Here is an old post I made long ago on the doublegun BBS --
The repeaters were not really cheaper until just before WW-II.
In my 1902 Sears catalogue the Remington Model 1900 K-Grade was $25, a Batavia Leader was $24, a Grade 1P Ithaca was $26.50, an L.C. Smith 00 was $27.75, and a VH-Grade Parker Bros. was $36.75. In the same Catalogue the Winchester Model 1897 solid-frame was $17.82 and the take-down was $19.24 -- 30- or 32-inch full choke barrels in 12-gauge and 28-inch barrel in 16-gauge. The Model 1897 Brush Guns with 26-inch cylinder bore barrels were $19.24 solid-frame and $20.67 take-down?!? Sears probably represents closer to actual selling prices then the factory catalogue "list prices."
William Read & Sons, Boston, 1906 Catalogue gives both "List" and "net" prices. For the standard American doubles prices range -- L.C. Smith 00-grade net $25; Parker Bros. VH-Grade net $37.50 up to AAHE-Grade net $318.75; Ansley H. Fox A-Grade net $37.50 up to F-Grade net $350; Remington Model 1900 K-Grade net $25 up to CEO "Trap" net $95; Lefever DS-grade net $25 up to Optimus net $280; Ithaca Field Grade net $18 up to Quality 7 net $213.75; and Batavia Special net $18 up to Quality L Trap or Pigeon net $127.80. For the repeaters -- The Remington Automatic Shotgun Quality No. 1 net $30 up to a Quality No. 5 Expert at a net price of $75; Winchester Model 1897 Standard gun solid-frame net $20 and take-down net $21 up to Pigeon gun net $80; and Marlin Model 24 Grade A net $21.25 to Grade D net $76.95.
In a 1908-09 Remington Catalog, the No. 1 Standard Grade Autoloading Gun (pre Model 11) was list priced at $40, up to a No. 6 Premier at $150, with a matted rib $7 extra on any of them. The K-Grade Model 1900 was list priced at $30, and the doubles ran from there up to the $750 Remington Special.
Remington-UMC Catalogue 1918-19 -- Model 11A "Standard" Grade $52.00; Model 10A "Standard" Grade $42.00. A.H. Fox Gun Co. 1919 Catalogue was the year the Sterlingworth peaked at a price of $55 and with ejectors $67.50. By 1922 Fox dropped the price to $48 and in 1926 cut the price (and quality) to $36.50. Ithaca Gun Co. July 29, 1919, Field Grade $41 to Sousa Special at $700. December 1, 1919, Ithaca raised the list price of the Field Grade to $45.
From the 1929 Stoeger Catalog 10 --
Standard Grade Winchester Model 12 -- $49.25
Standard Grade Winchester Model 97 -- $43.30
Marlin Model 42A -- $42.20
Marlin Model 43A -- $49.80
Remington Model 11A Standard Grade -- $56.75
Remington Model 29A Standard Grade -- $49.30
Field Grade L.C. Smith dt extractor -- $40.00
Field Grade NID Ithaca dt extractor -- $37.50
Fox Sterlingworth dt extractor -- $36.50
Parker Bros. Trojan dt extractor -- $55.00
By the 1932 Stoeger -- doubles -- Fox-Sterlingworth $39.50; Ithaca Field Grade $40.55; Parker Bros. Trojan $60.50; L.C. Smith Field Grade $43.20 -- repeaters -- Winchester Model 12 Standard Grade $47.90, Model 97 Standard Grade $37.20; Remington Model 11A $53.40, Model 29A $37.10, Model 31A $47.90.
I guess that wears out all possible comparisons I can make. Which proves?
