hello i bought a Remington 1894 shotgun at a auction for a hundred bucks it far missing the forearm the strip of metal between the barrels was half ass soldered and the stock was cracked. I have ordered a stock. Im trying to figure out the type of fore arm and the style of mechanism that holds it and where to find it or a print so i can build my own Im a machinist. also any advise on getting the strip brazed back to the barrels.ANY ADDITIONAL INFO ON THE GUN IS APPRECIATED.thanks
you've got a lot of work ahead of you....unless it was a FAMILY heirloom I would not do it....but that's me.... and unless you plan to do a lot of the work yourself, in the end you will be into it at least double what it will be worth....
That is a very late Remington Hammerless Double. It is in the last thousand made during the clean-up in 1910 when Remington sold off their entire inventory of break-action guns to Norvell-Shapleigh Hardware of St Louis, and went into the future with their John M. Browning designed Autoloading Shotgun and their John D. Pederson designed Repeating Shotgun.
Are those Ordnance Steel barrels?
If you go ahead with the project, the ribs are soft soldered on, brazing is far too hot. MKII
Looks like the gun wore a Beavertail forend. Based on the bluing wear on the barrels. I doubt it was original.
It is my personal opinion that your lower rib is too mangled to be able to fit it reasonably and re-use it.
I have a set of 1894 barrels available for sale, but they are Damascus.
Ther is a good amount of these guns out there in well used condition that could be used for parts.
Where did you get your stock from?
Pat,
You're kind of jumping into this restoration thing with both feet. Unless you're prepared to sink much more money into this than the gun would ever be worth, you might want to hold off. The missing Forend iron will make this project expensive, but since you're a machinist and going to attempt to create one yourself it might not be too bad. You'll probably need to find one to copy, but I don't really know as I've never attempted one myself.
You might want to find a complete gun in restorable condition to practice on first.
Nothing wrong with holding on to this one until you can really see what you're getting into, as far as effort.
If you're successful in copying forend iron, there's lots of nice guns out there missing forends, especially LC Smiths and nice German guns that were GI bringbacks. The Krauts used to remove the forends before they turned them it.
I'll repeat what was said before, considering that this looks like this might be a Model 1900 Field Grade, unless it has personal significance, you might want to reconsider what you're intending to do with it right now.
Regards
Ken
considering that this looks like this might be a Model 1900 Field Grade
A Model 1900 would have a serial number from 300000 to 398508. This gun is 140272, a Model 1894 AE (R or O)-Grade. Even without the serial number you could tell by the forearm loop.
Thanks, I should have looked up the serial number.
It looks pretty overwhelming as a "Restoration Gun"...Especially if an Ejector Gun. It may even have been a parts gun, with the forearm sold off. Can anyone tell if anything else is missing?
Regards
Ken
Your looking at it all wrong Ken, the perfect opportunity for a custom shotgun
Your looking at it all wrong Ken, the perfect opportunity for a custom shotgun
Steve,
I won't deny that one. Perhaps not the best choice for your first "custom shotgun" project is my real point. One thing is for certain, whatever you do to it will be an improvement..I'm not saying it's not a candidate for restoration, I would have bought it at the right price, but who knows how long I'd sit on it before doing anything...It would certainly give me a reason to bug the "parts guys" at Gunshows..
Regards
Ken
First thing I wonder is how are the barrels? If good wall thickness and no pitting then it is doable. This is a project gun which will require a lot of effort to make it into a basic shooter status. I would wait until I found a working forend. I have seen two AE for ends on eBay in the last six months. Maybe a lucky gunshow find. If you just want to try a project this one is as good as any other. Worse case you give up and part the gun out.
I have no idea if the rest of it is okay, but there are easy to find pictures of the forend iron. Maybe a way to go would be try to fab up a simple extractor only iron. Could be some basic welding would make the machining a bit simpler. Might be able to package it more compact than original and then try to bed it to your new stock to take up any slop. I dunno, could work.
if you pull this project off with less than 200 hours sunk in it, it would be a miracle. just something to think about.
and i am assuming you are a very good machinist who cannot only drive everything in the shop, but has it there to work with any time you need a certain machine.
The one thread this board is missing, (I think, because I've never seen one) is a documented process on how to copy or create Forend Iron. I would like to see one, although it would probably serve as much to dissuade as to attempt the project.
Regards
Ken
It is a big job.....I have some pictures but not a step by step. I would not recommend it unless you have lots of spare time.
200 hours? That seems on the low side to me. New Iron, New ejector mechanism? fabricated fitted hardened timed and finished, and that's just the for end.
Then again CNC and modern machines can do a weeks work in a day i may eat my words.
Even if you traced someone else's, There're so many parts, and so much fitting involved, I'd find a used one.
Just the ejector springs are hard enough to make.
But I would salute you and sing your praises if you ever put a photo up here with a finished product.
Save the tapes of course, as yours isn't the only one extant sans forend.
Yes they ar ordnance steel barrels.
Lol ok here we go. Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. The rest of the gun is complete there are no missing parts. Ive got through the gun completely and reassembled it.I've done a lot of research over the last several days looking about how to go about this. Both the stock came in and I ordered the wood for a forearm of a 1900 ejector model I know that it's not the exact right wood for the model of gun but it's decently close. I'm a good machinist I'm newer to the field I'm only 24 but I'm sure I can make the metal for the receiver. Yes if I had one to copy I could make it exactly how and like Remington's original but even if I don't I can make up something that will work and still look good even if it's not original and if I can find the original I can flip it over any time. My goal for this gun is to turn it into a working shot gun as some of you have said right now it's only really good for parts. Hopefully the solder flux and degreaser comes in this week and I get the rib and barrel cleaned up and sobered up then I will know that I can finish it.
Oh and the barrels have a little pitting in one barrel but nothing that would hinder the gun if I decide to run a hone a couple times down it they should clean up nicely.
forgot to tell you something. the book "building double rifles on shotgun actions" by w. ellis brown shows how he builds a forearm metal from scratch. the book shows how he does a lot of double stuff that may not be kosher or "right" when guys are working on fine doubles, but for what you are doing it is a great reference piece.
you telling us that you are 24 totally changes things for me. hell, go ahead and do it! it will be fun and you will learn a lot. i seriously doubt you will ever finish it, but that is ok. i bet every gunmaker on the board has projects they started over 20 years ago that sit in dusty corners of the shop. i keep track of things by presidential terms. i have knives i started when george h.w. bush was president, and guns started during clinton's second term.
if you do finish it, the gun will be "seriously rigged together" in most double nuts minds, but the lack of other's idea of its quality is ok, because again, you learn and have fun. at 24 there is no way you know how to drive all of the manual machinery and tooling required, and then there is the fact of having it all there and available to you, when you need it. but remember -if you have the right mind about it and a good dose of the fire in your belly, it will be fun and a great way to learn.
HOWEVER...you have an ace in your pocket. if you TRULY want to learn and are not just playing grabass for one gun project in your life, then you can reach out to gunmakers who will help you. you can email me directly and you can ask questions on this and other boards.
go for it! love to see young guys who want to work on guns in general, and doubles in particular.
btw - where do you live?
Thanks Marc I live near St Louis Mo. I will check out the book I appreciate the tip I really am interested in gun smithing.
I got the new stock and spent the morning filling and sanding it to fit still has a little to go but it looks way better. I think someone asked where I got them
http://www.gunstocksinc.com/ they are just roughed out so it takes a bit of finish work I recommend a heavy cabinet makers file or a rasp to get it close and the sand it. [img]
http://s483.photobucket.com/user/Patrick...?sort=3&o=0[/img] [img]
http://s483.photobucket.com/user/Patrick...?sort=3&o=1[/img]
http://s483.photobucket.com/user/Patrick...?sort=3&o=2
Pat'
I wish you the very best of luck (& skill) with this...I guess either you can do it , or you can't.
But it seems you are up for giving it a bloody good try, so please keep us posted on your progress mate
best to you
cheers
franc
Hat's off to you. Hope you're not running heavy loads through it. Since you don't think she's much to looks at, maybe figure out stock measurements to fit you better, and modify the stock for a follow up.
at 24 there is no way you know how to drive all of the manual machinery and tooling required
I love the age discrimination Marc. Maybe you lacked the know how, but others don't.
i have never met a 24 year old who was an expert with all tooling for lathe, mill, surface grinder, etc. met a lot of 24 year olds that thought they knew everything, but none that did.
All tooling? Of course not, but the number of people that know it all is very small. Are there 24yr olds that know enough about machining to do custom gunsmithing or manufacturing? Yes
Lets face it, gun manufacturing is pretty rudimentary compared to other industries.
Patrickschau
I am pleased you brought the old girl back to life and
are enjoying shooting her.
I sure do wish that they could talk and tell us their story!!
Thank you for sharing your journey and well done on the re-functioning of this shotgun.
What are your next intentions?
Mike
He's got the most important thing he can possess to do this job. Determination. The world is full of great inventions that were created by what we consider youngsters. At age eighteen, Ansley H. Fox applied for patent protection on a side by side action, which patent was issued two months later. You may know the rest of the story of his subsequent successes.
SRH
