doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com information on LCSmith 5E

My son gave me a LCSmith as a retirement gift. The serial number is 214799 and it is a 1912 5E. I believe the barrels are Nitro Steel and I was wondering if I need to shoot low pressure loads. The gun has a two barrel set, each with the same serial numbers; one 28" and the other 30". Also, any information on what this gun might be worth; it is in great condition and has not been restored. I do not intend to sell it, but was just curious as to its market value range.

Ken,

Congrats on the wonderful gift. Go to this site:

http://www.lcsmith.org/index.html

Lots of info. Low pressure shells are the way to go with these. I hope you can shoot it soon and think of your son when you do.

Duke

Shoot whatever 2 3/4" loads you want.

Shame on you! It was a gift from your son!

Ken, Very, very nice gift. And to make it even better is the fact that it has an extra set of barrels. Your gun came through with either Damascus or Nitro Steel barrels, English or French walnut stocks, many different styles of engraving and patterns. The engraving on most No. 5s are similar, dogs in panels on the lock plates, flowers and scroll covering the frame and trigger guard. The top rib should be engraved Made To Order By The Hunter Arms Co. Fulton, N.Y. It has been described as having the elegance and quality of the finest double barrel shotgun in the world.
A total of 484 No. 5 Guns were produced, and of these only 111 were non-ejector guns. In 1913 this gun became the Crown Grade.
In many peoples opinion, the models made before 1913 were of the highest quality in workmanship.
In my opinion, I would only shoot low pressure shells under 8,000 psi. These guns weren't made for todays higher pressure, and that is why a lot of them are cracked behind the sideplates.
If you would, could you post some pictures here and on the L.C. Smith site. These guns are far and few between.
As far as value, you would have to have a qualified gunsmith knowledgeable in L.C. Smiths.
Blue Book of Gun Values 26th Edition, lists Grade 5 95%=$7,000, 90%=$5,500, 80%=$4,500, 70%=$4,150, 60%=$4,000. This is not including the extra barrel, you could add who knows for that.
Good luck with it.

Please post pictures. The hand full of Grade 5 Elsie I have seen all had spectacular engraving. I agree with the sentiment posted about the engraving - there were very few guns EVER produced with better engraging. Please enjoy the gun as it was meant to be enjoyed.

Nice gun, especially with two sets of barrels. I think the 5E/Crowns and the Speciality Grade were the most elegant guns that the various Smith entities ever produced. The higher grades tend to be a bit too flashy for my taste (but I'd still like to own one). If the gun has not been recently ministered to by a competent smith, you might want to have it cleaned, inspected and lubed. While the stock is off, the smith could advise you on the possibility of glass bedding the head of the stock. This should minimize the chances of stock splits with modern loads. The best modern load for that gun is probably the Australian Winchester Super-X, soft shooting and very effective. I use them in my Smith 16 and 20, and they have become my favorite all around upland load.

Ole Cowboy - I would never sell the gun and as a matter of fact my son will inherit it someday. However, I do need to know how much to insurance to take out when I travel with it.

Jay, My son tells me that this gun is pictured five different places in the LCSmith Book ( don't remember author) as an example of the 5E. You are right, the engraving and the wood is beautiful.

As a point of reference, I have a 100% refinished Crown Grade 12, regular frame with ejectors, very nicely restocked in original pattern but to modern dimensions. Two very knowledgeable double gun dealers told me a couple of years ago that it was at that time a $7500 gun. Yours is original pre-'13 with two sets of barrels, so I would start at $10K for insurance. Given the difficulty of finding another one like yours, $15K may not be out of line for coverage, depending upon the actual condition of the gun and its barrels. If you expect to collect in the event of a loss, you will want a professional appraisal on the gun to support the value.

You may want to call Walt Schiessl to discuss your gun. http://www.doublegun.com/waltschiessl.html 714-956-2869

Puglisi recently had a couple of Crowns on the site and currently shows a 5E Damascus sold at $3950. http://www.pugsguns.com/displayItem.do?id=956

Replacement - Thanks so much for the information. I was thinking it would be in excess of 10K but was not sure. I will need to have it appraised because I do worry about the possibility of loss while traveling.