The Remington Model 31 is a

pump-action Pump action or slide action is a repeating firearm action that is operated manually by moving a sliding handguard on the gun's forestock. When shooting, the sliding forend is pulled rearward to eject any expended cartridge Cartridge may refe ...

shotgun A shotgun (also known as a scattergun, or historically as a fowling piece) is a long gun, long-barreled firearm designed to shoot a straight-walled cartridge (firearms), cartridge known as a shotshell, which usually discharges numerous small p ...

that competed with the

Winchester Model 1912 The Winchester Model 1912 (also commonly known as the Model 12, or M12) is an internal-hammer pump-action shotgun with an external tube magazine. Popularly named the ''Perfect Repeater'' at its introduction, it largely set the standard for pump-a ...

for the American sporting arms market. Produced from 1931 to 1949, it superseded the John Pedersen-designed Models 10 and 29, and the John Browning-designed Model 17. It was replaced by the less expensive to manufacture Model 870 in 1950.

History

While the

Remington Model 17 In 1915 John Browning patented a pump-action shotgun with the following features: hammerless, under-loading, tubular-magazine, bottom-ejecting, and take-down. This design would eventually become the Remington Model 17. Manufacturing rights ...

enjoyed some success, a solid, 12-gauge featuring side-ejection was needed to compete with Winchester. C.C. Loomis sized up the Model 17 and adapted it for side ejection. The Model 31 was Remington's first side ejecting pump-action shotgun. Stocks were walnut with checkered walnut forend and later changed to a ribbed forend. The Model 31 was made in three gauges with 121,000 12-gauge models made and 75,000 16- and 20-gauge examples also produced. The

Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, ...

acquired one Model 31 per office in 1935 in response to the Kansas City Massacre.Vanderpool, Bill "Bring Enough Gun" ''

American Rifleman ''American Rifleman'' is a United States-based monthly shooting and firearms interest publication, owned by the National Rifle Association (NRA). It is the 33rd-most-widely-distributed consumer magazine and the NRA's primary magazine. The magaz ...

'' October 2013 pp.80-85&115-116 The model 31L was a lightweight version featuring an aluminum receiver and trigger housing. During World War II Remington produced a Model 31 riot gun for military use. These were stamped "U.S. Property" on the left side of the receiver and had an approximate serial number range of 51000-63000. Except for a single prototype, no Model 31 trench guns were produced. Despite being well received, sales still lagged far behind the Winchester. Remington went back to the drawing board and designed the Model 870; this shotgun matched the durability of the Model 12 at a significantly lower cost. Despite the overwhelming success of the 870, many shotgun connoisseurs consider the Model 31 to be the ''ne plus ultra'' of pump shotguns with its "ball-bearing" slide action.Simpson, Lane. "Remington's Magnificent Five", ''Shooting Times'', May 2000
/ref> The Model 31 was later used as a basis for the

Mossberg 500 The Mossberg 500 (M500) is a series of pump action shotguns manufactured by O.F. Mossberg & Sons. The 500 series comprises widely varying models of hammerless repeaters, all of which share the same basic receiver and action, but differ in bore ...

and related shotguns. The Mossberg is simplified and cheaper to produce. Notable differences are the use of a two-piece bolt with separate locking piece as well as a significantly simplified barrel mounting system. Further, the bolt locks into a barrel extension rather than directly to the receiver.

References

Remington Arms firearms Pump-action shotguns Shotguns of the United States Weapons of the Philippine Army {{Shotgun-stub