Vintage Bullet.....Real or fake?

[bencox84]

Hello, Any help would be greatly appreciated, I just purchased this knife and I have a few concerns. The tang stamp reads "remington umc" in a circle with "made in usa" around the circle and looks as legit as I've seen. I couldn't get a picture of it cuz my camera is crap and won't focus that small. The other side doesn't appear to have a tang stamp of the pattern number. If it did it has since worn off. I'm almost positive that this is an R1303 or an R1306, But in Jim Sargentts book he says that if the knife has two pins near the front bolster Then it should have the thumb groove on the blade, if it has one pin near the front bolster then it won't have the thumb groove. As you will see below mine indeed has two pins near the front bolster and the blade DOES NOT have the thumb groove. I thought maybe the blade had been replaced, but the petina matches perfectly with the backspring and the lock. This is my first vintage bullet, and I'd love to have it authenticated!

[knives-are-quiet]

I am not a Remington expert but there is a section on this site with lots of info on them.

http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/rem ... /index.php

There is a picture of a R1306 but in black and white.
Looks to be the same knife to me.

http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kni ... bullet.jpg


J W

[bencox84]

Thanks for the info, I think this knife is the real deal, and I certainly hope it is! But the info provided in jim sargentts book has raised some questions that have me doubting it. Anyone that has any info please let me know! It will be greatly appreciated!!

[bencox84]

I also forgot to note that you can barely make out the "Remington trademark" etching on the blade, its there, but hard to see. Don't know if this helps....

[thefarside]

Your knife would be 1306 with the stag handles. I have only owned a couple with the two pins and they both had the thumb groove; I just looked at my 1303 and it has one pin and no thumb groove. However to throw another thought out to continue the confusion - the Remington C5 catalog has a 1306 on the cover with one pin and a thumb groove.

[gino]

The 1303's did not have thumb groove
The 1306's had thumb groove

1303 measures 4 1/2"
1306 measures 4 5/8''

1303 is brown bone
1306 is stag

Can you get a better picture of the handles???

[bencox84]

Here are a couple more pics just of the handles. I'm almost positive they are stag, but then again jim sargents book has a pic of supposedly a 1303 and 1306 and both handle materials look the same to me. I thought I knew the differences but maybe I don't. I do know that they made the 1306 with and without the thumb groove, as I've seen them both ways but the pins were as described in jim sargents book. After some suggestions from another member I did look inside at the spring and it only has one indention where the blade hits the spring, and the scratching on the tang from the sides looks like I would expect it to look. I assume this is why the pattern number is gone. And like I said before, the petina on the blade, spring, and the lock release all look the same. So I'm fairly confident that this is the original blade. But I'm just a rookie, Just started collecting Remingtons within the past year after inheriting my grandfathers collection.

[jerryd6818]

Stag. Even with the out of focus photos, especially on the pile side, you can see the irregularities that tell you the handles are not jigged bone. As far as the rest of the knife, I wouldn't have a clue.

[gino]

I agree handles are stag. Hard to tell from pics but that shield and bolster condition surely dosent match blade because of polishing in my opinion. Why only polish bolsters and shield? Somethings strange about it but without having it in hand and good look at tang,handle,etc... its a tough one to call.

[bencox84]

The bolsters and shield don't show any signs of being polished, swirlmarks etc...and I believe they have a little better polish from the factory, but maybe im wrong. The blade is really in good shape just has a lil petina to it, and like I said the etching is still there. Faint, but its there, and there are very few scratchmarks from sharpening....I believe the knife is legit, the only real thing I question are the pins, or lack of thumb groove. Everything else looks put together too well to be fake. I also have read that there are very few fakes for these era of remingtons simply because they didn't have very many spare parts to use or anything. Thanks for all of the help thus far and keep the opinions coming!

[Umcknifeguy]

Check out Stewart & Ritcie book Remington Knives Past and Present. On the front cover there is a photo of a R1306. It has 2 pins, and doesnt appear to have the thumb groove Unless my eyes are playing tricks on me.

[robinetn]

Check out Stewart & Ritcie book Remington Knives Past and Present. On the front cover there is a photo of a R1306. It has 2 pins, and doesnt appear to have the thumb groove Unless my eyes are playing tricks on me.

Not a very good pic , but it's late so I just used my flash . This is the S&R book cover mentioned here .
Bob

[bencox84]

I ran straight for my book when I seen this post!! Haha I never even noticed it being on the cover!! Hahaha it doesn't look like it has the thumb grooves to me either, who knows....either way, im happy with the knife, just thought id try to do a little investigating.