Confirm a Model 1894 and Manufacture Year

[Old School]

Being new to the forum please bear with me as I try to provide the appropriate information to confirm model and year of manufacture for a 12 ga. Remingtion SxS.

Thanks to a great posting on the Pre - 1899 forum (Is this an 1894?? Fri Oct 28, 2016 ), it appears I acquired an 1894 FE Grade Trap Gun awhile back. I especially appreciate the catalogue pages posted by 'Researcher'.

S/N P.138908 is on the trigger guard, which as I understand confirms it's a Model 1894. Overall length = 46 inches, and bbl. = 30 inches. On top of right barrel is 'Trap Gun "F." Grade', and on top of left barrel 'Remington Arms Co. Ilion, N.Y.'. The water table, fore end, barrel flats, and a forward tab on the receiver all bear 138908. The bottom of both barrels are marked vertically with /// F E D1, and the right side of barrel lug is stamped 300 while the left side is 308. I'm not equipped to properly measure choke constriction, but my choke gauge indicates IM.

I would call the gun original, with barrel bluing >85%, <10% case hardening remaining, and above average quality walnut stock and fore end. Overall condition is very good, with few nicks or scratches, and no dings or dents in barrels. Stock looks to have an original red rubber recoil pad, the Purdy fore end is solid, and both the fore end and grip checkering show little wear. The tang remains right-of-center when closing the breech.

Finally, Length of Pull = 13 7/8 inches, Drop at Comb = 1 5/8 inches, and Drop at Heel = 2 7/8 inches, suggests this gun was made to order for the original owner. I only wish I knew who that might have been!

[dieNusse1]

As I recall, the F grade was introduced in 1906. Your F grade model 1894 was made in 1910. 1910 was the last year of Remington production for all SxS's which included the 1894 as well as the hammerless model 1900 and hammer model 1889. Remington saw the future in terms of the new autoloader and pump.

As for choke - Remington used 1 1/4 oz (511 pellets) of #8 fired at a 30" circle from 40 yards to establish choke. This amounts to 300/511=59% and 308/511=60% which both indicate IM.

[Old School]

With the barrels in better light today, have to back off to 50% bluing, and a couple small dings. Still rate overall condition as good. Thanks for the year of production! And yes, I also ran the numbers on the shot for each barrel.

I have yet to fire the gun, so time to do that.

[Old School]

Also, any ideas on what the D1 represents under the barrels.
///
F
E
D1?

[dieNusse1]

Many (most) barrel marking are lost to the mist of time. F -- F grade. D1 - no idea. /// - fairly common marking but? -- barrel length? choke?

You didn't indicate it but I assume your '94 is equipped with ejectors. If it does that's what the E means. If it has extractors then the E is another mystery.

[Old School]

Yep, I left out that the gun has automatic ejectors. So "E" likely indicates ejectors. Thanks for catching that.

[dieNusse1]

Couple other points. First of all - Remington would made a '94 to order so anything I say should be have that thought in mind. As for the recoil pad - they were not standard as far as I know. Your stock should be English style with the S/N under the trigger guard tang. Ejectors were standard. You should have an automatic safety whereas many earlier Pigeon grade guns did not have a safety.

[Old School]

Some interesting info in the Remington catalogue pages posted in a reply by 'Researcher' (SUN OCT 30, 2016 8:51 am) to the original Pre - 1899 post "is this an 1894??" (by mcautoak FRI OCT 28, 2016 3:05 pm).

Not sure of the year for the catalogue pages, but the first one in the reply is p. 19 and has a note toward bottom of page "Any deviation from our standard stocks subject to advance of $10.00." That was real money in 1901! So obviously, special requests for gun fit, etc were common as you mention.

The last catalogue page included in the reply is p.13, and has the basic information and specifications for the 'Hammerless "Trap" Gun GRADE "F.E." Trap, Automatic ejector, List, $60.00'. Under "Stock" there is reference to "rubber butt plate". This gun has a Pachmayr Decelarator, so may have been added later or replaced an original. I would assume Remington made their own in 1901.

As to your other comments, it does have a straight walnut stock, automatic safety and ejectors, and the SN on the rear trigger guard is where I found the "P" that confirms this gun is a model 1894.

Also, since my original post I bought a subscription to Blue Book of Gun Values, and feel much more confident rating condition at good (60-80% PPGS), or very good (NRA antique condition). The only thing keeping me from the next rating up (80-95% or fine) is the question of whether the existing recoil pad is original.

[dieNusse1]

As for the butt plate - the standard was a hard rubber plate with the R A Co. logo on it. The other feature of the butt plate is the Neider point common to all SxSs except for the Model 1900 after about 1906 or so. Here again some of the guns, usually higher grades, may have a different butt plate if ordered by the customer.

As to the P - some think it's a stock symbol - the Model 1900 used Q. Not all guns have a P or Q. So I guess Remington was minding their Ps & Qs. Ha! Ha! - an attempt at humor.