Posted by David Williamson on August 3, 2014, 7:48 pm, in reply to "OE on 16ga."
Dale, a 16 gauge is a nice gun to have in any grade, but the stamping 0E means it is an 0 grade with ejectors. If I am not mistaken, the first steel barrels to come with the 0 grade were Special Steel, then London Steel. They also came with Laminated Steel but I believe it is another form of Damascus, and Brother Drew could tell you what they were made of. London Steel was on the 0 grade until 1912 when the 0 grade became Ideal grade and stayed with it until production end. A straight stock could be ordered with any gun, and since this was a special order with the ejectors, someone added a straight stock to go with it. I don't believe the records recorded in all cases what type of stock they were shipped with.