doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com L C SMITH " Curtis forend latch broke

Need help my 1920 L C Smith ideal is missing the Spring/clip that attaches to the push rod on the CURTIS forend.

need help locating spring

The gun should work just fine with out the Curtis latch. It, just like the roller latch, was in addition to the regular J spring latch, but the Curtis latch was only used on guns without ejectors. Without the Curtis latch, the j spring should hold the fore end as well as any other gun made before or after the 1913-1919 period when the
Curtis latch was used.
If you want to make, or have made for you, a new spring lock for the Curtis latch, the drawing is found on page 160 of Brophy's "Plans and Specifications - LC Smith Shotgun". The spring latch is made from 0.042" thick spring steel. Brownells used to carry annealed spring stock which could be formed and tempered for the latch without much problem.

thank you so much.I posted on The L.C. Smith Collectors Association no luck so far.

I have a few of those J springs, they are slightly different sizes, do you have an idea about the size you need ?

no just 1920 l c smith 12ga 30' barrels with Curtis latch forend.if you thing you can help.I would send you the forend if you think you could match up

Postoak, he needs what is called the spring lock shown in this drawing. It is part #41-RE


As Tom stated the for-end will stay on with just the "J" spring holding it.
Hunter Arms added this type of fastener after many complaints that the for-ends were falling off and getting lost in the field. This was put on all grades without ejectors. A very expensive part to make and this is why it was discontinued in 1919-20. After that all non-ejector guns from the Ideal Grade up were fitted with the banjo style for-end release. The lowly Field Grade was on it's own.

yes,that's it,The gun s in great condition so would like to fix it possible

Oops my reading comprehension is suffering today, I'll look thru my box of LC Parts and see if I have that part.