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Remington 1900

11K views 14 replies 6 participants last post by  Special870  
#1 ·
I have what I believe is a Remington 1900 KE SxS hammerless 12 ga. The serial number is 6 digits and starts with 31......anybody know what year it would have been made and what its value is?

And correct me if Im wrong, but with the serial number being 6 digits and starting with 31 this would not be a model 1894 correct?

Thank you,

Ray
 
#2 ·
The Remington Model 1900 serial numbers begin with number 300,001 in 1900 and continue up to number 390,001+ in 1910. The quick way to tell the difference between a Model 1894 and a Model 1900: The Model 1900 is a hammerless double barrel while a Model 1894 is a outside hammer double barrel.
 
#4 ·
Who is DG?
Here is what the 35 edition of the Blue Book has to say:
Remington Model 1900 Hammerless
12 and 16 gauge 28 or 39 inch barrel, damascus or steel barrel
Grades K or KD Steel or damascus barre non ejector
100%-$1,800, 98%-$1,600, 95%-$1,400, 90%-$1,200, 80%-$1.050, 70%-$900, 60%-$750, 50%-$650
Grades KE or KED ejectors
100%-$2,000, 98%-$1,800, 95%-$1,600, 90%-$1.300, 80%-$1.200, 70%-$1,000, 60%-$875, 50%-$750
A fair price is what the buyer is willing to pay and what the seller is willing to accept
 
#5 ·
Ned has that screwed up. The Model 1894 is not a hammer double. Remingtons last hammer double was the Model 1889. The gun known as the Model 1894 is the original Remington Hammerless Double Barrel Shotgun, introduced in 10- and 12-gauges in the October 1894 Remington Arms Co. catalogue in Grades A to E with extractors and AE to EE with ejectors. Serial numbers began at 100000. These early Remington Hammerless Double Barrel Shotguns were all fitted with varying qualities of Damascus Barrels. In their April 1897, Remington Arms Co. catalogue steel barrels were added to the line up. Remington Steel barrels were a lower priced barrel and were offered on the entry level gun at the same price as the standard Two-Stripe Damascus barrels, and the guns were known as the AR-Grade or AER-Grade. Ordnance Steel barrels were a higher quality steel barrel and cost extra over the standard Damacus barrels on the A and B quality guns, and they were called AO-Grade, AEO-Grade, BO-Grade and BEO-Grade. Ordnance Steel barrels were the same price as the Damascus barrels on the higher grade guns -- CO-Grade, CEO-Grade, DO-Grade, DEO-Grade, EO-Grade and EEO-Grade. In the November 1897 Remington Arms Co. catalogue they added 16-gauge guns to their offerings.

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.

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A Remington Hammerless Double Barrel Shotgun with a serial number beginning with 31 would be from late 1901 or early 1902.

Remington Arms Co. catalogues never called these guns the Model 1894 and Model 1900, they called the guns the "Remington Hammerless Double Barrel Shotgun." The terms Model 1894 and Model 1900 were only used on parts lists, but have become standard nomenclature now. The Model 1894s had serial numbers in the 100000 range and in later years preceded by a stock letter P. Model 1894s have a Purdey-style push-button forearm release. The Model 1900s had serial numbers in the 300000 range and in later years preceded by a stock letter Q.
 
#8 ·
While 26-inch barrels were a catalogue offering for most of the production life of the Remington Hammerless Doubles in the higher grades, C and above, in the last Remington Arms Co. catalogues, 1908-09 and 1909, the A-grade Model 1894s and the Model 1900s were offered with 26-inch barrels in 12- and 16-gauge. Charles Semmer, in his book Remington Double Shotguns shows an original hang tag for a 26-inch barrel KE-Grade 12-gauge of 1908 vintage on page 260.
 
#10 ·
Not to bring an old thread back to life, but i have a model 1900 Q385xxx and the bottom of the barrels show LKDH. What do these initials stand for? Guessing it's a 1910.

Doesn't show the model, gauge, or choke anywhere on the gun... can anyone help me out?

Also, What ammo can I safely shoot through it?

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#11 ·
No one can tell you over the internet what ammunition may be safe in a given old double gun. That requires a qualified double gun smith with the proper tools and gauges.

I have been recording the markings on the bottom of the barrels of Remington doubles for a while now trying to make sense of them. I haven't recorded a Model 1900 with a string beginning with an L. Most common is /// on 12-gauge guns and X on 16-gauge guns. I have recorded three Model 1894s with strings beginning with L all circa 1905 according to the serial number chronology produced by the late Charles Semmer for his book Remington Double Shotguns.
 
#12 · (Edited)
Doesn't show the model, gauge, or choke anywhere on the gun... can anyone help me out?
That info was on the hang-tag that came on the gun when it was new --



The pellet count in a 30-inch circle at 40 yards is marked on the gun on bottom of the barrel lug. If it is a three-digit number that is the count. If two digits a leading 3 is implied --



in this case 330 right and 339 left. The load used in 12-gauge guns was 1 1/4-ounce of #8 chilled shot going 511. 330/511 = 64.6% and 339/511 = 66.3%.
 
#14 · (Edited)
The KD identifies the gun. K is the grade and D means it has Damascus barrels. I have no idea about the L and I am leaning towards the idea the H might be a date code?!

The Model 1900, K-Grade (Remington Steel barrels and plain extractor) was introduced with an insert in some 1899 Remington Arms Co. catalogs. The first 1901 Remington Arms Co. catalog showed the K-Grade --



and announced that the KED-Grade (Damascus barrels and automatic ejectors) would be ready for delivery about July 1, 1901.



In the 1903-04 Remington Arms Co. catalog they added the KD-Grade (Damascus barrels and plain extractor) --



Finally, in the first 1906 Remington Arms Co. catalog they fill out the line with the KE-Grade (Remington Steel barrel and automatic ejectors) --



When your gun was patterned at the factory the right barrel went 325/511 = 63.6% and the left barrel went 328/511 = 64.2 %.