doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Remington 1894 vs. 1900

Was the 1900 model just an easier to make for less money version of the 1894. We're there any improvements to the design made in the later gun? I have two project guns 1894's to do and do not want buyers remorse.

My local Remington expert has passed away and with him a wealth of knowledge both right and wrong is lost to me. Sad to see a lifetime of learning gone like that. I had been educated that the 1894 was a better gun than the 1900. Late fox were a down graded, cheaper version of the early guns. We're Remington the same?

From what I've read the only difference was engraving and the fore end. Some parts are available such as springs, hammers, and firing pins. The action is really very simple to work on. I have a 1900 KED and I love it. Researcher is an authority on them.

Both fun guns

Mine is a 1900 KEY
Would LOVE to know that those chevrons mean

I wish I knew what those chevrons mean too. The only part I can't find for mine is the j-hook for the fore arm. Presently I hold the fore arm on with a wad of card board in the slot. The lever return spring I got from Wisners and the right mainspring and hammer/firing pin from Numerich. Mine doesn't have the separate firing pin.

Are you talking about this??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRUUooifZlM

This fella sold five, maybe he has one left??
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Remington-1900-Forend-Latch-Spring-/111004183112#ht_721wt_946

Mike

Yep that's the one. Unfortunately the ebay guy sold out of them. Looks like I'm back to square one again. I could be like Red Green and duct tape the forearm to the barrels.

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. Remington only used the terms "Model 1894" and "Model 1900" in the parts lists. The the Remington Arms Co. retail catalogue, the guns were all "Remington Hammerless Double Barrel Shotguns" and just differentiated by grade.

You need to check out Charles G. Semmer's book "Remington Double Shotguns." It is available from The Double Gun Journal. 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.

By the end of the first decade of the 20th Century, Remington saw that the future laid with their John M. Browning designed Remington Autoloading Gun (later known as the Model 11) and their John D. Pederson designed Remington Repeating Shotgun (later known as the Model 10). So, they concluded a deal with Norvell-Shapleigh Hardware Co. of StLouis, for their entire inventory of break-action shotguns in inventory and in process, on February 3, 1910. There must have been a lot of guns involved, because the records show 3206 Model 1894s, and 16435 Model 1900s shipped in 1910. The 1909 Remington Arms Co. catalogue was the last one to include the doubles, and there was a version of the 1909 catalogue that only had the Remington Autoloading Shotgun, the Remington Repeating Shotgun, and the Autoloading Repeating Rifle.

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

The Remington Hammerless Double's design was modified about 1905 or 6. The position of the sear-pin through the frame was moved slightly foreward, and seperate firing pins were introduced in place of the firing pins integral with the hammers in the original design. Early position sear pin --



Later position --



Early parts page from 1901 Remington Arms Co. catalogue --



Later parts page from 1908 Remington ArmsCo. catalogue --



Also, the barrel lug and bolts used were of three different styles --



Usually the solid lug was found on late K-Grades, but I have seen it on a 10-gauge AER-Grade in the 110xxx serial number range?!?

Forearm loops on Model 1894s also varied --

I�ve shouldered a few Remington 1894s and they are THE best balanced of all of the American built doubles. I�ve always thought that their actions were either direct copies of out of patent British actions or copied directly from British patent or roughed out by a British firm and sent over to be finished. They balance that well. But the 1894s I�ve shouldered all had Damascus barrels so I�m not sure if that made the difference or not.

I believe the 1894's all had two screws in the trigger guard, the 1900's only one. At this time I own a A,B,C, and F grade 1894's. All damascus except the F grade. And they all shoot and handle very nice. I believe they're under rated [ and priced ] but not complaining - they're cheaper than my Parkers. And easier to work on.

I completely agree!!! The Remington doubles are way underrated. But, like LeFever�s masterpiece the �Automatic Hammerless� I only see them with some pattern twist barrels. Which isn�t a bad thing only that a lot of people don�t like twist barrels on their shotguns. For me at least, a twist barrel, regardless of pattern, is a deal breaker because of the ammo issue.