Remington 1900 16ga Ejector Damascus

[Don Anderson]

I'm so glad the site is back up. Bravo!

I recently bought a Remington 1900 and I'd like to share the details and get the experts opinion and advice. A general value would also be great. I'm into this old beauty for a whopping $150 so you aren't going to hurt my feelings. I'm happy with it for what it is.

What I have: 16ga Remington 1900 ejector model. All numbers match. 311168. Manufactured 1901 I think. Stocks are solid and original. Screw are indexed correctly but a little buggered.

26" Damascus barrels choked Left - .015" , Right - .010". Chokes begin about 2 1/2" down the barrel and taper smoothly to the tip of the muzzle. Pretty sure they haven't been modified. The barrels have been blued. I bought it based on a single photo and they didn't look like Damascus but I'm pleasantly surprised they are. Chambers are 2 1/2" Left ejector works, right does not. The pattern makings on the barrel hook are L-285 R-280. Barrels ring nicely. Bores are bright and excellent with no dents or dings

It looks like XKD on the barrels but very faint. Probably buffed when the barrels were blued.

Action locks up tight with no play with the forend attached, but I can induce a very slight rattle with the forend removed. I plan to reload 2 1/2 in shells and hunt quail with this gun.

Fortunately Bill Schwarz is right up the road in Ellijay, so I'll have him give it the once over and fix the ejector and anything else he deems necessary to hunt with it.

Any insight or further information would be greatly appreciated.

[Don Anderson]

[Researcher]

The K-Grade Remington Hammerless Double, Remington Steel barrels and plain extractor, was introduced with a flyer inserted in some 1899 Remington Arms Co. catalogues. There doesn't appear to have been a Remington Arms Co. catalog dated 1900. From the first 1901 Remington Arms Co. catalogue --

First 1901 Catalog page 7, K-Grade.jpeg

A second version, the KED-Grade, two-stripe Damascus barrels and selective automatic ejectors, as your gun, was announced on page 6 of the first 1901 catalogue --

First 1901 Catalog page 6, K.E.D. Grade, Ready July 1, 1901.jpeg

said to be ready for delivery July 1, 1901.

Your gun is now the lowest serial number complete KED-Grade I've recorded. There was a forearm for sale on the AHFCA site, 310768, in August 2024.

A third version the KD-Grade, two-stripe Damascus barrels and plain extractor was added in the 1903-04 Catalogue. The line was completed when the KE-Grade, Remington Steel barrels and selective automatic ejectors, appeared in the first 1906 Remington Arms Co. catalogue.

[Researcher]

The pattern makings on the barrel hook are L-285 R-280.

To date no hang-tag for a 16-gauge Remington double has surfaced, so we don't know the load they were targeted with, but I suspect 1-ounce of #8 CH -- 280/409 = 68.4 % and 285/409 = 60.7%.

The KED- and KD-Grade were never catalogued with 26-inch barrels. The K- and KE-Grade added 26-inch barrels in the 1909 Remington Arms Co. catalogue --

1909 Catalog pg 24.jpg

1909 Catalog pg 25.jpg

[Don Anderson]

Thank you researcher. I don't see any 26" barrels listed, but I'm pretty confident these barrels have not been shortened.

Have you run across other 26" guns.

Also, do you think the 285 / 280 pattern markings would be consistent for a 16ga with basically skeet and light mod chokes?

[Researcher]

It looks like XKD on the barrels but very faint.

From my years of observation, it appears that /// is a standard frame 12-gauge, L is a light frame 12-gauge and X is a 16-gauge. The next letters are the grade. For the early KED-Grades they just used KD but after the KD-Grade was added they went to KED. By serial numbers in the 320xxx range there is usually a letter and numeral below the grade letters which I speculate may be a date code. As yet I haven't broken it.

[Don Anderson]

The ends of the muzzles look correct. The proper keels are in place and the rib ends the same as my 32" 12ga 1900 with the anti-glare pattern all the way to the end. I also checked the depth of the chokes on my 12 GA and they start the same depth in the bore and have the same continuous taper to the end.



You can see the almost buffed away XKD in this shot and the faint Damascus pattern:



I forgot to mention the ejector hammers do not stay cocked when I remove the forend. I have to re-cock them by hand to re-assemble the gun.