Remington side by side 12 gauge shotgun

[scubajoe17]

My grandpa has just given me his grandpa's old remington 12 gauge. It is a side by side and the only markings I have been able to find is a 80-420 under the foregrip. Also there is a 157 on the foregrip and under the foregrip. It has a double trigger with external hammers. Thanks in advance for any info.

[Researcher]

First question we need answered is how is the gun marked? E. Remington & Sons or Remington Arms Co.? Once this is answered there will be a bunch more questions. Posting several good pictures of the gun, including good close ups of the watertable and barrel flats, can speed this along.

[scubajoe17]

It is marked Remington Arms Co. I will post some pictures soon.

[Researcher]

Ah.. That makes things easier. Remington Arms Co. only made one hammer double, nowadays known as the Model 1889.

Remington Model 1889 -- According to the table in Charles Semmer's book, Remington Double Shotguns, a Model 1889 with a serial number of 80420 would have been an early 1898 vintage gun. The lowest grade, Grade 1, had decarbonized steel barrels. A Grade 2 had twist steel barrels and a Grade 3 had Damascus barrels. Grades 1, 2, and 3 had no engraving and half-pistol grip stocks. Higher grades, 4, 5, 6, and 7 had increasing amounts of engraving, finer wood and checkering, and finer Damascus barrels. The Model 1889 was dropped in 1908, but a few in the 259,xxx range were in the final sale of all Remington break open shotguns, on hand and in process, to Norvell-Shapleigh of StLouis, on February 3, 1910. The market value of the guns was said to be $500,000 in a letter from Remington to N-S confirming the sale. That was when Remington saw the light that their semi-autos and pumps were the wave of the future, and left these old doubles to us throwbacks.

From the 1901 Remington Arms Co. catalogue --

[scubajoe17]

That is great. Thank you so much for the information.

I am going to be needing the hammers for this shotgun(they were missing when my grandpa gave it to me). Any input on where I might look for some?

You have been so much help...Thanks alot!

[Researcher]

That is going to be tough! Looks like Numrich is sold out --

http://www.gunpartscorp.com/catalog/Sea ... ngton+1889

[jmcalli]

Does it look like this one?

[Researcher]

That looks like a Model 1878 Whitmore Lifter Action Remington double.

[jmcalli]

Grade 5. There is an engraved dog/duck scene on one side, and a rabbit scene on the other. This was my grandfather's shotgun, along with a .32 cal Hepburn rifle. Pics of both are posted on this forum.
The advertisement looked so much like this shotgun I just had to comment.

[2shooter]

Jmcalli, Your Remington Lifter can be a Model 1876,1878,or 1879 the hammers,serial number,
barrel rib extension (dolls head) forend latch tells us what Model it is the pistol grip was optional.

[RemRB]

jmcalli, I copied your Whitmore through Photoshop and I am guessing it is either a Model 1875 or 1876, especially with the wedge pin forend. Would you give us the serial number? Also looks like a 10 gauge and you are right calling it a Grade 5.