I have an 1884, can anyone help identify mark

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van rennard
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Oct 27, 2018 8:10 am

I have an 1884, can anyone help identify mark

Post by van rennard »

Hi:

I'm wondering if anyone can help me identify this gun and its marks. It's in lovely shape with with all matching serial 108327. It is marked A, P, with an anchor. I get the A is the basic grade gun, but don't understand the P or the anchor. Any info is appreciated. Apologize if this is a very basic question.
dieNusse1
Posts: 400
Joined: Tue Jan 15, 2013 5:12 pm
Location: Mishawaka, IN

Re: I have an 1884, can anyone help identify mark

Post by dieNusse1 »

Your '94 was built about mid 1898. If an A is stamped on the water table across from the S/N it is an A grade. The '94 was offered in grades A through E although pigeon/trap grades were offered starting about 1905 or so.

The meaning of many if not most other stampings is lost to the mist of time. The anchor may be a proof mark.

Does it have Damascus or Remington steel barrels? These guns were designed for smokeless powder and many of us fire low pressure smokeless loads.
Researcher
Posts: 1080
Joined: Sat Mar 22, 2003 11:06 pm
Location: Washington and Alaska

Re: I have an 1884, can anyone help identify mark

Post by Researcher »

The anchor has been used as an inspector's mark by employees at Ilion for eons. We find it on old Remington Arms Co. doubles, and on pumps and autoloaders made by Remington Arms - Union Metallic Cartridge Co. and Remington Arms Co., Inc. My Father's Remington AE-Grade of about 1895 or 6 vintage has the A and P on the bottom of the barrels.
103673 01 12-gauge, 30-inch, AE-Grade.JPG
103673 01 12-gauge, 30-inch, AE-Grade.JPG (317.85 KiB) Viewed 3466 times
While very likely, no one left alive really knows what all the various marks on these old Remington Doubles mean, my working theory is that the A represents the grade of the gun and the P refers to either the type or the source of the rough tubes from which the barrels were made.
Don Doubles
Posts: 23
Joined: Sun Nov 03, 2013 3:30 pm

Re: I have an 1884, can anyone help identify mark

Post by Don Doubles »

If you look in Charles book he though the P is Remington Proof ?
All 12 of my 1894 and 3 of my 1900 have the P on the barrels
I have the anchor on 4 of my 1894 and 1 on the 1900
I have 11 damascus and 1 ordnance steel barrels 1894
I have 1 damascus and 2 steel barrels 1900
I have always though the P was for Remington Proof
For what the barrels where made from D for Damascus, O for Ordnance steel and R for Remington steel.
Researcher
Posts: 1080
Joined: Sat Mar 22, 2003 11:06 pm
Location: Washington and Alaska

Re: I have an 1884, can anyone help identify mark

Post by Researcher »

My BE-Grade of 1895 vintage has B, E and J on the barrels which are of the pattern that the Remington salesman's Damascus sample calls "Chain J" --
101315 BE-Grade inside Forearm.jpg
101315 BE-Grade inside Forearm.jpg (84.81 KiB) Viewed 3276 times
so that is where I get the idea that one of the letters may refer to the barrel material. One of my Ordnance Steel barrel guns has only /// M on the bottom of the barrels --
P135944 03.JPG
P135944 03.JPG (500.33 KiB) Viewed 3276 times
and a 16-gauge just has XO --
P132280 17 Forearm Loop Mid-Period 02.jpg
P132280 17 Forearm Loop Mid-Period 02.jpg (67.74 KiB) Viewed 3276 times
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