Remington 1911 R1, Carry, by Pat Cascio

We’re taking a very close look at the new Remington 1911 R1 Carry handgun today. It is quite a piece of workmanship. Remington’s Track Record Over the past several years, the Remington group, or the group that owns Remington, haven’t had a very good track record with new firearms. As a matter of fact, it has been one failure after another, in my humble opinion. We had the Remington REM380, and it had a lot of problems. Then, there was the R51, and I’m not totally convinced they have worked out all the bugs in this one just yet. And Remington took over manufacturing Bushmaster AR-15 style rifles. I had an early Remington “Bushmaster”, and it wouldn’t group at 25 yards; it patterned like a shotgun, no matter what ammo was used. Then the grand ol’ 1911, that was one Remington used to make during WW2. The early, new model…




Economics & Investing For Preppers

…a separate corporate entity at the time, but the “Remington” name always has mystique.) Remington Model 1911 R1 .45 ACP (recent prtocuction) pistols. The stainless steel R1 variants and the R1 Double Stack variants have been produced only in small numbers. So they might someday be particularly valuable. (The magazines for the latter are fully interchangeable with ParaOrd magazines.) The top of my list would be a Remington 1911 R1 Enhanced Stainless .45 ACP pistol. I’ve heard that less than 1,000 were produced before announcement of the bankruptcy. Remington XP-100 pistols chambered in .223 Remington. Rifles: For rifles, the list of Remington firearms is almost endless, but here are a few highlights: Any of the Remington R-15 and R-25 (Stoner AR family) variants. These were well-made by Remington’s wholly-owned DPMS subsidiary, but carry Remington rollmarks. Remington model 740/742/7400/760/7600 series rifles in popular calibers like .30-06 and .270 Winchester, and .308…




Survival Gun Selection

Remington is particularly useful for shooting both perched birds and predators. Remington, Ruger, and Sako all make good quality .223 bolt actions. Selecting one is largely a matter of personal preference. We use our .223s on coyotes, which currently abound in great numbers in the Western U.S., and are a constant source of trouble in our area. They have a penchant for devouring ducks, chickens, pet cats, and newborn lambs. We use three different guns on the uncommon occasions when we have a chance to snipe at coyotes. These guns include a Remington Model 7 bolt action chambered in .223 Remington, a Colt CAR-15 “M4gery“, and a scoped L1A1 semi-auto chambered in .308 Winchester (virtually identical to and in most cases interchangeable with the 7.62 mm NATO cartridge used by the military). a .308 bolt action is used when we spot a coyote at beyond 300 yards. With the Remington




Survival Gun Selection

…useful for shooting both perched birds and predators. Remington, Ruger, and Sako all make good quality .223 bolt actions. Selecting one is largely a matter of personal preference. We use our .223s on coyotes, which currently abound in great numbers in the Western U.S., and are a constant source of trouble in our area. They have a penchant for devouring ducks, chickens, pet cats, and newborn lambs. We use three different guns on the uncommon occasions when we have a chance to snipe at coyotes. These guns include a Remington Model 7 bolt action chambered in .223 Remington, a Colt CAR-15 “M4gery“, and a scoped L1A1 semi-auto chambered in .308 Winchester (virtually identical to and in most cases interchangeable with the 7.62 mm NATO cartridge used by the military). a .308 bolt action is used when we spot a coyote at beyond 300 yards. With the Remington Model 7 available,…




Remington TAC-14 Shotgun, by Pat Cascio

…it and keeps it in his truck. He is ex- SF. I had him demonstrate how he holds it. He is locked up wrist to shoulder and when I say locked up…his arm and wrist are locked as straight and high as possible. I would just go SBS on a Saiga pattern myself…that way you can have a drum. Still 5″+ overall longer, but more versatility for my $.02 Don Williams 1) Does anyone know if (a) it is possible to put the Remington 870 folding stock on this firearm and (b) if BATFE says it is legal to do so. I.e, to get something like this: http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/File:Remington870Short.jpg Instead of this: http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/File:Remington870PoliceFolder.jpg 2)Note that the Short has a valid use other than robbing banks. The increasing deployment of body armor — and materials research — is putting body armor out ahead of ammunition improvements. In the future, a head shot…




Retreat Owner Profiles

870 12 gauge riot, Rem 870 12 Gauge with adjustable choke for hunting – she’s a pretty good wing shot, she regularly goes 50 straight at skeet or trap. Son’s guns: HK-91, 10 or so Magazines, AR-15 (Colt Sporter with ACOG on the handle), 30 or so magazines. Kimber .45 ACP (here), Rem 870 12 gauge, Sako .308 with synthetic stock, 3×9 scope. We each have CCWs, we recently switched from 1911s to Glocks. 5 1911s include 3 Mk IV / Series 70s tuned by various people over the years and 2 Kimbers, about 50 after market (Brown, Mccormick) magazines. All with Trijicon night sites.We both have G21s and G30s, (.45ACP) 5 factory full capacity mags for each, a G22 (.40S&W) with 5 full cap magazines also. Beretta 92FS with tritium sights (M9 clone) to practice with our “issue” weapon when we were in the guard / reserve (neither of…




Letter Re: Advice on Pump Action Shotguns

Remington 870, I go with the Remington. Magazine capacity – A standard Mossberg 500 (the one sitting on my desk right now is a inventory gun, 500BB in 16 ga. with a cut down barrel to 21 inches) holds 5 rounds in the magazine. To put an extended magazine on this particular gun, one must replace the entire magazine tube (and it’s guts), as the existing one is closed on the muzzle end and has a threaded hole in the center that the barrel retaining nut (“magazine cap”) screws into. If I take this commonly encountered gun and put an extended magazine on it I now need to get a different barrel as this one one can not mount properly with an extended mag. On a Remington 870, I unscrew the barrel retaining nut (“magazine cap”) and replace the magazine spring with the new longer one and screw on the…




The Survival Battery- Part 3, by B.F.

…worst possible time and make the gun impossible to fire. I wish S&W leadership would stand up to their lawyers and tell them “no” or go with a less intrusive lock system, preferable one that can be removed by the owner. The model 29 is $850 each ($950 each for the 329). The Ruger Super Redhawk would be another option, but although the longer barrel (7.5 inch) version is less expensive than the S&W, the shorter barrel versions bring a premium. I will stick with the Remington 870 or Mossberg 500 shotgun for the recommendation here but will also suggest the Mossberg 930 Semi Auto for those who prefer semi-autos or who would appreciate the reduced recoil. Again, a pump is more reliable, easier to use, and less expensive, but the 930 is a viable option. Four 12 ga pump shotguns– Remington 870s with slug and bird barrels, new for…




Letter Re: Observations on Gun Laws in Europe and Request for Gun Selection Advice

…served for short distances, but for hunting and long distance shooting, what would you recommend? And what about the caliber? Thank you very much for your blog, which is helpful as nothing else I found in a long long time. I am almost ready with food, location, medicines, and other stocks…. everything but the weapons. Hopefully nothing will bring us TEOTWAWKI, but I am getting ready, just in case. Good luck. – TL JWR Replies: I recommend 12 gauge for riotguns. Functionally, I consider the Mossberg 590 or Remington 870 roughly comparable. Both are sturdy and reliable. The Remington 870 has a slight edge on quality over the Mossberg, but in my opinion not enough to justify the higher price. For left-handed shooters, I generally recommend the Mossberg, since their top-of-tang safety is truly ambidextrous. (Whereas the M870 triggerguard-mounted safety is a bit slow for left-handers.) If you opt for…




Letter from Author Michael Z. Williamson Re: Remington Riot Shotguns

Jim: My survival shotgun is surplus from the Michigan state police, through a dealer–Remington 870, well worn, but with a glass-smooth action. $125, with plastic stock already on. Nothing against Mossbergs; I have one of those also, but the Remington is exceptionally common, which is a plus. As I’m not too concerned with keeping it looking like an innocent hunting weapon, I’ve added a tube extension, side sling mount, fluorescent orange hard plastic follower, and Cavalry Arms stock conversion that let me fit an Ergo grip and AR stock. This creates the exact same length of pull as my ARs, and adds a rail for sights/optics. At 50 yards offhand, slugs print a 2″ group, and recoil is quite manageable for fast follow ups. I, too, have looked at the Knoxx sidewinder drum conversions. The drums do not change rapidly, requiring pulling out, and inserting at an angle to start…




Kicked by a Mule – An Introduction to Tactical Shotguns by Shooter

We spent an evening back in June working on our tactical shotgun drills. Everyone brought their preferred shotgun, and the instructor ran us through the basics of Tactical Shotgunning. I was really impressed to learn that most everyone was carrying a Remington 870 in one configuration or another. It is a very popular shotgun. Sturdy and robust, and like a Jeep, very easy to modify and improve. I was the only one carrying in the “anti-aircraft howitzer” mode, which is to say that I brought my goose gun with 28″ of max choke power. Everyone else had shorter barrels sans choke with extended magazine tubes and Side Saddle carriers and slings. There were a couple of home defense Rambos in our group who sported the neat Sure-Fire pump action light on the fore grip. Nobody had folding stocks or pistol grips, everyone fired from the shoulder. This was a basic…




Letter Re: Defensive Shotguns on a Budget

Sir, WRT the recent posts regarding “Defensive Shotguns on a Budget”, am I the only one that GREATLY prefers the Remington 870? Guess it is probably a Pepsi versus Coke type thing, but I have owned many different brands over the years, and the 870 series is what I find to work best for me. I found a few interesting discussions on the topic online at some of the links listed below, but I would suggest to everyone that if possible, try actually shooting a few different models before making a decision. I learned that lesson the hard way once when I bought 3 HK-91s in a package deal, based on “internet research.” Don’t get me wrong, I love Heckler and Koch products, and most of my armory has their logo on it, but I just couldn’t stand the ergonomics on those rifles, regardless of any other positive factors. Luckily,…




Letter Re: Advice on Shotgun Shells to Store

…and I have a full set for each.  All three are high gloss “sportsman grade” with blued barrels.  I think they are beautiful guns, which causes them to be left in the safe when hunting in foul weather.  For home defense I have the Remington 870 and Mossberg 500, both are improved cylinder bore with 20″ barrels and we have used these successfully to hunt hogs in the hammocks.  They are both “marine grade” stainless and work well in foul weather.   I have had some exotic shotguns but most of the time they got left in the safe so I ended up parting with them.  Remington has built and sold a pile of 870s and about as many 11-87 shotguns, parts are plentiful and easy to come by.  I have had one 870 for about 30 years, I have put thousand of rounds through this thing and have yet…




Letter Re: A Practical Utilitarian’s Take on Firearms and Calibers

…in any way, the weapon is rendered useless.   The following list of weapons are ones that I have seen time and again stand up to excess abuse and still perform  under battlefield condition.  (Please keep in mind only some of these weapons are available to civilians.):   Remington 870 Remington 24 Glock 17 and 19 M240 series SIG 500 series AK type weapons Croatian made sidearms (Springfield XD series) Browning Hi-Power G36 series rifles SIG pistols – P226,228,229 M203 M2 .50 caliber   The following list are weapons which I have seen fail numerous time under battlefield conditions: M16A1, M16A2, M4 SR25 (Stoner AR-10) MK19 Automatic Grenade Launcher M60 LMG M9 Beretta   With all of this in mind, its time for people to realize that unless they are a trained gunsmith and have excess parts available, then they will be out of luck when stuff hits the fan….




Letter Re: A Reader’s Perspective on Assembling a Survival Firearms Battery

…multiple weapons. Please remember when you see ammo on sale of different calibers you should buy it–you might be able to use as trade. In my personal armory I have: 12 Gauge Shotguns: Browning Auto-5 with 3 barrels–nice to have extra barrels if you have to alter one. Remington 870 pump with 8 shot magazine tube Coachman style double barrel Remington 1100 auto with 2 barrels Rifles: Remington Model 700 BDL 25-06 (a great caliber) 2 Semi-auto M14s .308 Remington Model 700 BDL .308 2 AK47 rifles 3 SKS rifles Remington Model 700 BDL .338 Savage Model 99 .308 .22 [Long Rifle] bolt action [Ruger] 10/22 [.22 Long Rifle] Now you can see that I have a lot of the of the 700 BDL models.This is because they have the same “feel” as my my shotguns, and I used to shoot trap. Handguns: Ruger .41 Magnum Ruger 45 Long Colt…