Remington Rides the West

IN 1816, THE talented Eliphalet Remington of Ilion, New York, made his first gun – a flintlock sporting piece. His superb workmanship was widely admired and soon customer demand saw Eliphalet, together with his father, going into full-time manufacture of custom made guns. As word of their quality spread, other gunmakers began ordering Remington barrels in such quantities that by 1828, the Remingtons had to move to larger premises. Having their new factory on the Erie Canal facilitated the transportation and shipping of their products. Now, with a larger forge, they were able to keep up with orders for their barrels and locks.

Clearly, this was grand for Remington, but it has driven modern gun collectors crazy. With so many other gun-makers using Remington-marked barrels and locks, it is virtually impossible to determine whether an old gun was made lock, stock