Remington Repairs during WW2

[Sara LeFever]

Originally Posted by J. Scott Hanes

Sara,
That looks like the Vandalia, Ohio water tower in the background (at the Grand American). Do you know for sure?

I don’t have any information on the location. I assumed it was taken in the Ilion, NY vicinity.

[Keavin Nelson]

Originally Posted by Brian Dudley

I know that the late remington made guns were bone charcoal hardened on all of the parts except for the top levers which were cyanide colored. As they were supposedly having issues with the levers warping with bone charcoal.

I would not think they would have varied from that process at that time with service work. But I wiuld not be able to say for sure.

I have a late 20Ga VH that has Cyanide colors on the forend iron and latch as well as the toplever. Also no label on the barrel rib.

[Dean Romig]

I may have found some communications from Remington execs on the subject of the “Parker Project.”
Just before Austin Hogan passed away he gave me a lot of his files and data, some of. Which contained Remington communications.

More tomorrow.





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[B. Dudley]

There was an attempt to resurrect the Parker name in the early 1950’s. To be put on an economy Remington designed boxlock. Much like ithaca did with the Lefever Nitro Special.

[Dean Romig]

I found all of my archived Parker Bros. and Remington Parker factory correspondence. They (Remington Arms) did not take in any repair work or sporting gun sales after early 1942 and after the war they never again restarted the Parker shotgun project as, according to Remington mgmt. the machinery was too worn out and they had virtually no parts in stock and couldn’t even re-barrel a Parker with damaged barrels. Aaaaand… they would NOT take in for service ANY gun with Damascus barrels… Period.

I will post some of this correspondence on a separate post when I can make the time.

This information came to me from Austin Hogen a month or two before he passed. This data and info came to him from Ron Kirby, Charlie Price, Bill Hoover and other long-departed wonderful Parker Historians.





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[J. Scott Hanes]

That will be interesting to see, Dean. Too bad none of the DelGrego's are still here to discuss these historical questions. Both Babe and Lawrence knew a lot about that kind of detail.

[Dean Romig]

In the archive that I have there are a few early letters or communications by DelGrego.





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[Dean Romig]

Originally Posted by J. Scott Hanes

That will be interesting to see, Dean. Too bad none of the DelGrego's are still here to discuss these historical questions. Both Babe and Lawrence knew a lot about that kind of detail.

You know Scott, I have said on dozens of occasions both here on the forum as well as to the deceased gentlemen to whom I make reference here...

When one of them passes, and by 'them' I mean the gentlemen who were there, who knew what happened, who knew the truths from the untruths, who could have but for some reason never did - To record for posterity everything they knew, who did what, what were their experiences, what was told to them by the men who took an active part in the successes, and failures, of the production of the Parker shotgun. But whenever one of them passes away we all have lost a veritable encyclopedia of knowledge.

We should thank God for the tireless work of the authors of "The Parker Story"!





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[Alfred Houde]

Back in 2000 I attended the Remington Police Armorer Course at the factory in Ilion. On my way back to my hotel one afternoon I stopped by the DelGrego shop on Barrington Road. Babe was there and had recently (or was) recovering from his stroke. Larry was also there working at the bench.

Babe gave me quite a lesson in Parker history. He also told me that they only worked on Parker Guns and Remington Model 32 shotguns.

I also seem to recall that he told me that when his father retired from Remington, he purchased Parker parts, barrels, unfinished guns, etc. for the price of scrap. I do remember Babe showing me drawers full of original parts.

And I agree with Dean. Why some folks choose to keep a lot of history and knowledge to themselves as if it were a State secret I have no idea.

Thank God for folks like Roy Jinks who pretty much single-handedly saved Smith & Wesson history when they demolished the original factory, and our own Researcher who freely shares knowledge and information from his research collection/library with others.

[J. Scott Hanes]

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

You know Scott, I have said on dozens of occasions both here on the forum as well as to the deceased gentlemen to whom I make reference here...

When one of them passes, and by 'them' I mean the gentlemen who were there, who knew what happened, who knew the truths from the untruths, who could have but for some reason never did - To record for posterity everything they knew, who did what, what were their experiences, what was told to them by the men who took an active part in the successes, and failures, of the production of the Parker shotgun. But whenever one of them passes away we all have lost a veritable encyclopedia of knowledge.

We should thank God for the tireless work of the authors of "The Parker Story"!







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I am with you 100%, Dean. Remington has lost several "historians" in recent years that could recall an incredible treasure of details but never put them to print. It really is a shame guys like Jack Heath, Dick Baldwin and Ken Waite, Jr. did not get their minds 'tapped' by someone who could record those gems.