doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Remington model 1900

I have an opportunity to purchase what appears to be a tidy example of the above.
Trouble is I'm pretty light on experience with American made guns.
This one has Damascus barrels(two strip I think)and ejectors.No engraving.

What were these guns like and would one in good order be a suitable candidate for low pressure smokeless?
I would also be keen to know an approximate value.

TIA,

GDU

GDU,
I am certainly not an expert but my understanding/impression is that the 1900 is a higher quality of what we call "hardware store" guns here. Back in the day most HW stores sold guns for the average Joe who looked at them as hunting tools. I was most impressed with the ruggedness and durability of the Remington guns in Sherman Bell's "Finding Out for Myself" series of articles. Assuming that the barrels are in good shape I would think that low pressure (5,000 psi) loads would be fine. Value - I've seen them run from $USD 300 - 1,000 depending on condition. I'm sure other, more knowledgeable folks will chip in with their insights.
Good luck! Phil

IMHO you could shoot anything in it. After awhile it may become loose, so I'd keep loads 7000psi or lower. I just sold one in " good " condition for $400. I've seen them advertized for up to $1000- but I wouldn't pay that. Now a 1894 Remington is a different story. The insides of both are much like a Ithaca NID - just what was needed, not a lot of extra stuff to break, nice to work on. The 1894 had a Purdey pushbutton type of release on the forearm which is much nicer than the snap on forearm of the 1900. The high end 1894s sold for as much, or more than any gun of its day. The 1900s were as well built, just not as nice. Paul

On the bottom of the barrels you will see 2 numbers, eg 280 275. They would test fire the gun. This was the pellet count 280 with 275 in the target. The 1900 was made from 1900 to 1910. Approximately 99,000 were made. They were offered in the following grades:
K – Remington steel barrels
KE – Remington steel, auto ejectors
KD – 2 stripe Damascus barrels
KED – 2 strip Damascus, auto ejectors

There is a very good book which includes the 1900, REMINGTON DOUBLE SHOTGUNS by Charles Semmer.

Pete

I regularly shoot a Remington 1900 Damascus 12 ga. with low pressure handloads. These quality American SxS's are a good value, and often under-appreciated.

Remington Model 1900s are a simplified, cheaper, version of the Model 1894, built on the same patents -- No. 528,507 and No. 528,508 both granted Oct. 30, 1894. The Model 1900s were all K-Grades, with E added to the designation if the gun had ejectors and D if it had Damascus barrels -- K-, KE-, KD-, or KED-Grades. The K- and KE-Grades had Remington Steel barrels. The Model 1900s had a snap-on/off forearm and their serial numbers were in the 300,000 range, often preceded with a stock letter Q.

You need to check out Charles G. Semmer's book "Remington Double Shotguns." It is available from the author 7885 Cyd Drive, Denver, CO 80221, for $60 plus $5 shipping and handling. It is invaluable if you are going to shoot, invest, collect or play in the Remington double gun field. Remington supplied a number of different pattern Damascus barrels on these old doubles. A picture of their salesman’s sample of the various styles of Damascus available is shown on page 275 of Semmer's book.

Remington Arms Co. stamped the actual pellet counts of their test patterns on the rear barrel lug of their Model 1889 hammer doubles and their Model 1894 and 1900 hammerless doubles. If the number is three digits, that is the count, if the number is two digits a leading 3 is implied. From surviving hang-tags we know the standard load they used to target 12-gauge guns was 1 1/4 ounces of #8 going 511 pellets to the load. My 12-gauge KE-Grade Model 1900 is stamped 33 on the left and 24 on the right. That would be 333/511 = 65% left and 324/511 = 64% right, or about improved modified in both barrels. The chokes measure .027" in both barrels of that gun.

I don't think anyone has really decoded those letters and hashmarks down the barrel tube bottoms.

This is a 1900 KD courtesy of Casey Chlebowski with a very interesting barrel. There is a transition (and weld line) from 'Oxford 2 S.J.' Two Iron Crolle at the breech to a 'Boston 2 S.J.', on both tubes.



The Remington Damascus Sample Rod is one of those precious Rosetta Stones that have helped translate damascus patterns: London (Stub Twist), Twist, Laminated, Boston N. (Horse-shoe pattern), Boston 2 S.J. (2 Iron Crolle), Oxford 2 & 4 S.J. (2 and 3 Iron Crolle in several different patterns), Chain J, Etoile 3. B.P., Legia P. (Herring-bone pattern), Washington N 3. B.P. ("Stars & Stripes" or "American Flag Bunting"), Chine P, Ohonon 6 S.T., and Pieper P.
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dfg2hmx7_72xs856hdf

Thanks guys,
Ill give it a close going over first and if its all up to speed I will add it to the rack.

Cheers,

GDU

Drew, why would the pattern change in the middle of the barrels?

tim

Funny I'm refurbishing one of those as we speak.