Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns how can I tell if my shotgun has a damascus barrel or not

I have an old Remington double barrel shotgun, the serial # is 218699. From what I've

been able to figure that means its a model 1899. What i can't figure out is if it has

damascus barrels or not, I have read that its not advisable to fire modern ammunition in an

old shotgun with damascus barrels, and I would like to use this one to hunt with.

I can't see any spirals in the barrels, and there isn't any fancy designs on the barrels

like some with damascus barrels have. On the side of the breech it says "Remington Arms

Company" . It has hammers. On the underside of the barrels there are some letters , I'm not

sure what they mean, ther is the letter "G" on each barrel, with an arrow pointing up from

each "G" to a crude looking "P" or "D". There is also the number 712 stamped under on of

the barrels. It doesn't have auto-ejectors. On the barrel lugs there is the numbers 40 and

43, I understand these numbers have to do with shot pattern, on another lug there is the

number 89.

Also under the breech, when you break open the gun, there are the numbers 112, and 681.

This is all I can tell you about it, I hope you can tell me if it has damascus barrels

or not, I guess in 1899 Remington made some shotguns with damascus barrels and some

without.

Thanks in advance.

If your gun has no engraving, it very likely doesn't have Damascus barrels. In the Model 1889, only the higher grades (engraved) had Damascus, which was considered a classy and valuable feature. Yours probably has their "Compressed Fluid Steel" barrels, which are forged solid steel. Remington nuts argue about whether these are stronger than their excellent Belgian Damascus, but the argument is unresolved as far as I'm concerned.

One thing you CAN be sure of is that this gun wasn't made for steel shot. Another is that it is most likely chambered for 2 5/8" shells, unless it is stamped "for 2 3/4" ctg." somewhere or has been rechambered. If it is a 10 guage and has "Magnum" stamped on the barrel flats, it has been rechambered either by a gunsmith or at the factory to the "old magnum" 2 7/8" 10 guage shells. This was a fairly common conversion back in the day. DON'T EVEN THINK of firing a modern 3 1/2" 10 Magnum in it!!!!!

If it is a 16 guage, you have a very rare bird(gun)!

With a serial number like that, I'd say the gun was made about 1902-3 (a guess), but in any case, it is fairly late for an '89, and in the period of transition to smokeless powder. If it were mine, I'd shoot only low pressure 2 1/2" shells like PolyWad or RSI "Vintagers" or black powder in it.

Sorry I can't provide more detailed answers to your marking questions. But if you don't get detailed answers here and haven't yet posed your questions to www.doublegunshop.com/BBS on their "Double Barrel Shotgun" forum (the first one), you will get answers there.

There is also a book on Remington SxS doubles; I don't have it but I believe the author's name is Semmer.

Good luck, neat gun!

Mike Armstrong aka Mesa

Thanks for the reply Mesa you know a lot about old Remington shotguns, I believe that your right I probably have an old 1889 with fluid steel barrels

It's pretty hard to "hide" the pattern on Damascus barrels. Still, if it were mine and in nice shape, I would use tubes or chamber sleeves for a smaller gauge and stick to light loads. It has survived this long and deserves to stay in one piece.