The Remington Model 58, also known as the Sportsman 58, is a
semi-automatic shotgun manufactured by
Remington Arms
Remington Arms Company, LLC was an American manufacturer of firearms and ammunition, now broken into two companies, each bearing the Remington name. The firearms manufacturer is ''Remington Arms''. The ammunition business is called ''Remingto ...
in the mid-20th century. It was Remington's first
gas operated shotgun and was marketed alongside the
recoil operated Model 11-48. The Model 58 was manufactured in 12, 16, and 20
gauge from 1956 to 1963, until it was replaced by the
Model 1100.
Design
Being Remington's first
gas operated shotgun, the Model 58 suffered from many design shortcomings compared to the contemporary
Model 11-48 with which it shared many design features and parts. The gas system was built into the front of the
magazine
A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...
and therefore limited capacity of the
tube magazine to two
shells. Gas was tapped from a hole in the
barrel
A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container with a bulging center, longer than it is wide. They are traditionally made of wooden staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. The word vat is often used for large containers for liquids, ...
into a large chamber. A piston in this chamber drove an action bar rearward which, in turn, operated the
bolt
The BOLT Browser was a web browser for mobile phones including feature phones and smartphones that can run Java ME applications. The BOLT Browser was offered free of charge to consumers and by license to mobile network operators and handset manuf ...
to cycle the
action. The action spring was also located inside the forward end of the magazine tube.
The Model 58 was produced in several version and grades, including a magnum version which could accept shells, and versions with rifle sights ("Rifled Slug Specials"). The
Model 878 was introduced in 1959 with an improved "self-adjusting" gas system, offered in 12 gauge only.
The Model 58 and Model 878 are virtually the same, with only differences in the gas piston and cosmetics.
The design proved more expensive to make than the Model 11-48, and was also less reliable and heavier. Remington chose to replace the Model 58 with a model that combined its best features with those of the Model 11-48. The resulting
Model 1100 immediately replaced the Model 58 and proved so successful that it soon also replaced the Model 11-48.
References
Further reading
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External links
Remington Model 58via
YouTube
Remington Arms firearms
Semi-automatic shotguns of the United States
Weapons and ammunition introduced in 1956
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