doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com A Beautiful & Rare L C Smith

This is a Premier Grade L C Smith in 16ga on a featherweight frame. I think I am correct in that only 28 Premier grade guns were made by L C Smith after 1913, and of these only two were in 16ga. So, at best, there is only one more of these around.

A customer brought it to me to see if I could put the stock back together. It was totally broken into at the wrist, and it had been in their closet for 30 years because it was unshootable. His grandfather had bought the gun new in the late 1920's, and, for pure sentimental reasons they wanted to try to put the gun back together. They had no idea of the rarity of the gun until I looked it up for them.

Someone had done a refinishing job decades ago that had a lot of visable runs, so after I got lucky & pinned the stock back together I refinished it and recut the checkering. By the way, it's still in the leather leg-o-mutton case it left the factory in. I think they have built a shadow box to display the gun in.

Hack

[img]http://i328.photobucket.com/albums/l347/HackCW/LC1.jpg [/img] [img][/img] /IMG][/img]
[img][/img] [img][/img]

Hack,
Thanks for the privilege of looking at such a marvelous gun. I just wish I had a bigger screen to view it in.
You did a great job in repairing the stock, hardly noticeable.
The engraving is outstanding, the only thing that could have been nicer is if it had a straight stock. Still, it is built on a Featherweight frame with ejectors and the Hunter One-Trigger.

I hope that they have it insured.
Again thanks.

A beautiful gun and a superb job of repairing the stock; you are to be commended! This really doesn't add much to the discussion, but besides the two recorded examples there is at least one more 16-bore Premier in existence that is not listed in the Brophy serial number recap. John Allen at Game Fair had the gun in his shop in Nashville in the mid-90's. It was a straight grip, and also a Featherweight; but was engraved in the original A-3 style (raised single dogs on each lockplate without the gold); with the original owner's initials and the year 1917 inlayed in gold on the trigger guard. As I recall the serial number was 220???, which record was contained in a missing block of serial numbers that disappeared during the Hunter Brothers bankruptcy of 1917-18. The gun was pricey, and I really lusted after the piece; but the only way I could have afforded the gun was to take a mortgage on the house. When I added the cost of the mortgage to the gun to the divorce that would ensue as a result, I had to admit that there was no creative financing scheme that would work for me in this instance. At any rate, I did try to photo the gun; which photos did not turn out very well; but trust me when I tell you there is at least one additional 16-bore Smith Premier in existence.

Thanks for posting Gary. The family might request a Research Letter from the LCSCA http://www.lcsmith.org/shotguns/researchdivision.html
Grandfather's name might be listed as ordering the gun.

That is truly a grand old gun! Excellent work on the stock! Thanks for the pics, I really enjoy seeing guns of that Grade.-Dick

One more picture I meant to share. I think everyone can appreciate the level of workmanship that went into the the internal parts as well. This, obviously, is a picture of one of the locks. The little things like the jeweling of the interior surface, and the internal part that was shaped like a fleur-de-lis. Things that the original owner never saw.

Thanks,

Hack [img][/img]

It's not only the jeweling on the higher graded guns, the bridle work is also outstanding. The screw heads are even machined nice.
From the serial number, gun is from 1929.
Thanks again for the great pictures of a great gun and your outstanding workmanship.