1931 Remington Model 8 Peace Officer Equipment Co. POE
Posted: Sat Jan 18, 2014 4:56 pm
Hello everyone, I had a tremendous amount of help from some of the great folks here on "thegreatmodel8" site & without their help, this would not have happened for me. Here's the story about how it all came together.
I purchased this 1931 Remington Model 8 35 REM. Peace Officer Equipment Co. (POE), back in April of 2013 from a Pawn Shop in Kansas. The rifle is serial #. 6609X and the barrel code is ( OZ ) for July of 1931. The Pawn Shop had the rifle listed on-line for about an hour, when I saw it listed. At first glance, I knew exactly what it was and my heart starting to pump a bit faster than normal. The auction listing description stated that the rifle was missing its magazine & there was no "Buy-Now" option to purchase the rifle, but I knew that I had to have it.
I started to email the Pawn Shop and I was in the middle of my email, when I thought to myself that just maybe...they had their contact phone number listed in another one of their auction listings. I stopped typing the email and started looking at their other auctions and sure enough, there was the phone number & I quickly made the call.
It just so happened to be 10 minutes before closing at the Pawn Shop when I placed the call. A very nice gentleman answered the phone and I inquired about the Model 8 "without" the magazine that they had listed. The gentleman said he was closing up the shop and he was in a rush, as he had an appointment after work, but he pulled the POE from their stock and mentioned that it was missing the magazine. He then said, that the magazines are available "all the time", as the Model 8 parts are always listed "on-line" on various gun auction sites and I should be able to locate one pretty easily.
He was in a big rush to make his appointment after work, but answered a few of the questions that I had and I then asked, if he would be interested in putting a "Buy-Now" option on the auction and he said yes. He then shot me the price and I agreed without hesitation! He asked if I was on-line and he added the "Buy-Now" and I sealed the deal "Two minutes before they closed for the day". The deal took Eight minutes to complete and the gentleman said he had to apologize for cutting me short, but he had to run off to his appointment and he would invoice me the next day. I said "There's no need to apologize sir & thank you for all of your help"!
My heart was really pumping at this point, as I was very excited to have just purchased an "Early" Pre-Patent 1931 Remington Model 8 POE... even though it did not have the 15 round magazine! I do not think that the gentleman had any idea just how rare these rifles are & I believe he thought it was just another Model 8, but it was missing the magazine.
The Model 8 POE arrived 10 days later and it was in really nice condition. I contacted Cam (81Police), to tell him about my purchase and that I was searching for a 15 round POE magazine. I sent some pictures to Cam and he responded saying that the condition of the rifle was one of the nicest he had seen of any of the POE Model 8's. Cam also mentioned that this early style forearm has only been observed on the earliest POE's ranging from 657XX - 663XX, which makes it a real treasure ... as Cam put it! Cam also stated that that the POE MODEL 8's represent 10% or less of ALL POLICE Model 8's & 81 rifle's and since my 1931 had the earliest style forearm... it makes this rifle pretty darn rare indeed!
Cam said he would keep his eyes open for a 15 round POE magazine for me and let me know if he finds one. After a few emails back and forth with Cam, he put me in touch with Jim (jim8008) here on thegreat8 site. Cam mentioned that Jim had a Remington Model 81 POE rifle, with a Model 8 POE 15 round magazine and that Jim was searching for a correct "Patent Dated" Model 81 magazine for his rifle. I contacted Jim and asked if he would be interested in selling his Model 8 POE magazine and rightfully so, Jim responded by saying he could not sell his Model 8 POE magazine without first locating a correct "Patent Dated" Model 81 magazine. He also said if he did do a trade, that he wanted to make sure that his early Model 8 POE went to an original Model 8 POE rifle and since my rifle and his magazine were only 245 digits apart regarding the serial numbers, that it would certainly be fitting that it should go to my rifle, if we could make it all come together.
I stayed in touch with Cam & Jim and I started contacting whomever I could, in the hopes of locating either a Model 8 or Model 81 POE magazine.
In the meantime, Cam emails me about another Model 81 that a gentleman had contacted Cam about and the gentleman wanted to sell his rifle. This rifle was a "First Year Production" Model 81 in 30 Rem. and it was a two digit serial number Model 81. Cam gave me the information and I was able to add #24 to the stable! How sweet is that??? Thanks a bunch Cam! That's a story we'll post at a later date!
Cam was working every angle he could and shaking every branch along the way to locate a 15 round magazine for me. On June 25, 2013 Cam emails me and said he was hot on the trail of a Model 81 POE magazine in 35 Rem. and that he would let me know what he finds out.
Cam knew that I was interested in either type magazine and that if I was able to purchase a Model 81 POE magazine, that just maybe I would be able to make a trade with Jim. As mentioned, I had also discussed this with Jim and he said he would certainly entertain a trade with me, if I could come up with one that worked for him.
A couple of days passed and Cam contacts me and said he had not got an answer, as to whether the gentleman in Scottsdale, AZ wanted to sell and gave me their contact information and I contacted them. I received a reply back a month later, on September 3, 2013 and they hadn't made a decision as to whether or not they wanted to sell one of the two Model 81 POE magazines that they had. I did not want to press the issue.
It's crazy sometimes how the world goes round and in late September we sold a Model 81 to another gentleman in Arizona and he was using the same gun shop that had the Model 81 POE magazines, as his transfer dealer. That opened the door to ask about the magazines again and I finally received some serial number information on the two magazines. I shared this information with Cam & he in turn, emailed some pictures that he had in the archives regarding the magazines in early October, 2013 and I also received some additional pictures from Bear Arms. The pictures I received from Cam, were from a sister magazine to the #999X POE magazine that Bear Arms had. On October 14, 2013, I was able to strike a deal on purchasing a very nice (Early) "Patent Dated" (#999X) Model 81 POE magazine, from Kurt & Roger at Bear Arms.
Turns out that this magazine was originally owned by Bob (remcrazy) here on the site. Bob is also very well known for his "CBR" Pro-Tools & reproduction spanner wrenches, as well as his reproduction stocks and other accessories for the Model 8's and 81's.
I received the Model 81 POE magazine on October 21st and I then got back in touch with Jim (jim8008) and we discussed a trade. We talked for roughly 1-1/2 hours on the phone and we were able to have a "Gentleman's Agreement" and the trade was underway. Jim was gracious enough to send me his Model 8 POE magazine for me to check out and run some rounds through it and he sent the magazine on November 5th. Jim said ... " There's no need to send me your Model 81 POE magazine right now, just take a look at my magazine and make sure it works for you and use it at deer camp ... there's no rush in getting it back to me ... just let me know what you think when you return from deer camp and we'll take it from there". In today's world, it is very nice to deal with such fine and honorable fellas like Jim & Cam. I sincerely appreciate Jim's "HIGH TRUST" in me and I was honored that Jim entrusted me with his rare Model 8 POE magazine.
I took my 1931 Remington Model 8 POE in 35 Rem. and both magazines up to deer camp and ran some rounds through both magazines. Now that was a very cool experience folks! I returned from deer camp and as agreed, I contacted Jim and told him that both magazines performed flawlessly and that I was sending my Model 81 POE magazine to him for his review. On November 25th, 2013 Jim emailed me and said..."Looks Like A Done Deal...call me when you can".
I called Jim and we spoke again for a very long time that night and I really enjoyed the both conversions with him. He's a very fun guy to talk to and he is a very sharp gentleman as well. I certainly am pleased with how it all transpired and dealing with Jim was a real pleasure. I think we're both happy with the outcome & how easy it was to make it all happen... regarding the trade. Thanks a million Jim!
Nearly 8 months had passed and the quest was complete! Jim now has a correct "Patent Dated" Model 81 POE magazine for his rifle and thanks to Jim, Cam and the guys at Bear Arms, I now have a complete early style Remington Model 8 POE, with the correct "Patent Pend." Model 8 POE 15 round magazine.
One other thing that I would like to mention about this early Model 8 POE magazine, is that the PEACE OFFICER EQUIPMENT Co. ST. JOSEPH Mo. PAT. PEND. is "Hand Engraved" on the magazine, unlike the later magazines with this inscription being stamped on the magazine.
The journey to make this all come together was very fulfilling for me. The help I received from everyone throughout the journey really means a lot to me. I could not have done it without Cam & Jims help! I am hoping that both Jim & Cam will add a little bit of information regarding the journey of the Model 8 POE magazine and how they both were there in Tulsa, OK, when Jim original purchased the magazine. It's amazing to me how these rifle's and/or Model 8 or 81 POE magazines make their journey from state to state and one owner to another.
Many Thanks Guys....I sincerely appreciate all of your efforts and help along the way!
Enjoy Life, Bob @ S and S HUNTCLUB
I purchased this 1931 Remington Model 8 35 REM. Peace Officer Equipment Co. (POE), back in April of 2013 from a Pawn Shop in Kansas. The rifle is serial #. 6609X and the barrel code is ( OZ ) for July of 1931. The Pawn Shop had the rifle listed on-line for about an hour, when I saw it listed. At first glance, I knew exactly what it was and my heart starting to pump a bit faster than normal. The auction listing description stated that the rifle was missing its magazine & there was no "Buy-Now" option to purchase the rifle, but I knew that I had to have it.
I started to email the Pawn Shop and I was in the middle of my email, when I thought to myself that just maybe...they had their contact phone number listed in another one of their auction listings. I stopped typing the email and started looking at their other auctions and sure enough, there was the phone number & I quickly made the call.
It just so happened to be 10 minutes before closing at the Pawn Shop when I placed the call. A very nice gentleman answered the phone and I inquired about the Model 8 "without" the magazine that they had listed. The gentleman said he was closing up the shop and he was in a rush, as he had an appointment after work, but he pulled the POE from their stock and mentioned that it was missing the magazine. He then said, that the magazines are available "all the time", as the Model 8 parts are always listed "on-line" on various gun auction sites and I should be able to locate one pretty easily.
He was in a big rush to make his appointment after work, but answered a few of the questions that I had and I then asked, if he would be interested in putting a "Buy-Now" option on the auction and he said yes. He then shot me the price and I agreed without hesitation! He asked if I was on-line and he added the "Buy-Now" and I sealed the deal "Two minutes before they closed for the day". The deal took Eight minutes to complete and the gentleman said he had to apologize for cutting me short, but he had to run off to his appointment and he would invoice me the next day. I said "There's no need to apologize sir & thank you for all of your help"!
My heart was really pumping at this point, as I was very excited to have just purchased an "Early" Pre-Patent 1931 Remington Model 8 POE... even though it did not have the 15 round magazine! I do not think that the gentleman had any idea just how rare these rifles are & I believe he thought it was just another Model 8, but it was missing the magazine.
The Model 8 POE arrived 10 days later and it was in really nice condition. I contacted Cam (81Police), to tell him about my purchase and that I was searching for a 15 round POE magazine. I sent some pictures to Cam and he responded saying that the condition of the rifle was one of the nicest he had seen of any of the POE Model 8's. Cam also mentioned that this early style forearm has only been observed on the earliest POE's ranging from 657XX - 663XX, which makes it a real treasure ... as Cam put it! Cam also stated that that the POE MODEL 8's represent 10% or less of ALL POLICE Model 8's & 81 rifle's and since my 1931 had the earliest style forearm... it makes this rifle pretty darn rare indeed!
Cam said he would keep his eyes open for a 15 round POE magazine for me and let me know if he finds one. After a few emails back and forth with Cam, he put me in touch with Jim (jim8008) here on thegreat8 site. Cam mentioned that Jim had a Remington Model 81 POE rifle, with a Model 8 POE 15 round magazine and that Jim was searching for a correct "Patent Dated" Model 81 magazine for his rifle. I contacted Jim and asked if he would be interested in selling his Model 8 POE magazine and rightfully so, Jim responded by saying he could not sell his Model 8 POE magazine without first locating a correct "Patent Dated" Model 81 magazine. He also said if he did do a trade, that he wanted to make sure that his early Model 8 POE went to an original Model 8 POE rifle and since my rifle and his magazine were only 245 digits apart regarding the serial numbers, that it would certainly be fitting that it should go to my rifle, if we could make it all come together.
I stayed in touch with Cam & Jim and I started contacting whomever I could, in the hopes of locating either a Model 8 or Model 81 POE magazine.
In the meantime, Cam emails me about another Model 81 that a gentleman had contacted Cam about and the gentleman wanted to sell his rifle. This rifle was a "First Year Production" Model 81 in 30 Rem. and it was a two digit serial number Model 81. Cam gave me the information and I was able to add #24 to the stable! How sweet is that??? Thanks a bunch Cam! That's a story we'll post at a later date!
Cam was working every angle he could and shaking every branch along the way to locate a 15 round magazine for me. On June 25, 2013 Cam emails me and said he was hot on the trail of a Model 81 POE magazine in 35 Rem. and that he would let me know what he finds out.
Cam knew that I was interested in either type magazine and that if I was able to purchase a Model 81 POE magazine, that just maybe I would be able to make a trade with Jim. As mentioned, I had also discussed this with Jim and he said he would certainly entertain a trade with me, if I could come up with one that worked for him.
A couple of days passed and Cam contacts me and said he had not got an answer, as to whether the gentleman in Scottsdale, AZ wanted to sell and gave me their contact information and I contacted them. I received a reply back a month later, on September 3, 2013 and they hadn't made a decision as to whether or not they wanted to sell one of the two Model 81 POE magazines that they had. I did not want to press the issue.
It's crazy sometimes how the world goes round and in late September we sold a Model 81 to another gentleman in Arizona and he was using the same gun shop that had the Model 81 POE magazines, as his transfer dealer. That opened the door to ask about the magazines again and I finally received some serial number information on the two magazines. I shared this information with Cam & he in turn, emailed some pictures that he had in the archives regarding the magazines in early October, 2013 and I also received some additional pictures from Bear Arms. The pictures I received from Cam, were from a sister magazine to the #999X POE magazine that Bear Arms had. On October 14, 2013, I was able to strike a deal on purchasing a very nice (Early) "Patent Dated" (#999X) Model 81 POE magazine, from Kurt & Roger at Bear Arms.
Turns out that this magazine was originally owned by Bob (remcrazy) here on the site. Bob is also very well known for his "CBR" Pro-Tools & reproduction spanner wrenches, as well as his reproduction stocks and other accessories for the Model 8's and 81's.
I received the Model 81 POE magazine on October 21st and I then got back in touch with Jim (jim8008) and we discussed a trade. We talked for roughly 1-1/2 hours on the phone and we were able to have a "Gentleman's Agreement" and the trade was underway. Jim was gracious enough to send me his Model 8 POE magazine for me to check out and run some rounds through it and he sent the magazine on November 5th. Jim said ... " There's no need to send me your Model 81 POE magazine right now, just take a look at my magazine and make sure it works for you and use it at deer camp ... there's no rush in getting it back to me ... just let me know what you think when you return from deer camp and we'll take it from there". In today's world, it is very nice to deal with such fine and honorable fellas like Jim & Cam. I sincerely appreciate Jim's "HIGH TRUST" in me and I was honored that Jim entrusted me with his rare Model 8 POE magazine.
I took my 1931 Remington Model 8 POE in 35 Rem. and both magazines up to deer camp and ran some rounds through both magazines. Now that was a very cool experience folks! I returned from deer camp and as agreed, I contacted Jim and told him that both magazines performed flawlessly and that I was sending my Model 81 POE magazine to him for his review. On November 25th, 2013 Jim emailed me and said..."Looks Like A Done Deal...call me when you can".
I called Jim and we spoke again for a very long time that night and I really enjoyed the both conversions with him. He's a very fun guy to talk to and he is a very sharp gentleman as well. I certainly am pleased with how it all transpired and dealing with Jim was a real pleasure. I think we're both happy with the outcome & how easy it was to make it all happen... regarding the trade. Thanks a million Jim!
Nearly 8 months had passed and the quest was complete! Jim now has a correct "Patent Dated" Model 81 POE magazine for his rifle and thanks to Jim, Cam and the guys at Bear Arms, I now have a complete early style Remington Model 8 POE, with the correct "Patent Pend." Model 8 POE 15 round magazine.
One other thing that I would like to mention about this early Model 8 POE magazine, is that the PEACE OFFICER EQUIPMENT Co. ST. JOSEPH Mo. PAT. PEND. is "Hand Engraved" on the magazine, unlike the later magazines with this inscription being stamped on the magazine.
The journey to make this all come together was very fulfilling for me. The help I received from everyone throughout the journey really means a lot to me. I could not have done it without Cam & Jims help! I am hoping that both Jim & Cam will add a little bit of information regarding the journey of the Model 8 POE magazine and how they both were there in Tulsa, OK, when Jim original purchased the magazine. It's amazing to me how these rifle's and/or Model 8 or 81 POE magazines make their journey from state to state and one owner to another.
Many Thanks Guys....I sincerely appreciate all of your efforts and help along the way!
Enjoy Life, Bob @ S and S HUNTCLUB
I indeed thought it was a model 8. 