Remington 1889 rabbit ear sxs shotgun

[George3]

I own a 1889 Remington Grade 3 sxs shotgun bearing serial number 2469xx. I know by the serial no. block that it was born between 1900-08 but, I am looking for the exact year. This gun has damascus barrels so I assume we are talking blackpowder. Does anyone know how many Grade 3s were built? Also, does anyone know whether it is a 2 3/4" or smaller blackpowder shell.(a modern 2 3/4" slips in perfectly). I would love to have a good blackpowder recipe using modern hulls? Thank you.

 

[Jim K]

I don't know of any records showing when those guns were made, but I can answer a couple of questions. First, the chamber length needed is determined by the shell with the crimp fully expanded, so the fact that a loaded shell chambers is not always a good test. You would need to do a chamber cast to be sure.

Second, those Remington guns were among the best made, but IMHO, Damascus barrels, even the best, simply cannot be trusted. They were OK a century ago, but I have seen ones so eaten out inside that they looked like orange lace, even though the bore was shiny and the outside showed no sign of any problem.

If that gun is a top quality, the barrels are works of art, and the gun itself is superb. But I have to recommend retiring it, not shooting even with black powder. Some folks will argue with me, and they may be right, but I prefer to advise in the direction of caution.

Jim