Remington 1894 AE 10 gauge
 

I went bottom feeding again and caught a big one :). A Remington 1894 10ga, built in 1905, 30" full and fuller, 9 lbs with ejectors and good dimensions; 1 3/4" x 2 1/2" by 14 1/8". Barrels are free of dents and shiny with no pitting.

Barrel lug stamp is 26 and 45 which I think means 326 and 345 out 511 pellets (1 1/4 ounce 8) for about 65% and 68%.

Forend wood and the trigger guard look like it pushed down a few fences. Bead was pushed down bending the rib a little. Ejectors are in time, kick strong but if I use a fired hull that is sticking in the chamber just slightly the ejectors won't fire. With snap caps and new hulls it sends you chasing after them. I could understand if they fired and the hull stuck but not firing has me and one gunsmith stumped.

I guess I will try to find a better piece of forend wood if I can or get this repaired if possible. Put a taller bead on it and go shoot stuff.

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Nice Pete. Congratulations. I bet those barrels would look fantastic refinished.

Just took it over to the trap range. From 27 yards using 19gr of Red Dot and 1 1/8 ounce of 7.5's it was hard to miss with it. Ejectors worked fine.

looks like you have another fine crow killer there...i really like the old rem 94 s... pete i do know these 94 s are really touchy about the screw thru the trigger guard to the stock if to tite it will not let gun cock itself..1/4 of a turn makes a differance in my 12 ga 94 and it has ejectors... charlie

I like the Remington doubles too Charlie and I think it will be a fine crow and fowl gun too. No issues with cocking and I hope it stays that way. I think Remington doubles are overlooked and a great value. This is a great fitting 10ga with ejectors and I got it off Gunbroker for under $500.

Nice find Pete. Looks like your 10ga 1894 BE now has a stable mate. My 32" 10ga BE with the C-grade damascus is still waiting it's turn to go to the stocker's...

Cheers
Marcus

Like the damascus on that old 10ga.

Thanks. You have a good memory Marc, my 1894 B grade 10ga is an extractor gun in high condition. It's nice to look at but I think this old A grade beater will be a better shooter. I hope you get your B grade 10 to the stocker soon, the Remmy's are nice guns and the big 10's are fun to shoot.

good price on that big remington..these old guns are certainly made well and if you can nt miss a clay with it what more could a man ask..can nt wait to hear how it does oin crows...charlie

Hey Pete,

What are the rest of the components you are using? What pressueres are you getting from 19 grs of Red Dot? By the way, nice gun and a good buy!

Thanks,

Jack Kuzepski

Hi Jack, Federal Hull trimmed to 2 7/8", Fiocchi 616 (209) primer, 19gr of Red Dot, SP10 wad, 1/2" fiber wad, 1 1/8 ounce of shot, 6 point crimp.

19 grains of RD feels pretty tame in the 10ga. I don't know what it develops for pressure but you can find 19 to 20 gr loads of Red Dot pushing 1 1/8 ounce in Federal 12ga hulls with that primer at 8200psi. Pressure will be lower in a 10. I found with the Short Ten many readily available powders; Red Dot, Green Dot, 700-x work great but we have been left for the most part to use our head and come up with some loads of our own.

Pete,

That is what I was hoping you would say. I had been planning on using SR7625 but was wanting some options. It looks like I've found them now. My other components are the same as yours. I have a #3 frame Parker hammer gun and a early E grade Lefever both in 10 ga with pretty heavy barrels and 3" chambers.

Jack Kuzepski

22 grains of Green Dot works well too, uses a little less filler than 1/2". 7625 is a good powder, the 32gr load of it with same components with 1 1/8 ounce is really loud. People will ask you what are you shooting. 7625 is also expensive compared to the Dot powders but is still a good choice.

Jent, what do you consider a (too) light load of SR7625 is in the 10ga?

Catastrophic gun failure due to the condition called detonation in a shotgun is very unlikely if not impossible. It is an easy fall back to blame an over pressure condition created by a barrel blockage or an overcharge from too much powder or the wrong powder (too fast).

In metallic cartridge loading it is thought the gap between a seated bullet and a small amount of powder can create the conditions for a detonation. This condition can't exist in a shot shell because wads are seated on the powder and the seating of the wad is insured by crimping the shell. If such a large space were to exist the shell could not be crimped properly and it will dish in. Shotgun shell detonation from too little powder is myth, there is no scientific testing that proves this can happen.

Jent, detonation is at best a controversial phenom because the action of the load doing what you state in your post has never been observed in a scientific manner in a pistol, rifle or shotgun. Alliant when they were in business, had a pamphlet about using reduced loads in pistols, they addressed the issue of detonation, their result, Alliant could not create a detonation in their tests. The NRA commissioned H.P. White Lab to prove or disprove detonation could occur in a 38 special (because a lot of 38 specs were blowing up), they tried to do it and they could not make a detonation happen. What they did find is double and triple charges of fast powder were needed to damage the revolver in their tests. Their conclusion, reports of detonation were actually the result of an overload.

Detonation remains a theory, it has not be proven in spite of attempts to create it, since it has not been proven it remains a myth.

Damage to a gun is caused by overpressure (or material failure of the barrel/receiver). Overpressure can be created by a barrel obstruction, too much powder, or the wrong powder.

On your other points, yes I have now been warned about 7625, but you have been warned to not shoot nitro powder loads in composite barrels, if you ask around on many other websites and gun clubs you'll get the same advice, don't do it, yet you shoot damascus and twist barrel guns with nitro loads. So what are such warnings really worth?

I now see why Remington advertised their double guns, whether composite or fluid as "Guaranteed for Nitro Powder". Scott K. brought his tools with him to the trap range last night.

Bores are L - .790 with .045 of choke, R - .789 with .046 of choke, choke taper is about 4 1/2" long.

Barrel walls about 1 inch in front of forcing cone are .165 and about 8 inches from the muzzle they measure .100

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Pete, " bottom feeding " - it's not a term I'd use when describing buying a Remington 1894. As you noted latter you do like the Remington 94's. So do I, as I have a A, B, C, and F grade 94's. JB, as for 10ga guns, I have a Rem 1882, and a Parker lifter. I shoot Promo which is the same as Red Dot so I'll now give it a try in the 10 thanks to what you posted. I was shooting 700X. As you posted, it only makes sense that what can be used in a 12 can be loaded in a 10. Charlie, must be just your gun, because I've never noticed a problem with how tight the trigger screws are on my guns. Has anyone ever noticed how deep the chokes are on a Remington ? I have a short - 5" - adj inside mic and a cheap 18" long mic from Brownells. On the 10ga Rem I can't measure the choke because the short one won't go deep enough, and the long one isn't big enough - it only goes to .775. With the Parker 10 - it's over bored to .800 - so my long mic is useless in that also. Anyways, I have a couple of 10's that measure at least .030 choke - and more - just not sure how much more.

boy that was a good price for such a quality gun..50 dollars want buy much of a gun now... i love those chokes... charlie

Well given the price was below a solid Trojan 12ga it felt like I was in shallow water :). I do like the Remington double guns, I think they are are the most overlooked and some of the best buys out there when it comes to classic doubles. This is my second Remington 1894 10ga, the other is a high condition B grade. The B grade has large bores too and .045 and .048 a choke with a 5 inch taper. I am guessing long taper and a lot of constriction is the norm for Remington doubles.

I did get an estimate on getting the forend fixed, gouges filled and rechecked. I think I will have it done and have the gun ready for the field come this fall.

I would like to find a straight grip F grade some day. They look like a very nice trap gun to shoot.

Promo is a good powder, a little dirtier than Red Dot and you have weigh what you are going to throw from one jug to the next, but the good price on it is worth the little inconvenience to me.

Paul and all,

I have a dozen and a half Parker 10's in both Damascus and fluid steel and none measure more than .035" choke constriction with most being between .029" and .032". I do have a couple of LC Smith's with both barrels measuring .050"! That sounds good but I get a lot more dead geese even at 60 to 70 yards with chokes at .030".

Mark

mark what kind of shot are you useing... and your rite these old guns with proper loads will bring geese and large ducks down at long ranges...my dad use to kill duck at unreal ranges with a old spanish 10 ga double 3 1/2 inch gun...these guns should be called light 8 gauges... i will never tire of hearing about these great old guns and the stories they have made... charlie

Charlie,

I load Nice Shot #2 and BB for geese. I can only imagine what lead #2 of BB would do...

Mark

I put the big Remington on paper for a couple of patterning shots today. My load was a Federal hull cut to 2 7/8", Fiocchi 616 (209 type) primer, 22 grains of Green Dot, SP10 wad, 3/8" fiber filler wad, 1 1/8 ounce of Eagle brand magnum #6. I got an actual hand pellet count of 253 pellets. I was very pleased with the results.

First shot was from right barrel with .046 choke. I shot a little high but achieved 236 pellets in a 30" circle at 40 yards circle for 93.28%.

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Second shot was from left barrel with .045 choke. I pretty much centered the target and it put 234 pellets in a 30" circle at 40 yards for 92.49%.

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man oh man what a fine pattern this old gun is throwing..pete s gonna have to let them crows get away out yonder...man i m gona have to try to rent this thing to kill that old big gobbler with..ha pete im proud the old remy shoots and patterns so good for you that last shot sure has a tight pattern as ive seen one thing for sure a crow coulda said his last goodbye...whata gun.... charlie

I just got my forend for this gun back from gunsmith Keith Kearcher in Bend Oregon. What a difference in the before and after, to me it's a miracle in wood.

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Pete,

That was quite a transformation! That forend looks great.

Jack

Pete, he did a great job!!!

I am quite pleased. I guess it is proof that you have to look beyond what you see if a gun appeals to you.

wow..... charlie

Amazing Pete! Hope to see this Remy soon.

Thanks, it is amazing Frank. It's not perfect but it is so much better. Let me know the next time you are coming up to shoot skeet, I'll bring it along with me.

I had a little luck with the Remington '94 10ga on Saturday morning. Geese are just starting to show up in these parts. Bill Janelle (R) and I only got one each but both birds were banded. Bill was shooting a very nice condition 30" NH from 1906.

I was shooting a reload of 1 1/4 ounce Bismuth #1.

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nice going ...that old reamy is seeing double duty now..crows and now a goose gun..reckon she ll make a turkey gun this spring.. charlie

Pete, I have a 1882 Remington hammer gun in 10ga. She's a tad heavy - little over 9 #'s - barrels are thick. Must have been a goose gun. It was one made for the rifle barrel liner - the reason I bought it, but the liner was never found. There were four tapped holes in the rib for sights - two for and two aft that I plugged, and you can see the cut out area in the chamber where the liner would lock in place. A missing right main spring, extractor, and two hammers had to be replaced, but she's back in business. I just use it on the SC's course with Chamber Mates for 12ga but have on occasion shot 10 ga shells in it for fun. Wish I still hunted as I would love to take some game with it.

Forgot - my 94 F grade has the straight grip but the forearm was made by a trap shooter - looked like sh*t, so I had Brad make a new one. Had him make it like the one in Semmers book - a semi-beavertail forearm. I'm not a big fan of semi-beavertail forearms, but the gun looks really nice and shoots great. Also had a guy from Ohio that attends our SxS Shoots re-blue the barrels - turned out great - nice black barrels.

heh pete what kinda powder did you use in the goose load... charlie