doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com 1891 Quality 1 Elsie

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Finally got some sunshine here today (it was supposed to snow, but not till tomorrow now).



These barrels look so good to me (the whole gun does as well, actually... it looked a bit shabby before all this). The process of refinishing them is quite labor intensive in that they have to be stripped, stuck down, dents lifted, polished, and then go through several stages of an immersion bath with various chemicals to get a contrast on these "Laminated Steel" tubes. Black & White on a set of Damascus tubes looks quite different (much more contrast) but this works for me. It's been quite a process to get it here and... to have it turn out so-nicely really feels pretty good. Better than Christmas (but maybe not Grousemas).





I don't think this is the "Single Sighting Plane" rib, but it sure is big (compared to my other English doubles).



This is a "transitional gun" in that it still has the more-defined lower bolsters from the Syracuse-era, as well as the rounded screwheads (the breech-balls are shaped differently too). It also has its original English walnut stock. The post-1913 guns were reportedly using American walnut by then, and the "cracking" issues became more common after that.



My original "Double Dog " buttplate is looking a little worn after 132 years, but you can still make out the dogs if you look closely.



According to the authorities over at the LC Smith webpage, 1,399 Quality 1 guns were made in 1891 but...I've never seen another in person. It's my theory that the higher grade guns received better care and accordingly, they had a better chance at surviving until now. Overall, this is a much better gun than the one I herited from my grandfather back when I was 14-years old. I'm going to be much nicer to this one.

What a charismatic old thing!

I know nothing whatsoever about L.C. Smiths. Is this one a sidelock, or a side-plated boxlock? And do the bolsters have any functional purpose (as in housing part of the action parts), or are they Dagmars on a Cadillac bumper, so to speak?

Hi Fudd!

Oh, it's a true sidelock allright. In fact, the Hunter Brothers traded heavily on that distinction. No interceptors though, just a fairly rudimentary lock mechanism (certainly when compared to what the British were turning out by then). The "bolsters" are just part of the "art" of frame filing, and as the years went-on they dispensed with all that to save on production costs. They clearly spent more time on earlier guns and it really started to show by the 30s and 40s, certainly in the lower grades.

Merci! Now I have some reading to do.

Good place to start Bro. Fudd; esp. "Shotguns" and the FAQs
https://lcsca.clubexpress.com/

Well, just took it out and shot it.

The weather here is degrading quickly this evening, but I broke about a dozen clays with it. I forgot my slip-on extension but still managed to break just about everything, even leaning on one crutch. Having a gun w/o a century of gunk built-up inside of it was a real treat, and it performed flawlessly. That funky "roller joint/check" extractor system is going to take a little getting used-to (unlike normal extractors, if you fumble the shell removal they return to the flush position) but the triggers are quite nice and everything feels smooth and substantial. I mixed up the shells a bit, starting off with Winchester Featherlights and then moving-on to normal target range fodder. Nothing more than an ounce and nothing faster than 1250 but the difference between the loads was quite noticeable, even in this old tank.

When does spring finally get here?

I was there as you were typing, doctor. First place google sent me. Merci.

Very nice gun, Lloyd. Most Elsies just feel good in the hand to me. I only have two, at this point, but shoot them both well. One is my svelte 16 ga. FWE with 32" barrels. The other is my Grade 3, 12 ga., with factory 3" chambers and 32" barrels.

Looks like you might have found a good one. And, I agree with your assessment of the later guns (post '13) being more prone to cracking. My pre-13 gun has no signs of cracking but the later post-13 gun began to show tiny grain separation a few years ago. The late Jim Kelly relieved the wood behind the lock plate tails a "hair or two" and stabilized the rear of the inlet with Acraglas, and laid that issue to rest.

Helpful images demonstrating that cracks around the lockplate inlets usually start at the head of the stock, where there is inadequate wood surface to absorb recoil forces