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

Ken, if the gun were mine, I would write to the Cody Museum and pay the amount for the research of your gun. They will tell you if it came with an extra set of barrels or if the gun was sent back to the factory to have them made. Guns that came from the factory with an extra set of barrels are worth more than a set that came later on.
They might have the information to on who the gun was built for and where it was shipped to and the date of manufacture and of shipping.

http://www.bbhc.org/firearms/records.cfm

What a wonderful gift!

It's easy to get or make low pressure loads for 12 ga guns, so that good advice will be easy to follow.

As you probably know, the LCS stock head isn't the strongest design. To help preserve your original buttstock without cracking or worse, I'd suggest you stay with moderately-recoiling loads. Recoil forces are generally proportional to muzzle velocity x shot weight. I wouldn't shoot anything much over 1220 fps and 1 1/4 ozs of shot, and that much only when really needed, were the gem mine. (Loads in that speed range also pattern better than hi velocity loads, all else equal.)

You also might want to get a real expert to look at the stock head, repair any cracks that may have started, and judiciously inlet a small bit more in important, invisible spots (like behind the back ends of the lockplates). Adding a little bedding 'glas carefully, in critical areas, will also greatly strengthen the stock head. An ounce of prevention and all that ...

Some people who do widely respected stock work of that nature include David Trevallion, Keith Kearcher, Buck Hamlin, Dr Bill Hambidge and I expect Doug Turnbull.

I have a 1901 Model 3E, with Whitworth Steel barrels. I believe that the Model 5 came with upgraded barrels from their "Nitro" steel. You may wish to look on the flats for the Whitworth or Krupp trademark.

Mine has a rather flat stock, and and an original buttplate marked Trap. Original 2 3/4 inch chambers, 30 inch barrels, about 7 3/4 lbs, and I use it for ZZ and wobble trap in S/S competition. I use Winchester Nitro 27 #7 1/2 and Commercial live pigeon 1 1/4 loads for ZZ, and Winchester AA super handicap loads for wobble trap which were OKed by couple of knowledgeable gunsmiths (Kirk Merrington and Cyril Adams). After a few thousand of these loads, I have yet to see any cracks at or near the lockplates. I also have a 1926 LC Smith hammer gun, 30 inch barrels, original 2 3/4 inch chambers that I use in vintager events using modern sporting clays ammo. Still no cracks in the stock. Jim Haynes

Jim, the barels offered for the 5E were either Damascus or Nitro Steel. Your gun was offered in Chain Damascus or Nitro Steel also. Yours might have been an upgrade. A letter from the Cody Museum might tell you how it was sent out.