Remington 12C - Catt57's gun of the day #5

[Catt57]

Today's gun is the Remington Model 12, specifically the 12C.

The Model 12 was Remington's first successful pump-action .22 rifle.

Description: Slide-action, solid-breech, hammerless, takedown, side-ejection rifle. Also known as the Remington .22 Caliber Repeating Rifle.
Introduction Year: 1909
Year Discontinued: 1936
Total Production: Approximately: 832,000
Original MSRP: $12.95 in 1909
Designer/Inventor: J.D. Pedersen with improvements by G.H. Garrison and C.C. Loomis
Action Type: Slide-Action
Serial Number Blocks: Starting: 00001 - Ending: 831,759
Caliber/Gauge: 22 short, 22 long, 22 long rifle
Grades Offered:

• 12A Standard Grade - Basic version with a 22-inch round barrel and straight-grip stock
• 12B Gallery Special - 22 short only
• 12C Target Grade - 24-inch octagon barrel and curved butt
• 12C N.R.A. - Special marketing edition, but it shares the same core characteristics as the standard 12C
• 12D Peerless
• 12E Expert
• 12F Premier
• 12CS, DS, ES, FS - Same as above but chambered for 22 Rem Special cartridges

While the Model 12 design was undoubtedly influenced by the Winchester 1890, Pedersen engineered it to have a much sleeker, less clunky appearance. It's a trim, more modern-looking rifle than the 1890, but with enough antique features that make it beautifully distinctive compared to today's rimfire rifles. For one thing, the Model 12 dispenses with the exposed hammer of the 1890. Featuring an internal-hammer receiver, the rifle looks sleek and efficient. This profile undoubtedly appealed to shooters, and Winchester eventually began producing pump-action rimfire rifles replicating the internal-hammer design.

The Model 12 D, E, and F were deluxe variants. As the grade increased, the quality of the wood used on the rifles improved, and they could be ordered with any number of custom embellishments, including but not limited to special sights, engraving, and silver and/or gold inlays.

There were also the Models 12 CS/DS/ES/FS, all chambered for the .22 Remington Special cartridge. For all practical purposes, the .22 Remington Special is identical to the better-known .22 Winchester Rim Fire (22WRF) cartridge, but Remington produced the cartridge under it's own designation as it did not want to mark its competitor's initials on its rifles. The only difference is the Winchester round employed a flat-nose bullet while Remington loaded a round-nose. The later introduction of the 22WMR made this cartridge obsolete.

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I have 2 examples of the 12C:
(Click for full size image)



The top example was produced in 1911 and is all original but has a worn out chamber.
The bottom one was produced in 1919 and has a factory replacement barrel.

• This replacement barrel was supplied by Remington in the 1940s. This is explained by a Remington letter to a customer dated August 30, 1944, in which they explain that the supply of Model 12 barrels "has been exhausted". Remington then offered a 24 inch round barrel (cut down from the Model 121 25" barrel) at a cost of $7.50 that could be fitted without additional alterations to a Model 12C. These barrels would NOT fit the 12A or 12B models.

Original octagon barrel stamp




Factory replacement round barrel stamp




Like many slide-action 22s of the era, the model 12 also has a split receiver allowing for quick takedown and more compact storage.





Here are some links to other resources you may find useful:

Which Model-Configuration of the Remington Model 12 Rifle do You Have?
https://homestead-service.com/appraisals/Remington12/Rem12model-configurations.htm

And here is the serial# date chart:
(Click for full size image)

 

[Catt57]

Here are a few close ups of each rifle:

 

[ILGAC]

Very nice!!!