Remington Model 58

The Remington Model 58, also sold as the Sportsman 58, is a semi-automatic shotgun made by Remington Arms in the middle of the twentieth century. It was the first gas-operated shotgun Remington built and was sold alongside the recoil-operated Model 11-48, with which it shared many features and parts. It was made in 12, 16 and 20 gauge from 1956 to 1963. In the Model 58 the gas system was built into the front of the magazine, which limited the tube magazine to two shells; gas was tapped from the barrel into a large chamber where a piston drove an action bar rearward to cycle the bolt. Versions included a magnum model for three-inch shells and rifle-sighted Rifled Slug Specials, and the Model 878 of 1959 added a self-adjusting gas system in 12 gauge only. The design cost more to make than the Model 11-48 and was less reliable and heavier, so Remington replaced both with the Model 1100, which combined their best features. It is a civilian sporting shotgun rather than a military issue arm.