Remington Model 31TC with a Etchen MC stock.

Picked up a Etchen Remington Model 31TC with a Etchen style stock MC, and pistol grip . Gun was made June 1945. Pistol cap is brown plastic, which might be bakealight.

Just wondering who made these stock or was it an option from REMINGTON.

Gun has a few issues, been rebuled, some pitting on barrel, mechanical gun sound, woods great, had BAD UGLY recoil pad. Barrel has .035, no issues inside the barrel.

Before you asked NO

 

Update gun was June of 1948. SN#1052XX

 

I bought mine in 1976, Ser. 110XXX ( I think )
Mine had a straight stock. I can't remember whether it was Fred or Rudy on the stock.
Pictures would help.

Regards.....Gerald

 

I email Joel E. he said it was his Grandfather Fred, but "didn't have clue who made the stocks

I haven't been able to upload pictures>

 

The pistol cap is brown

 

No matter what the condition, I love it when I see these old guns being rescued.

I have a few that were probably destined for the scrap pile, but with a little TLC, I can proudly display them for people to see.

Thanks for the thread, and I always appreciate pictures.

 

Love those Model 31's. Such class. I remember my true first trap gun. A Model 870TC. It had the most incredible wood, hand checkered, and dark burly walnut. Owned/shot it for 5 or 6 years back in the 70's. (miss those times)

 

Most other shooters on the line, owned incredible Model 12's. I could never afford a M12 back then.

 

Remington didn't skimp on their trap wood in the late 60's early 70's -- wore out my first 1100 trap and traded it --should have keep the wood -- Have yet to see one as nice as that one was!

 

Sterling Grip Cap from a Fred Etchen Special stock...

Trap3

 

Etchen ad from an early 1950`s Sportsmen Review...

Trap3

 

I still have my 870 TC (Monte Carlo). Got it as a graduation present from Junior High School (9th grade before I could drive). I had been shooting trap with a Browning Auto 5 field gun w/ 28" mod. choke. Shot the 870 for probably 10 or more years till I got my first Perazzi (from Danielle himself in Gardone, Italy about 1974.)
I loved (and still do love) that 870. Like Rob's, mine had beautiful wood with lots of color, fiddle back and feather. I shot it so much one of the slide bars broke in half. I had it welded back together. I don't take it out much but I still love it and shoot it well.
Cheers and thanks for the memories.
Jake

 

As I remember Fred made the stocks and Rudy made them famous. In 1950 Remington gave Rudy one of the first 870's and he took it to the grand. First Rudy had Fred put a Etchen custom stock on the new gun like the one he had on his 31 TC. At the grand Rudy ran 100 straight with that 870 and won the doubles championship the rest is history

 

Interesting reading that above ad for Etchen's Custom Built Guns......... maple stocks cost more than walnut !!!.. Still, being an ad from the 1950's, I would have never imagined maple being another wood option. Really cool.
I wonder when the exotic walnuts like turkish, english, claro, and french, became more popular.

 

This has caused some confusion. Yes Rudy ran the FIRST EVER 100 Straight in a Grand event in 1950 . Some people wonder why he is not listed as CHAMPION. The problem was that in those days Rudy worked in the industry and shot as an INDUSTRY REP. so he was listed as" INDUSTRY Champion" not National Champion . The ATA records list Julius Petty as the Doubles Champ with a score of 97 even though Rudy out shot him with 100 straight.