doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com L C Smith 20 gauge ejector questions

I have a L C Smith 00 grade ejector gun with 30 inch barrels and a 61xxE serial number. The gun came to me as part of an estate and I have started the clean up process and now realize that the project is more than I can handle. The stock is not cracked but needs the checkering recut, refinishing and perhaps some glass work. The metal needs the remaining surface pits removed and the receiver case hardened and the barrels blued. The bores of the gun looks good and will not need attention. My question is how much $ can I put into this gun with some hope of not ending too far in the hole. I am not looking to make money on the project but I would like to avoid a money pit.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

jlb

HE HE HE
They are all money pits, better off to buy a boat !!

If you want to sell it, sell it AS IS

If you want to shoot it, then repair/refresh it to the necessary part.

If you want a collectors item, sell it and forget the whole idea

My opinion
Mike

What are your needs? If you want a functional gun you have it with the right shells. If you want to spruce it up a little have it glass bedded, recut the checkering and refinish the wood. The barrel refinish would be the next step up. I would hold off on a complete recase coloring. Pitting could be evaluated by someone who can laser weld. You could make it factory new but you be so upside down into it that you would never get your money out of it. If you are going to keep it in the family then do what you want and don't worry about the cost too much. If you are going to sell it short term to nothing. If you are going to use it and sell it later don't do much more than the stock work and maybe the rust blue of the barrels because you'll never get more than a small fraction of the cost back.

Here is what it always comes down to money. Basic glass bedding, recut checkering and refinish 500-1000 depending on who does the work. Cold rust blue 300-600 again depending on who does it. Complete metal refinish priced by the job and it will need to be seen by the person doing the work to give you a real price.

First, in your listing you have 20 gauge ejector gun with a serial number of 61xxE. That serial number would be 1901. The 20 gauge was not out by then. It is most likely a 16 gauge.
Does the for-end have a round escutcheon with the roller release in it? If so this would be the first style ejectors that use the mainspring/s for ejecting the spent shells. If they are working fine, great, but take note that the kickers are no longer made.
This gun would be worth restoring if that is how far you want to take it.

Buck Hamlin of Pevely, MO does a great job on these guns and is very reasonable. He does not use a computer but his number is 636-479-4304.I would call him and ask him what his thoughts would be on this. If you want it for a shooter, then maybe you don't have to give it the full restoration.

Good luck and let us know how you make out.

Basic things you can do yourself:

Clean up the wood, using a mild cleaner like olive oil, remove any surface rust with gun oil and 0000 steel wool, being careful not to remove color.

Sell as-is, put real money into it only if you intend to keep it.

DO NOT do any of the half arse things that others do on the internet like Cold Blue, torch colors, etc. It will only reduce its market price as to someone who knows these guns will have to have those things reversed during a restoration.

It being a 20 or 16ga, as well as an ejector gun will make it desirable to many people.

David

Thanks for your reply. It is indeed a 20 gauge gun. I just attempted to feed it a 16 gauge shell and with no success but a 20 gauge shell fit like a glove. The ejectors look like my 1937 FWE 16 gauge. The year of manufacture was 1910 from the LC Smith web site, I originally thought it was 1901 as well and will change my records.

jlb

You have a good gun worth restoring- it is a 20, a FWE with I assume, double triggers. The May 1901 patent date on the forearm iron indicates the Lewis design ejectors, not the earlier design ejectors from aprox 1891- with the distinctive "clamshell" shaped escutcheon. 30" barrels are not as commonly found on 20 gauge Smiths as are 28"-- Buck Hamlin is your man- he is the best gunsmith on LC Smiths (and LeFevers) and is reasonable- I concur with the other gent who suggested you get in touch with Buck.

With all the work you are talking aboit doing, you will be into the gun for more than it is worth.

Your point may be valid, if you are a "trader", but if, like me, you believe in keeping and shooting an older quality gun, for its intrinsic value if nothing more, than the money spent is money well spent--IMO anyway. I don't buy older American shotguns (Model 12's and L.C. Smiths mainly) to sell later on, I buy them to keep and shoot.

If the gun is mechanicly good and ready to shoot,,you don't need to put anything into it to enjoy it.
A long bbl'd 20ga ejector LCS is a very desirable shotgun both as a shooter and as a collectible.
It's checkering is worn right now as well as it;s stock finish,,so what,,it's 100+ yrs old.
Bbl finsh worn?,,no kidding,,so it got used,,but the bores are great. That means great for you to shoot. A few pits in the frame and other metal parts,,so do they make the gun unsafe or otherwise compromise the mechanics of the piece. They get that way from use and sometimes misuse. But that's the guns history. It didn't sit in a gun cabinet I'd bet.

It may need some attention as far as glass bedding but does not have a cracked stock. Then do the repair to satisfy what ever the need is and leave it at that.
Then take it out and gently enjoy it as it has already been for the last century.

Making it 'like new again' is way over done IMO. Just 'cause it can be done doesn't mean everything in sight should be shined up and made glittery.

Leave it as original as possible. I'm sure someone else would be more than willing to take it off your hands in that condition should you get tired of it.
jmo