doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com The L.C. Smith with Owl engraving.

Can anyone share or send me a photo or two of this gun?
I have read all the Double Gun Journals, and all the books (maybe not all the books in the world...) A few times somewhere there is mention of an A2 or A3 L.C. Smith with owl engraving. I am very curious what that could be.

whooo knows...

he's looking for an owl, not an ass.

You could order whatever type of engraving you liked. The person who ordered the owl engraving most likely liked owls.

The owl is a symbol of death in many native American societies.

I wish the OP could provide some references where he read about an L.C. Smith gun wirh Owl engraving. At one time, I read just about all I could find on L.C. Smith and the guns of Hunter Arms Co., and don't recall ever reading about this.

If we don't get to hear where this was published, then maybe we will at least get to hear more about Bennie... Ed's grouse hunting owl.

Yes, and the symbol of wisdom in other societies.

Did the owl do the engraving?

Is this the famous Hooters LC Smith?

Discussed in an old LC Smith association posting, but no pictures

https://members.boardhost.com/lcsmith/msg/archive/1380941295.html

Part of the thread:
Re: A-2 with Owl Engraving Archived Message
Posted by Tom Archer on October 4, 2013, 9:48 pm, in reply to "Re: A-2 with Owl Engraving "

This gun could have been a factory exhibition piece promoting an advertising theme, as once hanging in the Hunters Arms office was a piece of artwork featuring a stuffed owl (beneath bubble glass) overlooking a pastoral farm seen mounted in an oak frame; in red letters painted on the sides of the frame was this inscription: "L. C. SMITH GUNS, A WISE CHOICE". That artwork has survived and is presently owned by one of our members.

in addition to the above thread I believe there was a Double Gun journal article about Cliff White (?)and his collection. He was said to have owned “all” known examples of some particular grade Gun (A2-A3) or something similar.
(EDIT: I see in the LCSCA thread A2 gun - and collector newsletter etc. ... it's been 11 years, my memory is only so good.

Mr. Williamson I would love to see a photo of custom or bespoke engraving on an LC Smith. Can you share one? I don’t believe I’ve ever seen anything but standard catalog engraving, other than say, the Annie Oakley Gun?
EDIT: I do not consider requesting grouse instead of ducks to be "custom engraving" or "getting WHATEVER you want" perhaps that's my misunderstanding.

Obviously it was much more common for the higher grade guns to have non-standard engraving.
This is interesting; a No. 4E Joseph Loy engraved





1921 Premier with a similar motif. I can't document the engraver.

Drew, those are fabulous, but what makes them "custom engraving" they look "Catalog" to me? A 4E with dogs in circles?
How is that different than this one?

RE: OWL -- Perhaps I also built it up in my mind. The documention I have read about this did not present it as a gun with an owl vingette, or an owl in circle, I believe it was presented as an "Owl motif" I expect a few scenes, broad wings, talons, sweet deep relief germanic oak leaves, tasteful gold acorns... I jest, but that is why I am curious. I am aware the owl didn't do the acutal engraving.... eightbore, touche.

Each engraver was given license to choose backgrounds and pointing styles of the dogs

James Hunter monogram. Likely Bro. Tom's image?



I don't recall the source of these lockplates. Bro. David probably knows

Bro.Drew that picture was taken at the Hunter Homecoming by myself and other photos and was used on a 2011 calendar that Jent Mitchell III published. There is another Monogram ? that I had seen at the Hunter Homecoming that was on display at the Pratt House Museum, it showed two hunters in a boat duck hunting. I will have to go through my files and try to find it. It was out of the collection of Bob Morris. You will notice that this gun has no safety.

This is not an L.C. Smith but is a Hunter Arms Co. Fulton boxlock that was engraved by Albert Kraus for a friend. The engraving in just as meticulous as if it was on a higher grade L.C. Smith. Fulton boxlocks were never (this is the first one I have seen) engraved.

I remember seeing Cliff with his “Sandhill Crane” Smith guns at the Louisville shows years ago. I think they were Secialty grades in 12, 16, & 20ga. I would consider them custom ordered, but they were little more than a regular specialty grade with cranes on one side.