Make: Remington

Model: U.S. Marked Model 11 Riot Gun

Serial Number: 479196

Year of Manufacture: 1943

Caliber: 12 Gauge

Action Type: Long-Recoil Operated Magazine Tube-Fed Semi-Automatic

Barrel Length: 20"

Choke: Fixed Cylinder Bore

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a metal bead fixed to the barrel. The top of the receiver is serrated for glare reduction.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are two-piece walnut with a flat-bottom smooth pistol grip, straight comb, serrated brown plastic Remington buttplate, and checkered forend. The left of the buttstock is stamped with an Ordnance wheel and "FJA". The bottom tang inlet is stamped "479196". The stocks have some light nicks and scratches with a patch of finish wear on the left-rear of the forend. There are a couple of tiny losses around the front edges of the wrist. There are no cracks. The checkering is well defined. The LOP measures 14" from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The plate has even light wear with well defined serrations. Overall, the stocks are in Very Good condition.

Type of Finish: Blue

Finish Originality: Original, the tangs and barrel lug are serial-matched to the receiver.

Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright. There is infrequent minor erosion in the bore, mostly at the muzzle-end. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 8+/10.

Overall Condition: This shotgun retains about 90% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at some edges. There are some scattered light nicks, scuffs and scratches, most notable on the rear of the receiver. There are infrequent spots of minor surface oxidation. The action shows minor operational wear. The screwheads range from sharp to tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this shotgun is in Very Good-plus condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this shotgun. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: Included is a notarized letter from Aviation Machinists' Mate 3rd Class Cecil J. Rivard, Jr. The letter indicates that Rivard purchased this shotgun in June, 1946 from the Navy PX at Alameda Naval Air Station, California and maintained possession until selling the gun in April, 2002.

Our Assessment: The Remington Model 11 was the first auto-loading shotgun made in the USA, originally as the "Remington Autoloading Shotgun (1905-1910)" before it was changed to the Model 11 in 1911. The Remington Model 11 shotgun shares the same basic action as the Remington Sportsman, The Browning A5 and the Savage 720. The Model 11 was used in field configurations for recreational shooting and for aerial gunnery training, while riot configurations would typically be used by guards at bases or industrial locations vital to the war effort.

This example is an interesting specimen. Dedicated collectors know to "never say never", but it's well worth closely inspecting photos for this one. The receiver is marked "MILITARY FINISH", with finish quality and grain matching other such marked examples. However, it also has the roll-marked game scenes associated with receivers assembled as Riot guns before the polish quality was allowed to decline. We have seen other examples with checkered forends and plain buttstocks, and the serial marking on the buttstock matches. It is also slightly odd that the barrel bears only "MM" or the date code, omitting the letter indicating month of production, though the barrel also bears a matching serial marking on the magazine lug. The markings are all good and crisp, with nice halos around the Remington proof/inspection marks. The included notarized letter from a previous owner is nice provenance to have for a gun like this, indicating purchase from a Naval Air Station PX shortly after the war ended.

In any case, the gun itself is in Very Good-plus condition with a lot of finish left, solid mechanics and a good bore. Military shotguns themselves are scarce when compared with rifles and handguns, but this is a neat opportunity to look into what may be an uncommon transitional variant of a shotgun from the U.S. war effort during WWII. Please see our photos and good luck!