I recently inherited an LC Smith double barrel shotgun. It's marked Ideal Gauge. Not sure if it's 16 or 20 gauge since it doesn't say. I'd like to sell it but I know so little about it. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Hello Florina

Welcome to the site

The best way to find out is try to fit a 16 gauge hull in the barrels

http://lcsmith.org/

http://lcsmith.org/shotguns/1913grades.html

CONDITION is very important and also ANY modification.

Take a look here and pay attention to the smaller than
12 gauge guns

http://www.gunbroker.com/Side-By-Side-Sh...e=1&Sort=13

ALSO you can request a letter on this particular shotgun
http://www.lcsca.clubexpress.com/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=43784&module_id=245742

Again, Welcome
Mike

Thanks for the info! I might just put it up for auction and see what happens. Take lots of good pictures. On a related note, what the hell is the little roller for on the underside of the handguard?? Can't figure it out.

It is part of the forend latch mechanism



Be careful, some of these forends are difficult to remove.

http://www.lcsmith.org/faq/remforearm.html

Mike

Thank you.

That was actually pretty easy! I popped it off without incident. It says London Steel on each barrel underneath the handguard.

Hi Fiorina, I can't add much to what skeetx has told you. A 20 ga. shell will fit loosely in a 16 ga. chamber... but is not safe to fire. But a 16 ga. shell will not enter a 20. ga. chamber at all. I have a 20 ga. L.C. Smith Ideal Grade with auto-ejectors, and as I recall, it was only the Ideal Grades with auto-ejectors that had the banjo shaped forend release escutcheon with roller. Auto ejectors are an option that would increase the value. The forends usually aren't all that difficult to remove, but they can be very hard to re-install if the triggers are pulled dropping the hammers. It is not a good thing to do with an L.C. Smith, and you can damage the forend if you attempt to force it back on without manually re-cocking the hammers. There was a special tool made to do this task, but there are other ways to do it. Here's what the special tools look like.

The "banjo' release was not limited to Ideal grades, but a certain time period which I don't recall. Secondly, to avoid damage to the forend wood when reassembling make sure that the hammers are cocked before removing the forend. Finally, I find reassembly easier if I roll the latch forward while snapping the forend on the barrels.