This is a week late

[bandit1250]

I had two of my Remington bolt 22's out last week shooting shot shell hulls and clay target pieces just to have a little fun while the wind laid down. After all the shooting was done and I got home and was cleaning them both up I had the bolts lying on my bench to clean them and grease the lugs and cocking ramps. I looked at those bolts and thought about how different the times are now. The bolts from these two Remington's are so much better looking than the bolts from most of the affordable rifles of today. These two rifles were both '40 guns. The 521T is from '48 and the 510 single shot is from 1940. The 521T bolt is case colored on the rear half and the 510 is case colored on the whole bolt. They stopped case coloring the entire bolt before the war stopped production of civilian arms. But to think they did this nice touch on rifles that when introduced in 1940 were priced at $5.40 for the 510 single shot with open sights and the peep sight model was less than a dollar more. The 511 repeater with the 6 shot mag. was $10.45 with the 512 tubular model coming in at $14.95. The peep was probably the same price increase as the 510 as they were the same sight. If you bought the 511 instead of the tube fed 512 for the fantastic sum of $.90 added to what you saved by getting a 511 you could buy a complete rifle in the model 510. The 521T came out about '48 but some are dated '47 and I doubt that they were more than $40 or maybe slightly higher. Take a look at these bolts and how nice they were back then. The 521T left has a larger bolt handle and knob. The 510 has a smaller tear drop looking knob. That 510 bolt has retained maybe 90% of its case colors even on the bolt handle. The bronze color is not rust but is part of the colors. I was offered $150 just for this bolt because of the amazing condition and I only paid $75 for the rifle. Got to love the older rifles. I do.

[CT_Shooter]

Thanks, Bandit. I enjoyed your description and totally understand the appreciation for quality.

[JEBar]

the Remington rifles produced a few decades ago were made by craftsmen .... its a shame those days are gone

[RetiredSeabee]

I love the history of these beautiful American made classics. Thanks for sharing them.

[Henry88]

I had two of my Remington bolt 22's out last week shooting shot shell hulls and clay target pieces just to have a little fun while the wind laid down. After all the shooting was done and I got home and was cleaning them both up I had the bolts lying on my bench to clean them and grease the lugs and cocking ramps. I looked at those bolts and thought about how different the times are now. The bolts from these two Remington's are so much better looking than the bolts from most of the affordable rifles of today. These two rifles were both '40 guns. The 521T is from '48 and the 510 single shot is from 1940. The 521T bolt is case colored on the rear half and the 510 is case colored on the whole bolt. They stopped case coloring the entire bolt before the war stopped production of civilian arms. But to think they did this nice touch on rifles that when introduced in 1940 were priced at $5.40 for the 510 single shot with open sights and the peep sight model was less than a dollar more. The 511 repeater with the 6 shot mag. was $10.45 with the 512 tubular model coming in at $14.95. The peep was probably the same price increase as the 510 as they were the same sight. If you bought the 511 instead of the tube fed 512 for the fantastic sum of $.90 added to what you saved by getting a 511 you could buy a complete rifle in the model 510. The 521T came out about '48 but some are dated '47 and I doubt that they were more than $40 or maybe slightly higher. Take a look at these bolts and how nice they were back then. The 521T left has a larger bolt handle and knob. The 510 has a smaller tear drop looking knob. That 510 bolt has retained maybe 90% of its case colors even on the bolt handle. The bronze color is not rust but is part of the colors. I was offered $150 just for this bolt because of the amazing condition and I only paid $75 for the rifle. Got to love the older rifles. I do.

I remember my dad always complaining about his salary in the army. He's been gone for 30 years, but I can still hear him, "$19 a month" he used to say . It was something like that for a pfc back in the '30s.

So $5.40 would have still been a weeks salary for him

[Catherine]

My husband still has a few quality made Remington rifles and one of their shotguns even with his downsizing.

I will have to show him this thread.

Thanks for sharing.

Cate

[Sir Henry]

I had two of my Remington bolt 22's out last week shooting shot shell hulls and clay target pieces just to have a little fun while the wind laid down. After all the shooting was done and I got home and was cleaning them both up I had the bolts lying on my bench to clean them and grease the lugs and cocking ramps. I looked at those bolts and thought about how different the times are now. The bolts from these two Remington's are so much better looking than the bolts from most of the affordable rifles of today. These two rifles were both '40 guns. The 521T is from '48 and the 510 single shot is from 1940. The 521T bolt is case colored on the rear half and the 510 is case colored on the whole bolt. They stopped case coloring the entire bolt before the war stopped production of civilian arms. But to think they did this nice touch on rifles that when introduced in 1940 were priced at $5.40 for the 510 single shot with open sights and the peep sight model was less than a dollar more. The 511 repeater with the 6 shot mag. was $10.45 with the 512 tubular model coming in at $14.95. The peep was probably the same price increase as the 510 as they were the same sight. If you bought the 511 instead of the tube fed 512 for the fantastic sum of $.90 added to what you saved by getting a 511 you could buy a complete rifle in the model 510. The 521T came out about '48 but some are dated '47 and I doubt that they were more than $40 or maybe slightly higher. Take a look at these bolts and how nice they were back then. The 521T left has a larger bolt handle and knob. The 510 has a smaller tear drop looking knob. That 510 bolt has retained maybe 90% of its case colors even on the bolt handle. The bronze color is not rust but is part of the colors. I was offered $150 just for this bolt because of the amazing condition and I only paid $75 for the rifle. Got to love the older rifles. I do.

I remember my dad always complaining about his salary in the army. He's been gone for 30 years, but I can still hear him, "$19 a month" he used to say . It was something like that for a pfc back in the '30s.

So $5.40 would have still been a weeks salary for him

I made less than $100 a month in the Army in 1968. It bumped up over a hundred with hazardous duty and overseas pay when I went to Vietnam.

Those bolts almost look like deco art.

[bandit1250]

Some of these wage figures from back then if you tell that to kids today they just give you that blank look of disbelief. At least that's the look I get from my grandkids. I remember throwing bales of hay at a local farm when I was 13 or 14 for 25 cents/hr. and I had to deal with having hay fever bad. I did it any way. I like the story Dad used to tell. He was about 14 and he had bought a Remington Model 41P single shot for a $1.25. You could but loose 22 ammo at the hardware store in town. He would buy how many he could get with the little change he had in his pocket. Dad was known to be a chipmunks worst nightmare by folks in town. A local guy at a big farm had horses and the chipmunks were eating the grain in the bins. He told Dad I will pay 3 cents for each tail you bring me if you come and shoot those grain thieving chipmunks. Dad said after a week or so he called him to the house and said "John, I am going to have to cut the price for the chipmunk tails back to a penny each." He said "You are going to bankrupt me with that darn Remington." I loved hearing those old stories about the hard times our parents had to go through during and after the depression. They weren't wimps back then!