The Galleries
- Robert E. Petersen Collection
- Ancient Firearms
- The Road to American Liberty
- Seeds of Greatness
- The Prospering New Republic
- A Nation Asunder
- The American West
- Innovation, Oddities and Competition
- Theodore Roosevelt, Elegant Arms
- World War I and Firearms Innovation
- WWII, Korea, Vietnam and Beyond
- For the Fun of It
- Firearms Traditions for Today
- William B. Ruger Special Exhibits
- Freedom's Doorway
Remington Model 3200 Over Under Shotgun
The Remington 3200 was manufactured in skeet, trap, and field grades, and in barrel lengths of 28 to 32 inches and gauges ranging from 12 to .410.
Remington (U.S.) Model 3200 Full Over-and-Under Double-Barrel
Shotgun (breech-loading/ smokeless powder/ shot ammunition) In the
1970s, people were taking greater interest in physical ecological
problems. Hunting became more controlled, with fees for licenses
going to support care, preservation, and re-stocking of animals.
These measures helped, but increased access to wilderness areas by
the general public has offset many gains. Hunters have an interest
in preservation of the environment and in wildlife because the
continuation of their sport depends on it. --Dr. William L.
Roberts, THE AMERICAN LIBERTY COLLECTION;
Eliphalet Remington II was born in Suffield, Connecticut on
October 28, 1793. His father, Eliphalet Remington, moved his family
from Connecticut to the Mohawk River Valley in 1800, where he
cleared enough land for a small farm, built a two-room cabin that
was later replaced by a larger home, and, along with others who had
also moved to the region from Connecticut, established the town of
Litchfield. Eliphalet Remington Sr. also owned an iron forge. Here
he both fabricated and repaired tools, equipment, and hardware, and
Lite, as Eliphalet II was nicknamed, worked alongside him and
learned the trade as well.
The younger Remington had the opportunity to examine various long
arms that were owned by local residents, and in 1816, he decided
that he was capable of manufacturing a good rifle barrel. This he
proceeded to do, and he took the finished product to a local
gunsmith for boring and rifling. Lite then fitted a lock, stock,
and furniture, and upon completion, he found that it shot well.
After showing his new gun to area residents, he soon had a large
number of orders for gun barrels. These were octagonal in shape,
and as with his initial effort, boring and rifling was done by a
gunsmith in nearby Utica.
The completion of the Erie Canal in 1825 and the establishment of
railroads soon thereafter provided an economic boost to the region.
Remington's rifle barrel works expanded as well. By 1828, he had
established his own forge in Ilion, and he soon came to dominate
the local trade, producing over 8,000 barrels per year for
gunsmiths who would do final rifling and fitting. In 1844,
Remington's oldest son, Philo, joined him in his business. This was
reflected in the firm's name, which became E. Remington and Son. By
the mid-1850s, his two other sons, Samuel and Eliphalet III, had
also joined the company, and the name changed yet again.
In addition to gun barrels, E. Remington and Sons also
manufactured plows, mowing machines, cotton gins, and firefighting
equipment. In later years, their product line expanded to include
bicycles, sewing machines, and typewriters. Remington's involvement
in the manufacture of completed firearms came in 1848, when the
company received a contract for the completion of 1,000 Jenks
breechloading carbines for the U.S. Navy. In addition, Remington
took over a defaulted contract from another manufacturer for the
production of 5,000 U.S. Model 1841 "Mississippi" rifles.
The business expanded through the 1850s, and handgun production
began in 1857 with the introduction of the Remington-Beals pocket
revolver. The coming of the Civil War naturally brought about a
dramatic increase in the demand for firearms, and Remington's
production also increased to keep pace. During this period, the
company manufactured both .36 and .44 caliber revolvers, as well as
Model 1863 Percussion Contract Rifle, popularly known as the
"Zouave" rifle.
The post-war years brought smaller pocket pistols and deringers,
the Remington-Smoot metallic cartridge pistols, Remington Single
Action Army revolvers, rolling block rifles and pistols, slide,
autoloading, and hammerless shotguns, and the Remington-Hepburn
falling block rifles. During the 20th century, Remington has
established itself as a manufacturer of high quality sporting arms,
especially with upland game and bird hunters.
The company also did its part during two World Wars as a
manufacturer of military arms and munitions. In addition to the
M1911 semi-automatic pistol, the Browning Model 1917 heavy machine
gun, and the Model 1917 bolt-action rifle, Remington also
manufactured the Pedersen device. This was an early attempt to
increase the firepower of individual infantry troops armed with the
Springfield Model 1903 rifle. These rifles were modified by cutting
the receiver wall to accommodate an ejection port, and the
replacement of the bolt with a semi-automatic assembly that
accepted a 40-round stick magazine loaded with the .30 caliber
Pedersen, a pistol-class cartridge. Over 65,000 Pedersen devices
were manufactured, but most were scrapped after the war. During the
Second World War, Remington manufactured the M1903 (Modified)
rifle, a transitional long arm in which stamped parts replaced some
that had been milled in the earlier model, while other parts were
dispensed with altogether in the interests of reducing production
time. The company also manufactured the redesigned M1903A3 battle
rifle and M1903A4 sniper rifle. Eliphalet Remington II died in
1861, at which time Philo took over management of the company.
Samuel died in 1882, and Philo purchased his share in the company.
By 1886, E. Remington & Sons had experienced serious downturns,
and the company went into receivership.
In 1888, Marcellus Hartley, a partner in the New York sporting and
military goods firm of Schuyler, Hartley, and Graham, as well as
the founder and owner of the Union Metallic Cartridge Company, went
together with Winchester Repeating Arms Company to purchase
Remington. Each partner had an equal share of the firm, which was
renamed Remington Arms Co., with Hartley serving as president and
Thomas Bennett of Winchester assuming the role of vice president.
In 1896, Winchester sold its stake in Remington to Hartley.
Marcellus Hartley died in 1902, and leadership of the company
passed to Marcellus Hartley Dodge. In 1910, Remington Arms and
Union Metallic Cartridge were merged into a single company, known
as Remington-UMC. In 1934, both company's name and ownership
changed as Remington-U.M.C. was purchased by DuPont and reorganized
as the Remington Arms Co., Inc. The Ilion armsmaker remained a part
of the DuPont organization until 1993, when Remington was purchased
by the investment group of Clayton Dubilier Rice.