doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com LC Smith info request

Did LC Smith make a trap model in the OO grade? The gun has a butt plate that indicates "trap".

Serial number 95066 does not seem to appear in Brophy's book. What is the year of manufacture and what page/chart will I find this information on?

Thanks, Jerald

The Hunter Arms 'Trap Gun' buttplate is commonly found on pre-1913 O and OO Grades. No "Trap Gun" was advertised in the pre-1913 catalogs, and the buttplate was likely a marketing tool to promote Smith guns for the increasingly popular sport of trap shooting. Shooters using L.C. Smith guns took first, second, and third places at the Grand American Handicap in 1902.



You might enjoy some of the ads on the 'Trap and Skeet Guns' album http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery.fcgi?p=999&gid=17127707

Unfortunately, there are some gaps in the serial number records and your's is not listed http://www.lcsmith.org/shotguns/manufacture.html

Jerald, As Drew pointed out there are serial # in the early LCs that are missing but you can sort of date the gun by the joint check in Brophys book. The early roll type check was used up to the 1900 era, if your gun has this type of check it was made before then. A little detective work on the known serial # would date your gun to that era (1900), check the numbers for hammer guns and you will see what I mean. A block of serial # for them ends at 89,999 in 1901, a block of numbers for 10 and 12 ga non-ejector hammerless guns starts at 100,000 in 1899. While not written in stone, you can almost bet your gun was made around that time.

Jim

Excellent point James!
The first type disc joint check was used 1886-1900 on extractor guns