doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com L.C. Smith Collectors-Help

While I hate to keep asking questions every time I post, how else is an old country boy supposed to learn. I was at an estate auction, where I spend a lot of time these days, and bought a couple of old shotguns. A man at the auction came up and told me he had an old L.C Smith he wanted to sell, so I went today and took a look. It is a DB hammerless 12 ga. fully engraved with matching seriel numbers #654 and on the table it has A1. The only thing I could find wrong with the gun is the black onyx piece at the front of the forepiece has a chip out of it. The bores are shinny and the outside of the barrels have no rust or pitting whatsoever. The only book I have is the Blue Book ( purchased through Dave of Course ) and most of the time it can get me more confused than I was when I started looking. Can anyone give me an idea of the value of this gun based on the above info??

Many Thanks

Ernie

It was made in 1898 Ernie, and you can find out more here
http://www.lcsmith.org/shotguns/pre1913grades.html
You might consider getting a Research Letter http://www.lcsmith.org/shotguns/researchdivision.html
Any way you could bring it to The Southern in Sanford April 24-26? There will be plenty of fellas around that could give you an opinion.

Ernie,
First I will give you twice what you paid for it.

This gun first came out in 1892 with "very fine" Damascus barrels only. With the serial number you gave it is an ejector gun from 1892. They made 739 (+). It was only made until 1898 and was essencially a Grade 4 gun and resembled the Syracuse guns. This gun has the convex ribs on the receiver like the Syracuse guns also. They were made in 10 ga. and 12 ga. with the 16 ga. following in 1898.
There were 53 10 ga. made, 674 12 ga. made and 12, 16 ga. made. Most are listed as having ejectors but there have been a few seen with extractors. Serial numbers would be 6 digit instead. This gun then cost $150. and in 1898 had risen to $175.

I'm not sure what he wanted but in the condition you are saying it is worth $2500 +

Ernie, where do you live? :-). Just kidding. Wish I could find an estate sale with some graded American doubles. Nice find. Enjoy. LC's are true American sidelocks - the rest, just want to be.

redoftx

David

First I would like to thank you and revdocdrew for all the great info. You would be amazed at what type of guns you can find at estate auctions arround here. I got interested in old shotguns in mid 07 and since then have picked up over 30 from estate auctions ( even one old Parker Bros. ). On the A1, the fellow wanted $2000.00 for it but after I convinced him I was just a poor country boy I bought it for $1500.00. That was this morning before I read your post as I had never seen an L.C. Smith with this much engraving on it and assumed it was worth the money. My wife does not agree. I don't know how to put pictures on the computer but have a neighbor that does. Give me your email address and I will have her send some pictures of the gun and then see what you think.

Thanks Again

Ernie

Ernie,
Good luck with your find/s, and that it a good way to get them.
My email address is jdavidw1@comcast.net