1894 FE Grade

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AZMike
Posts: 114
Joined: Tue Sep 05, 2017 6:53 am

1894 FE Grade

Post by AZMike »

Just got my Remington FE back from a Dunbar restoration, wondering production numbers for the Trap version. My Semmer book is packed in the front of a moving truck while we build!
Researcher
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Location: Washington and Alaska

Re: 1894 FE Grade

Post by Researcher »

Such a number is unknown, and will likely forever remain unknowable.

The FE-Grade was introduced in the 1905-06 Remington Arms Co. catalog --
1905-06 Remington Arms Co. Catalog
1905-06 Remington Arms Co. Catalog
FE-Grade introduction, 1905-06 Remington Arms Co. catalog.jpeg (638.88 KiB) Viewed 6467 times
Which was the first Remington Arms Co. catalog to include their John M. Browning designed Remington Autoloading Shotgun.

The earliest magazine ad I've found that mentions the FE-Grade is from the October 7, 1905, issue of Sporting Life --
Sporting Life, October 7, 1905
Sporting Life, October 7, 1905
Sporting Life, October 7, 1905.jpeg (503.81 KiB) Viewed 6467 times
which also carried the earliest A.H. Fox Gun Co. ad I've found.
AZMike
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Re: 1894 FE Grade

Post by AZMike »

Thank you Sir,
Dr Drew had a informative 1894 "Trap Gun" series of clips on another forum a couple of years ago. I am a trapshooter (100,000+ registered targets) and I can tell you this shotgun has a super feel, the triggers are perfectly matched at 4 lbs, the stock is higher than average 1894's AND it just smokes targets! If production was just 10% of total 1894's there would only be 4,200 made?
Researcher
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Location: Washington and Alaska

Re: 1894 FE Grade

Post by Researcher »

The lowest FE-Grade Trap Gun serial number I've recorded is in the 1329xx range, which falls in with Charles Semmer's serial number chronology for mid-1905. So, only about 8200 guns made from their introduction to the end of production, and if they were 10% of production, 820 guns. I have one that was owned by an old Pennsylvania pigeon shooter, 1 3/8" drop-at-comb by 2 1/4" drop-at-heel by 14 1/4" length-of-pull. Those are the kind of dimensions hard to find in old American doubles. Downside is he'd opened the choke in the left barrel to .018" and the gun is fitted with a nice, but certainly not original, beavertail forearm.

Remington's man William Heer did pretty well with a CEO- and an FE-Grade in 1906 --
The Gun Behind the Man, The American Field, Mar. 2, 1907.jpg
The Gun Behind the Man, The American Field, Mar. 2, 1907.jpg (105.34 KiB) Viewed 6441 times
paul harm
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Re: 1894 FE Grade

Post by paul harm »

AH, beavertail forearms on their trap grade guns. I have two FEs with beavertail forearms, one with a splinter. I have to admit, they come in handy. Guess back then they weren't concerned about owners opinions a hundred years later. I noticed in Researchers post that they came with stocks in the 13" range. Guess that explains the short stocks. I had always assumed the stocks were cut - not so.
dieNusse1
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Re: 1894 FE Grade

Post by dieNusse1 »

Beavertail forearms - To help expand my knowledge base when did they begin showing up on SxSs?

Also, since three of the four FEs owned by Paul and Researcher are so equipped is it possible that one or more of these guns were a special order from Remington? Products of the Remington custom shop? I don't recall any mention of beavertail forearms in Semmers book.
Researcher
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Re: 1894 FE Grade

Post by Researcher »

Parker Bros., Ithaca Gun Co. and Hunter Arms Co. all began offering beavertail forearms on their doubles in the mid-1920s. After shooters felt the big forearms on their single barrel trap guns they wanted something similar on their doubles. The A.H. Fox Gun Co. didn't ever mention beavertail forearms in their catalogs, but they were included in the first Savage-era Fox catalog (1931) and from then on. Surviving production cards do show a few A.H. Fox Gun Co. beavertails during the 1920s. I was forty years into my Fox collecting when I saw my first righteous A.H. Fox Gun Co. beavertail. I don't believe Remington Arms Co. ever put a beavertail forearm on one of their Hammerless Doubles.
Researcher
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Re: 1894 FE Grade

Post by Researcher »

Here are a couple of pics of the beavertail on my FE-Grade Trap Gun --
P133596 01 FE-Grade Trap.JPG
P133596 01 FE-Grade Trap.JPG (271.27 KiB) Viewed 6388 times
P133596 02.JPG
P133596 02.JPG (353.7 KiB) Viewed 6388 times
paul harm
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Re: 1894 FE Grade

Post by paul harm »

I think Semmer claimed Remington never offered a beavertail forearm. All of my FEs came with the short stock - 13+" range and lots of drop. The drop was fine with me seeing how I shoot with a erect head. All my doubles have around 3" of DAH. It's the short stocks that bug me. Being a little tall, I like closer to 15+" LOP. One of them [ FE ] is now my favorite gun [ out of 15 doubles ] and I shoot SCs with it quite a bit, so for my home course that's in the woods where shots are under 30 yards I opened up the chokes to LM, LM. It's good for everything - SCs, 5-stand, 16yd trap, and a little tight for skeet. One has really tight chokes I use on our " pigeon ring, " and the other, if I remember has Mod/Full for chokes. The one with a splinter forearm that has Mod/Full, and when I use the Mod barrel, breaks 16yd trap targets real good with just 3/4oz of shot [ it's all I use in any game ]. No ink balls, just nice complete breaks. I think it would make a nice doubles gun. Now if I'd just go out and try trap doubles I'd know. I really should seeing how we just got a doubles machine.
AZMike
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Re: 1894 FE Grade

Post by AZMike »

Good doubles are the the most fun target shooting! Next to live birds.... I am still working on shooting two triggers, A bad accident left no nerves to my right hand so I shot release triggers for the last 30+ years. Good news is nerve regeneration has seemed to happen slowly!

The photos of FE's with beavertails are great!

Question: Have any of you advanced collectors run into any "let go" triggers installed on target doubles?
AZMike
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Re: 1894 FE Grade

Post by AZMike »

The "Pigeon Gun" lives! We had a great live bird shoot at the ranch, I shot my restored Remington FE. I didn't win but did real well! It was a blast shooting a historic bird gun at a bird ring shoot!
The chukar's were terrific out of the boxes.
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2shooter
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Re: 1894 FE Grade

Post by 2shooter »

You said in your post The Pigeon Gun Lives It is not a live Pigeon Gun it is, a F Trap. The 1902 Remington catalog list Pigeon Gun it is for live Pigeon shooting it has no safety and Ordnance steel barrels guaranteed for Nitro Powders. Your F Trap is nice I do not like the recoil pad its not original a Silvers pad yes. Sorry just getting technical sorting things give us something to talk about. I am in trouble now.
AZMike
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Re: 1894 FE Grade

Post by AZMike »

You got me....
I went with a Heart Hawkins pad, I like to shoot 3 dram 7 1/2 Federal Gold Medals for birds--second barrel it's nice to still be on the stock!https://www.trapshooters.com/threads/th ... ds.232322/
paul harm
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Re: 1894 FE Grade

Post by paul harm »

You're no different than 90% of the trap shooters - they do whatever they want to a gun so it shoots better for them. Conn. Shotgun sells a solid red recoil pad - one 1" thick and a second 1 1/2" thick along with pads like yours. I have a couple of theirs on my guns. Are you happy with the work done on your gun ? Sounds like you're enjoying it, and that's all that counts.
AZMike
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Joined: Tue Sep 05, 2017 6:53 am

Re: 1894 FE Grade

Post by AZMike »

Thanks Paul, yes I'm very happy with the restoration Rick Dunbar did. The stock was broken in 7 or 8 places and badly oil soaked--a gallon of acetone and many soak cycles later. I really wanted to save the stock but the butt plate was already gone. All the metal was nearly perfect as well as the triggers.
Trapshooters apparently have been "upgrading" for a long time judging by the beavertails Researcher has on his guns! I suppose when you put some $$ up on your shooting and your equipment.......
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