The load shown on surviving hang tags for Model 1894 and 1900 hammerless doubles show the 12-gauge guns targetted with 1 1/4 ounce of #8 shot. I've not seen a hang tag for a Model 1889, but there is no reason to think Remington Arms Co. would have used a different load for them. The shot charts in the Remington Arms Co. catalogues up through the two 1901 catalogues show soft shot with 499 #8 pellets in a 1 1/4 ounce load. Catalogues from 1902 on show chilled shot with 511 #8 in a 1 1/4 ounce load. If the number shamped on the rear barrel lug is three digits, that is the count. If it is two digits a leading 3 is implied. So depending on whether they used soft or chilled your patterns would be 335/499 = 67.1% and 331/499 = 66.3% or 335/511 = 65.5% and 331/511 = 64.7%.
Last edited by Researcher; 03/16/08 09:36 PM.
