If you were in the market for an LC Smith, would you consider this one? Is it worth $2K, which is the buy-it-now price, in your opinion?
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=113050953
Am I the only one who feels the forend wood on this gun is not original? I don't have my Brophy books handy and can't recall if the Ideal was even offered with a beavertail forend, but even if it was, this one doesn't look quite right. The color of the finish, the inletting... especially around the latch, and the chisel parings in the barrel channels do not look like the forends on any of my L. C.'s. I have noticed through the years that the case seems to fade more on Ideal grades than other grades even though that makes no sense to me. It does have auto ejectors that the seller fails to mention, but I would still rather bid closer to the starting bid than diving in for the 2K buy it now price. I note that there are zero bids at this point. As a reference, I recently bought a 12 Ga. Ideal with D.T., pistol grip, A.E., very nice wood, and about 70% fading case colors for $800.00, which I thought was a good buy.
As a shooter 2k would be top-end for me. If the gun was as advertised and I had to have it I would not feel taken advantage of. But right now it's a buyer's market for guns like this so start lower. IMO The wood has been replaced, or it's a very good redo job. Ask lots of questions.
I think the wood has been replaced.
This Ithaca he has looks pretty nice, though:
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=113110934I wonder if the bbl length is original.
OWD
Nice looking "elsie". In my opinion the stock and forend are original. Both would have been options for this gun and to tell if original you would have to loosen the two screws in the trigger guard and swing it out of the way and the serial number should be there. Also if you remove the metal from the forend the serial number should be on the end. Wood matches fairly close and that syle of beavertail looks correct. Screws are a little buggered. Should have London Steel barrels.
With the options of the Hunter One-Trigger, ejectors, straight stock and beavertail forend plus ivory sights, 2k is right. Good case color, screws not buggered and now you are closer to 3k.
Eightbore and I agree.
The forend shape is not correct and all the furniture has been replaced. I've never seen or owned an original Ideal with that quality of wood.
Now that I look at it again, the checkering pattern is wrong, also.
Personally, this gun would hold no interest for me at that price; a rather common Ideal grade with replaced wood and no case color? I suggest you keep looking, as there are still deals to be had for the patient; to illustrate, a friend of mine purchased a really nice 3E 20-bore ejector (much, much rarer and more desireable gun) that has seen very little use for $3K last week.
I believe the barrels on it and the Ithica he is selling have been reblued.The trigger guard on the elsie has been reblued I"m sure.Stock refinish on both.Note on Elsie the barrel and trigger guard great blue but forearm iron no blue except banjo.All that said I would be glad to own both of his guns but not at those prices.Then again a Huglu can cost two grand and it wouldn't be equal to either of those guns.JMHO
If I was beset by the urge for both shooter and "injured innocence" (orginalitis) I'd go for the Fluesie. Don't have to open the chokes. Wonder if this jaycat feller has any connection to the J. Schacter that was all over the place with sheeny Fox "updates" a few yrs. ago?
jack
I don't make any sense of the seller's comment that the LOP is perfect at 13-5/8" on account of the trigger position.
a 12..no, I would be suprised if that is the original forend.
The wood looks replaced to me.....nicer job than originally done.
If you looking a an L.C.Smith closet queen then keep looking...if your looking for a shooter I'd offer him 'quite' a bit less thsn his starting bid If he doesn't take it there's thousands more L.C.Smiths out there.
Here's the draw backs I see.
The lop is short on the gun...and it has a single trigger.
The "Furniture" looks ok to me but the wood has been replaced. The stock is to thick in the hand.. The barrels are blued on the flats??It's a $1500 gun.. MDC
The rounded action Smith & Wesson 20br by Turks can be had for $1799 and is more than equal to those two pieces.
PS. Remember we are not talking Plain Jane CZ 'Ringneck' or DeHaan here.
I do not think the fore end is the one that came with it. Good fitting of the replacement though. If it had double triggers, I might go $1500, just me personally.
The butt stock is also a replacement, look at the fluting on the comb nose, typical Fajen, Bishop.
Jim
The turk S&W value goes down as it leaves the door of the shop.It remains to be seen how long it will take to regain its starting out loss if ever.The two old American guns have gone up even with the changes made to them.I don't see any Kimber turk guns selling over price paid but have seen some sharp hits.
Took it off the block.
You guys must have been too hard on the poor guy.
Nice looking gun, I'd own it at the right price as a shooter. I went through the Houchins Smith book and didn't find any evidence that those checkering patterns match any that the factory did.
If the gun were a double trigger gun, it may have some merit at a lower price. Once someone goes inside of an old single trigger gun, things can go wrong quickly and are sometimes hard to fix.