Excellent example of a Remington Model 8 rifle with police or federal law enforcement field modifications. This rifle has been fitted with the forward pistol grip from a Thompson SMG/ Carbine, which has been cut and beveled to fit on the existing forearm and screwed into place; this would help standardize the feel of this rifle and a Thompson SMG. The standard magazine has also been replaced with a curved 15-round magazine from the Peace Officer Equipment Co., a supplier to police departments and jails in the 1920 and 1930s (This type of rifle was one of the many used to gun down Bonnie and Clyde). It has a Lyman marked ivory bead type white dot blade front sight with the factory installed adjustable semi-buckhorn rear sight mounted on top of the barrel. The rear of the receiver is fitted with a adjustable target type Lyman tang rear sight with the flip up peep aperture for fine sighting. The bolt handle also has a field modified rubber cover, probably also purchased from the police supply company. It is fitted with a smooth straight grip stock with serrated metal buttplate with side mounted sling swivels with a period commercial brown leather sling. It is believed that this gun was owned by Texas Ranger Manuel Trazazas Gonzaullas (MTG). All the major parts aside from the magazine have been stamped with a small "MTG" monogram. Ranger Gonzaullas served as a Mexican Major at age 20, worked for the U.S. Treasury Dept. for five years, and joined the Texas Rangers in 1920. During the '20s and '30s he enforced the law in the oil fields and on the border. Known as " El Lobo Solo", or "the lone wolf", he pursued bootleggers, gamblers and drug runners alone. Gonzaullas was Superintendent of the D.P.S., Bureau of Intelligence and created a crime lab second only to that of the F.B.I. In 1940 he resigned from the Bureau and rejoined the Rangers as Captain of Company B in Dallas and retired in 1951. During his career he was one of the best known Texas Rangers and reputedly killed at least 22 men in the line of duty. Gonzaullas died in Dallas at age 85 and is in The Texas Ranger Hall of Fame. As an interesting note, Gonzaullas carried a pair of highly embellished New Service .45 "Fitz Specials" (not included with this lot). This consignment is from The National Museum of Crime and Punishment.

Excellent with approximately 95% of the original blued finish showing some light thinning and wear on top and sides of the barrel directly in front of the forend (typically where you would pick up the rifle), with some dried oil residue on the side other receiver in the protected area and around the juncture of the barrel and receiver area. The stock, forend and pistol grip are all in fine condition showing only light handling marks from field use with a very nice all matching light brown color on all three pieces, consistent with their originality to this rifle. The buttstock's varnish is crazed overall but is mostly intact. A unique example of a Texas ranger owned Remington semi automatic rifle, certainly worth further investigation on its history.