Standard Catalog Of Remington Firearms[/b]":2s90bktj]In June 1956, to complement its own power tool business, Remington Arms Company, Inc., acquired the Mall Tool Company from Arthur W. Mall for $9.8 million. This company operated plants in Chicago and Park Forest, Illinois and in Toronto, Ontario. Mall products included complete lines of portable electric, gasoline, and pneumatic-powered tools and flexible shaft equipment. Mall Tool Company was dissolved in 1958 and renamed the Remington Power Tool Division. Its activities were integrated with Remington's powder-activated tool business which had been previously developed in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

The Canadian subsidiary name was changed to Remington Arms of Canada, Ltd. and its product line expanded to include firearms and other Remington products. In 1981, Remington dissolved its Canadian subsidiary.

According to the 30 Sep 1962 Bridgeport Post, Mr. J. A. Walker, the Findlay, Ohio plant manager from 1948-1956, was assigned to the Mall Tool Company plant in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1956. Mr. Walker was replaced in Sep 1962 by Mr. E. S. Cipcer, who was named superintendent of Remington Arms of Canada, Limited, Toronto, Ontario. Mr. Cipcer of Bridgeport, Connecticut had been chief supervisor of production planning at the Bridgeport plant.

Remington Arms of Canada, Ltd. was apparently also organized in 1958, since your shotgun was made by them in 1960. The plant was located at 36 Queen Elizabeth Blvd, Toronto 18, Ontario. Its 1963 calendar is shown above.

Following World War II, Remington again focused on developing and producing firearms for sport. Its payroll was quickly reduced to about 1500 workers and business was expectedly sluggish. To boost sales from its core firearms and munitions segments, Remington diversified into new arenas. Notable was its entrance into the industrial tool field. Remington developed and began manufacturing a "Cartridge-powered Stud Driver," a device that fired stud fasteners into various structural materials. The model 450, as it was labeled, used cartridges similar to bullet cartridges. The product enjoyed success during the massive postwar housing and construction boom. In 1969. Remington sold the Remington Power Tool Division to DESA Industries, Inc., which specialized in distressed businesses. Two {Illinois] plants were included in the transaction.

Welcome to ShotgunWorld, polkey.

 

Not sure just what was all made at the Remington factory in Canada,but I have seen Remington Nylon 66 rifles that were marked,Made in Canada.Have also seen 12 gauge Remington Express boxes that were marked,Made in Canada,as well.

 

In the Mar 1959 Popular Mechanics magazine was an advertisement offering a free 16-page catalog of Remington electric tools, which could be requested from Remington Arms Company, Inc., Bridgeport 2, Connecticut, or "In Canada: Remington Arms of Canada, Limited, 36 Queen Elizabeth Blvd., Toronto 18, Ontario." This strongly suggests that the Canadian subsidiary received its name in 1958.

28 gauge, do you think that Remington Arms of Canada, Limited simply assembled parts made in Ilion, New York, or do you think that they made firearms parts? How should "Made in Canada" be understood concerning the Wingmaster? Thanks!

 

O.K., I found that Remington Arms of Canada, Limited was incorporated in Canada on 30 Sep 1958, and that it was previously known as Mall Tool Limited, which was incorporated in Canada from 27 Mar 1948 to 30 Sep 1958. This source said that Remington Arms of Canada, Limited was dissolved as a corporation in Canada on 08 Nov 1983. Perhaps 1981 was when Remington closed the Toronto factory.

 

OK gentlemen, we all know that Remington Arms was in Ilion, NY as well as Bridgeport, CT. What was made in Ilion and what was made in Bridgeport? This has always been a mystery to me.

 

That's an easy one.

Ilion made the guns, Bridgeport made the ammo.

Bridgeport shut down, now Loanoke makes the ammo, Ilion still makes the guns, but there are now a few more facilities making guns as well.

 

As you know, polkey, your barrel code EGB dates the barrel manufacture as Oct 1960. The V suffix of your serial number means 12 gauge, 2-3/4" chamber (not "Wingmaster" as stated elsewhere). A barrel made in Ilion, NY gets the proof mark REP meaning Remington English Proof, according to Remington. (REP does not mean Royal English Proof. REP can be found on Remington barrels since the 1920's, maybe earlier. So I think a story is more factory tongue-in-cheek which claims that it once stood for Richard E. Perkins, the man that test fired the weapons for Remington. I think that REP was likely already in use before Mr. Perkins' employment, but I welcome corrections.)

I surmise that RCEP must mean Remington Canada English Proof, and I presume that implies that the barrel was made in Toronto, not Ilion.

 

………or as a foreign country Canada required it's own proofing like many other countries do, maybe take this up with The Remington Society of America.

A neighbor up the road emigrated from Scotland a few years age, avid bird hunter, has Remington 1100 that was purchased in Scotland by his father he thinks in the 1980's, the gun has both US and English proof marks….and we know 1100's were not made in Scotland.

If I catch up with him this weekend will try and get a pic of the proof marks.

 

This Wingmaster barrel could not have been made in Ilion or it would have the REP proof mark. So where would this barrel have been made? Clearly it was made in Toronto; it literally was "Made in Canada"; and the single proof mark RCEP logically would mean Remington Canada English Proof. And following that thought, Mall Tools Limited would already have had a sophisticated machine shop in place in Toronto, and Remington could have shipped any tooling required by Remington Arms of Canada, Ltd. from Ilion, only 307 miles away.

 

During the 1960's and early 1970's Remington imported a line of .22's [ammunition] that were made in Mexico by Aquila. The boxes have a warning in both English and French on the top to comply with Canada's bilingual requirements. These boxes were replaced by Remington's U.S.A. boxes which had bilingual side labels.

A side of these boxes to be sold in Canada identifies the distributor as "REMINGTON ARMS OF CANADA LIMITED · TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA", followed "Made by CARTUCHOS DEPORTIVOS de MEXICO · CUERNAVACA, MORELOS, MEXICO".

 

Remington Arms of Canada, Ltd. advertised in The Brandon Canada Sun, p. 9, 27 Aug 1965, that its Remington plastic shotshells in 12, 16 and 20 gauge were made in [Toronto] Canada and sold by Authorized Remington Dealers.

Put more shot where the game is Remington plastic shells have to give you more hits. For 2 reasons: You get a denser shot pattern. And you concentrate your power where you need it. That's because every ounce of power is locked in until you release it. Remington's tougher plastic locks out the seeping damage of wet shooting or storage conditions. Remington's plastic means slicker, faster loading too. Each shell ts guaranteed to chamber; won't scuff, swell, or jam. Look into Remington plastic shells in 12, 16 and 20 gauge - at highly competitive prices! They're made in Canada and sold by your Authorized Remington Dealer... REMINGTON ARMS OF CANADA LIMITED, 36 Queen Elizabeth Blvd., Toronto 18, Ontario.

 

Canada used to have requirements for producing in Canada if one sold in Canada. I do not remember the specifics. "Made in" means whatever was required to meet this standard was done. There is no reason they could not have made the barrels in Illion and taken them to Canada, screwed or pressed in a front bead, and proofed them. The Japanese used to bring in vehicles by the boatload - literally - and then finish "assembling" them in a huge concrete parking lot in Portsmouth, Virginia to meet the import requirements of the time. On the pick up trucks that consisted of replacing the bolts holding on the beds and torquing them to specs. They shipped the bucketloads of temporary bolts back to Japan for reuse. I don't know about the cars.
Unless someone KNOWS the details, the possibilities are endless and speculation pointless.

 

To factually know what was manufactured by Remington Arms of Canada, Ltd. would require interviewing some knowledgeable former employees and managers, now mostly deceased. This old Wingmaster barrel, shotshells, and power tools were all that I could find on the internet that Remington Arms of Canada Ltd. claimed to make. Remington had three objectives when they bought Mr. Mall's three plants: to increase revenue from sales of chainsaws and power tools; to increase revenue from its powder-activated cartridge-driven tools; and to increase revenue from firearm and firearm-related sales in Canada.

The comparison with Japanese final assembly practices once their products were on American soil would have the reverse implication for Remington. Japanese companies could increase revenue by manufacturing as much of their products as possible with cheaper labor in Japan while still complying with minimal "Made in USA" standards during final assembly. Remington had the reverse problem to solve if they were to increase revenue from sales in Canada.

Remington saw an opportunity to increase revenue on its sales in Canada of whatever goods that could be produced by non-labor union Canadian employees. I vaguely remember that in the 1990's TigerDirect even advertised that it saved customers money by making their computers in Toronto rather than in the USA.

Today Remington again sees an opportunity to increase revenue on its sales of whatever goods that can be produced by non-labor union employees in Alabama and Kentucky. The United Mine Workers represents 1180 of the 1300 Remington employees in Ilion. Plus Remington resents the New York SAFE Act for not allowing the sale of their "assault weapons" in New York.

Remington Arms of Canada, Ltd. was only incorporated for 25 years and now it has been 35 years since it was dissolved by Remington Arms, Inc.. Interviews are beyond my capacity, so perhaps some ShotgunWorld members in Canada will elaborate on what was made in Toronto and what was made in Ilion.

As pointed out, Remington could have made barrels in Ilion, shipped them to Toronto, screwed or pressed in a front bead, and proofed them RCEP. But surely Remington also projected a greater profit margin in Canada on whatever goods that could be produced by non-labor union employees in a well-equipped Toronto tool plant.

 

Here are some pics, other than a few marks in the stock it looks brand new, person i got it from still has the original hang tag somewhere.

 

Those are nice, clear pictures of a good gun. It looks like a treasure to me. Are you in Canada? What is the barrel length, and is there a REP proof mark inside the barrel extension, sir?

 

Its 28", i am in Canada yes, and the only other marks i could find other than what i posted is that the barrel lug is stamped 870.

 

Thank you, sir. Just so that we are thorough, you do not see REP inside the barrel extension?

 

Looks like you found a nice keeper, happy shootin'.

 

Non union manufacturing employees in Canada? Surely you jest. I ran a plant in Canada for a while. Their union rules make anything in the U.S. look like right to work by comparison. The U.S. had a limit on the number of "finished" vehicles that could be imported. Canada used to have a limit on what could be sold in Canada that was not made in Canada. As soon as the North American Free Trade Agreement was signed GM started moving massive amounts of production out of Canada as fast as they could. Many businesses packed up and headed South and they only stopped in the U.S. to buy gas on the way. Ford and Chrysler tried but every week you would hear about another "union dispute" at their minivan factories back when minivans were the in thing.
Governments make rules to try to (supposedly) protect their citizens. The problem is companies are usually (much) smarter than lawmakers. I am sure Remington did just enough to meet the "Made in" standard. Unfortunately I do not know what that was specifically. Hopefully one of our members may know.
By the serial number that looks like a 1951 receiver. Barrel may have been changed. In any event it appears to have been well cared for and only lightly used. Probably shoots as good as it looks.

 

There is nothing else stamped on the barrel ,nothing on the barrel extension. I am guessing the serial is specific to Canadian manufactured/assembled as I have another older 1955 wingmaster and the finish is nowhere near the same.

 

28 gauge, do you think that Remington Arms of Canada, Limited simply assembled parts made in Ilion, New York, or do you think that they made firearms parts? How should "Made in Canada" be understood concerning the Wingmaster? Thanks!

That is a good queston.Do not really know ,although I have though on it quite a bit with the limited amount of information I have found on the subject.

I am guessing that some parts were made in Canada,but which ones and for what firearms I have no idea.I believe, when it says Made in Canada on most Remington items, it should probably have read assembled in Canada,but that's just my opinion, based on what little information is available at present time.

 

This August 1958 Popular Science advertisement shows Mall Tool Company during its last of two years when it was a Division of Remington Arms Company Inc. of Bridgeport Connecticut. It was incorporated in Canada from 27 Mar 1948 to 30 Sep 1958. Remington Arms of Canada, Limited was incorporated in Canada on 30 Sep 1958.

By 1956, the Mall Tool Company had become very successful, employing over 2000 people making power drills, circular saws, chainsaws, and other handheld products.

Remington Arms Company Inc. (DuPont) of Bridgeport, Connecticut acquired Mall Tool Company in June 1956. Of the three Mall factories where those 2000 people were employed, only the Toronto plant was included in Remington Arms of Canada, Limited. It is likely that several hundred people were employed in Toronto, making many of the extensive line of Mall Tool Company power tools in a very large and sophisticated machine shop.

Remington itself has reported that it dissolved Mall Tool Company in 1958, renamed it the Remington Power Tool Division, and integrated its activities with Remington's powder-activated tool business which had been previously developed in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Also, Remington Arms of Canada, Ltd. advertised in Aug 1965 that its Remington plastic shot shells were made in Canada. IMO, it seems likely that products using gunpowder were physically assembled in Toronto.

 

Re: Wingmaster made in Canada?

No Wingmaster was ever made in Canada, it is that simple.

 

Here are some pics, other than a few marks in the stock it looks brand new, person i got it from still has the original hang tag somewhere.

We are discussing what does "Made in Canada" mean, concerning an Oct 1960 "Made in Canada" barrel with a RCEP proofmark but no REP (Ilion) proofmark, on a 1951 Wingmaster receiver. The gun has an original hang tag.

 

It means someone can stamp a barrel or print a box, not exactly rocket science.