As a nod to convention, I finally ponied-up for one of Mr. Stubbendieck's "official LCSCA" (LC SMith Collectors Association) letters on this gun, and while it's nice to have, it really didn't add much to my knowledge about this artifact.
Sadly, (& as I had suspected from my reading) the records for that period are just so-spotty that he had very little to work with. He did a lovely job of filling the page with all the "known" (published and available) information from that period and about this particular model of LC Smith gun (options, total estimated production numbers and years produced for this model, and even the initial price when completed [$83.50, which is about $2,915 in current dollars]) but...really, the only added and "new" information for me was that "the finish date is calculated to be March of 1890". He also further confirmed for me that "at this time, Hunter Arms was using frames and other LC Smith parts that came with the purchase of the Syracuse LC Smith factory".
Another perhaps useful detail (and at the very end of the letter) was that of the 749 "Quality 2" guns recorded as being produced in Fulton in 1890, 601 of them were "of the same configuration" as this one (meaning I presume, the same gauge and barrel length). I don't mean to winge, but I was hoping that a bit more "enlightening" and insightful information would be revealed by these now "fragile & historic" documents (or even his particular insights, which would have to be substantial). Oh well, at least I now have this very nice "signed & sealed" and very official-looking document to go along with the gun when my time with it is ended. Perhaps it will help my son (or whomever) appreciate it more at that time?
Last edited by Lloyd3; 03/28/25 07:03 PM.
