here, that if " only " 46 GHE skeet guns exist per TPS, they certainly have a great following.

Having been a reasonably competitive trap shooter, six years on the NH state team, I know trap shooters and competitive skeet shooters will make any and all alterations to a gun to make it work better for them, even if the alteration only changes how you feel, confidence is everything.

With modern guns people change chokes all the time, we take it for granted, but back in '41 if you wanted the gun to shoot tighter there was one choice, send it back for a rebarrel. Uncommon but I doubt unusual.

[Jeff P]

Originally Posted by Pete Lester

Having been a reasonably competitive trap shooter, six years on the NH state team, I know trap shooters and competitive skeet shooters will make any and all alterations to a gun to make it work better for them, even if the alteration only changes how you feel, confidence is everything.

With modern guns people change chokes all the time, we take it for granted, but back in '41 if you wanted the gun to shoot tighter there was one choice, send it back for a rebarrel. Uncommon but I doubt unusual.

Wouldn't that then require a "2" on the repair code as a rebarrel, versus a 3 ?

[Dean Romig]

I have no doubt of its originality either Jeff... My only question about it is the markings stamped on the flats in regard to year of production commonly seen stampings.





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[Heff]

This is a better pic of the 16, looks to be a N and possibly a T or an I or maybe a 1? I’m not familiar with the Remington date codes. The 12 looks to be a o or 0 inside a square.

[Researcher]

The N and the broken I are apparently some Remington inspector's marks. I can barely see one letter of the date code. Yellow arrow --

16-gauge Skeet Gun.jpg

Here is an example of a barrel flat with the N and broken I but a clear view of the date code.

238463 01 VH 20-gauge, 26-inch, AE A = March E = 1936.jpg

AE A = March E = 1936.

From my observations, while still in Meriden they put the date code for the barrels near the rear as above. After the move to Ilion they started putting the date code farther forward abreast the cocking hook.

241968 01a 26-inch, 16-gauge, XJ X = December, J = 1940.jpg

[Heff]

The 16 has a C F marked in that location. The best picture I could find of the 12 had what looks like an E B, possibly E R
Thanks for the info on where to look