"Later, post 1913, when Hunter Arms offered Crown Steel, the owner sent the gun back for a second set of Crown Steel bbls."

Bob; Hunter Arms "Crown Steel" barrels were officially cataloged in Hunter's 1895 company catalog, but were advertised in period ads as being available on Hunter's Pigeon Grade gun at least as early as mid-1894; so were obviously around 18-19 years prior to 1913, and Crown Steel barrels continued to be used and trademarked on the post-1913 Trap Grade gun. Throughout their history Hunter Arms maintained a repair department that performed barrel replacement and fitted new barrel sets to existing guns all the way back to the pre-Hunter Arms L,C, Smith Syracuse, NY era. So, if a customer ordered another set of barrels on a Smith gun from any manufacturing period, he would be quoted a price based on the barrel tube steel offered within that grade equivalent at that point in time (i.e. for pre-1913 grades Whitworth tube steel was used for the highest grades Monogram thru A3, Nitro Steel on Grades 4, 5, and Pigeon; Crown Steel on Grades 2 and 3; and so on down to Armor Steel on the lowest grade hammerless guns). Prices were always subject to change, but barrel sets made of steel tubes within the same grade were quoted at 1/2 the retail price of a new gun (or of equivalent grade after the grades changes); plus additional cost if the customer also wanted a separate new forearm. In 1905, a Grade 2E w/o a single trigger carried a cataloged retail price of $95; so a new/extra set of Crown Steel barrels would be priced at approximately $47.50, plus the cost of the extra forearm. In your case the owner opted to purchase a barrel set within gun grade; but many shooters opted to save money and purchased their second barrel set made from lower grade barrel tubes to include Armor Steel (which tube steel had earned a great reputation for durability; and I've seen one A3 with a second set of factory fitted Nitro Steel barrels).
And I'm not trying to "one-up" you by relating all this boring crap minutia, only attempting to clear your obvious confusion about some things Smith related; and also to help you understand a bit more about the fine gun you own.
Tom

Last edited by topgun; 12/20/10 09:33 PM.