doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com LC Smith Ideal Long Range

I recently picked up an Ideal Long Range with ejectors and 3" chambers, mfg 1925 with London steel barrels. Patterned using 2.5" loads 1 1/8 oz and 3 drams BP I got 91% and 94% at 30yds with a 30' circle. Its in very good condition, shows good case colors, minimal wear and no cracks in the stock. Since it has 3" chambers and is the Long Range I expect it could take a higher psi load than a normal 2.5 or 2 5/8 chambered gun of the same vintage. Trying to decide on an appropriate 3" load for it. What would be the maximum 'safe' psi I should be cautious of?

MY guess is SAAMI maximum of 11,500. Seriously.

Didn't they use that type gun to develop SuperX shells?so its capable of using modern shells ,steel with choke modification.

Do you actually believe the head of the stock of that gun is up to 3” loads?

Have you had one apart?

Best,
Ted

Before I used any heavy loads in that Smith I'd have a tiny bit of relief done behind the lock plates and have the area glass bedded. I had one done like this some years ago and it has held up fine. No sign of the work is apparent from the outside and, if done properly, it prevents the almost inevitable cracking behind the tail of the lockplates.

All 12 ga. L.C. Smith's were 2 3/4" chambers unless ordered differently and then the barrels water table would have the chamber length stamped on it.
In my opinion shooting near maximum psi in these old guns now is not a good thing.

I owned a 3 inch l c smith wildfowl I didn't shoot a lot of 3 inch shells , the gun "I owned" I didn't have a problem.i know lc smith can be a "problem with the stock".the o.p. asked about safe loads

I believe the Super Fox was used by Winchester to develop the Super X loads.

By a safe load I mean a load I can continually shoot and not have to worry about first, cracking the stock, and then loosening the action or bulging a barrel. I do agree with you Stan. On any suspect older guns I've always had them glass bedded. I'm also quite aware that advertised loads on a new gun 100 years ago may not be the best thing with the same gun 100 years later. I would be surprised if in the roll out of the Long Range models the advertising didn't mention what loads or psi could be used. Perhaps Darrel H. has some advertising material he could post. That would at least give me a starting point.

The others beat me to it . . . The stock is the concern. There are plenty of lighter to moderate loads that will get the job done just fine