In House Shipping:
Make: Remington
Model: 30 Express
Serial Number: 7892
Year of Manufacture: September 1926 (“DT” Date Code)
Caliber: .30-06 Springfield
Action Type: Bolt Action Rifle with Internal Magazine
Markings: The left side of the receiver is marked “MODEL 30 / Express / 7892”. The left side of the barrel is marked “30 SPRINGFIELD / 1906.”. The top of the barrel is marked “REMINGTON ARMS COMPANY, INC., SUCCESSOR TO THE REMINGTON / ARMS U.M.C.CO. INC., REMINGTON ILION WORKS, ILION, N.Y. U.S.A.”. The right side of the barrel has a series of proofs including the “DT” date code.
Barrel Length: 22”, Round
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a beaded blade pinned into a serrated barrel band base at the front of the barrel. The rear sight dovetail has been filled with a blank screwed-in base. The rear of the bolt is mounted with a “B. & M.” patented bolt peep sight adjustable for elevation and windage. That sight was made by Belding & Mull, a well known optics and sights maker at the time. The right side of the receiver has a pair of drilled, tapped, and filled holes for a receiver sight (none present).
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stock is one-piece checkered walnut with finger grooves, a schnabel forend, semi-pistol grip, straight comb, sling swivels at the front and rear, and a serrated steel buttplate. There are some scattered compressions and dings through the finish. The checkering has some light wear but is mostly sharp. There are no chips. Some of the most noticeable marks are on the left side of the buttstock. There are some small cracks at each side of the buttstock near the comb at the plate. The LOP measures approximately 13 3/4” from the front of the trigger to the rear of the buttplate. The buttplate has some mottled patina, mottled thinning, little scabs, and little scratches. Overall, the stock rates in about Very Good Condition.
Type of Finish: Blue
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is well defined. There is light erosion throughout, mostly in the grooves. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates 9/10.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 80% of its metal finish. The receiver has thinned throughout, and taken a mottled patina. There is some plum colored finish preserved where there was once a receiver sight. The bottom metal has some areas of oxidation, and there is some mottled thinning and discoloration on the trigger guard. The barrel finish is well preserved and strong throughout with only some thinning on the muzzle and leading edge of the chamber and sights. There are a few scattered spots of light surface oxidation. The bolt handle has some light oxidation. There is light operational wear. The screw heads are lightly worn with strong serviceable slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle rates in about Very Good Condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. When the safety is engaged, the bolt is locked and cannot be cycled. We have not fired this rifle. As with all previously owned firearms, thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This rifle comes with a military style brown leather shoulder sling in Very Good Condition. The leather is pliable, and there are no rips or tears, only light handling wear.
Our Assessment: Long before the ever-popular Model 700 from Remington, there was the Model 30 factory sporter. The Model 30 took form after WW1, when Remington had a surplus of M-1917 “American Enfield” parts. They removed the rear sight wings, redesigned and strengthened the floorplate, and slightly changed the receiver bridge. This resulted in a much more visually appealing rifle at the cost of only one round of capacity. The Model 30 boasted a strong action, elegant lines, and outstanding build quality. Add to it that many of the veterans returning home from the Great War were already familiar with the M-1917 type action from their military service. Before WW1, lever action and pump action rifles had long been the choice of sportsmen, not bolt actions. The Great War flipped that dynamic, and the market for bolt action rifles expanded immensely after they had proven themselves in combat. The opportunity was there for Remington when they released the Model 30 in 1921, and it was the only option on the market until Winchester released their Model 54 in 1925. In 1926, the Model 30’s firing pin design was changed from cocking during bolt closure to cocking during bolt lift, a steel cross bolt was added to the stock between the recoil lug mortise and the cutout for the magazine for reinforcement, and the stock checkering was standardized, and that new rifle was designated the Model 30 Express. About 23,000 Model 30s were made until Remington ceased production in 1940.
This Remington Model 30 Express Bolt Action Rifle was made in September 1926 and is in Very Good Condition. It features a 22” barrel, 80% of its original blued finish, an elegant one-piece checkered walnut stock with finger grooves, a schnabel forend, semi-pistol grip, and a serrated steel buttplate, solid mechanics, and a bright bore with well defined rifling (there’s light erosion throughout, mostly in the grooves). There are some small cracks at each side of the buttstock near the comb at the plate. This classic sporting rifle is chambered in .30-06 Springfield. With a good 150-grain bullet, .30-06 shoots flat enough for just about any deer hunting imaginable, and is just fine for the largest whitetail and mule deer. With a 180-grain bullet, it packs more than enough punch for elk, black bear, and moose. The Model 30 was Remington’s first high-powered bolt action sporting rifle, and the grandfather of their world-famous bolt actions today. While to many this may look like “just another sporter”, this is a fine factory offering from Remington, known and valued by experienced collectors.