seeking information on William H. Elliot and I. N. Wagner

[Douglas Johnson]

I am doing some research on a pistol that I recently acquired. It is a Remington Model 1871 Army Rolling Block pistol (.50 CF), converted into a target pistol in .22 LR. Participants in this forum might be able to help me clarify the history of this pistol.

Papers that came to me with the gun say that the conversion was done by "an old Remington man named Elliot." Of course, when the names "Remington" and "Elliot" are linked, the name that comes to mind is William H. Elliot, an inventor with many firearms-related patents, credited with several important Remington handgun models, as well as the Colt Lightning. My first question is, can anyone provide DOCUMENTED dates (or at least years) for William H. Elliot's birth and death? If so, please provide the original source so that I can cite it. I thought this information would be easy to find, but so far I have come up empty handed.

Second, I am seeking any information on a man named "I. N. Wagner," who was the original owner of the pistol after the conversion to .22 LR, and who owned it for many years thereafter. Wagner resided in Ashland, Ohio. I do not know his first name. Papers that came down with the gun indicate that Wagner excelled in national pistol competition in or about 1925, but my cursory research so far has found no documentation of this.

Finally, I am seeking any information about a gunsmith named "Barnes" who may have converted Remington rolling-block pistols into .22 target pistols during the 1920s. I have no first name or other information on "Barnes."

Thank you!

Douglas Johnson
Adelphi, Maryland

[Douglas Johnson]

Based on information provided by posters on another forum, these points have been established:

-- The full name of the previous owner of my pistol was Irenaeus Nicholas Wagner. He went by "I.N. Wagner." He was born December 26, 1889, and died June 21, 1983.

-- Mr. Wagner operated a gun shop called "Wagner's Gunroom" in Ashland, Ohio, for many years.

-- Firearms inventor William H. Elliot died March 27, 1895, and therefore could NOT be the gunsmith who converted the Wagner pistol. The conversion is said to have occurred in 1922.

I would be grateful for any further information that anybody can provide on Mr. Wagner, especially any documentation regarding his participation in competition pistol shooting in the 1920s or later. Additional information on "Wagner's Gunroom" would also be of interest.

Finally, my current theory is that my pistol (the Wagner pistol) was actually converted by a gunsmith named "Barnes," but unfortunately, I have no first name. Any information about a gunsmith named Barnes who did such work in the 1920s would be of interest.

For more details on my research project, including a photo of the Wagner pistol, see this thread:
http://smith-wessonforum.com/firearms-k ... arnes.html