Remington Whitmore Model 1878 Side by Side Shotgun

The 19th century was the heyday for the development of the double barrel shotgun. Even the Remington Arms Company from Illia, New York got into the act. I've got an old Remington Whitmore Model 1878. This gun has beautiful, exposed hammers. The hammers on a double barrel shotgun have two purposes; one is to fire the cartridges, but they also add a touch of elegance to the gun. This shotgun also has double triggers. It has a standard pistol grip design similar to most of the side by side shotguns made in the nineteenth century. Almost all the Whitmore models had steel buttplates. Most of the Remington Whitmore guns were made with steel barrels, as was this one, but they also offered an option of twist steel and Damascus, with Damascus being reserved for the higher grades. Twist steel and Damascus are made by twisting alternating strips of iron and steel together forging them under intense heat and pressure. Remington produced the Whitmore Model from 1873 to 1882, with total production at less than 15,000. This particular gun was made in 1878, and it has a three-digit serial number on it. A unique feature of all the Remington Whitmores is the top lever that lifts up to release the barrels rather than one that pushes to the side. The front trigger fires the right barrel, and the back trigger fires the left barrel. Most people think that borderless checkering is a creation of the 20th century, but this old gun made in 1878 has true borderless checkering and a point pattern. Most of the shotguns made in the 1860s and 1870s feature a keyed type forend latch. It's a carryover from the muzzleloading days. For a visual demonstration of how this shotgun operates, be sure to catch the short video above.

--Larry Potterfield