doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com L.C smith serial number?

I have a lc smith hammer gun 12guage. SN 118xx Can anyone tell me when it was made. It is a damascus SxS.There is an E stamped on the reciever next to the serial number. I am guessing that is the grade. Can anyone help me.

John Houchins book LC Smith - The Legend Lives on page 72 states quality E -- good damscus steel barrels, good imported english walnut stock,checkered and engraved, pistol grip, no. 10 or 12 gauge - $70. I can't seem to locate the serial# Is this all the markings that are on your gun? What is stamped on the barrel? Johns book indicates serial#s for hammer LC Smith Maker(on the barrel) Syracuse NY ends around 10000. 1880-1884 based on best available information. Serial info on pages 520-523. Maybe someone else that knows more than me may be able to help.The only place I can find the 11000 range would make it built in 1919. I hope someone will help also.

On the barrel it says LC smith maker syracus new york. Damascus steel. and 118xx is stamped on the bottom of the barrel and on the plate on the reciever and patened date of march 20 1883 on the inside of the forearm. and it has an extracter but no ejecters. double trigger double hammer

Larry call me

The L.C. Smith hammer gun was the begining of the L.C. Smith shotgun. First introduced in 1884. There is a no record of the serial numbers in 1884-1894? and in 1895 the serial numbers start at 27,766.
They were made in Quality AA to Quality F. Quality E was good Damascus Steel Barrels,Checkered and Engraved, Pistol Grip, No 10 or 12 ga. -$70.00
The left side of the water table of the frame was marked Pat'd Mar,83 (#274,435, Breech loading mechanism, joint and ejector system)
I'm guessing yours was made 1891-93.
In Brophy's book he states that very few are in decent shape.

L C Smith gun serials are a disaster until 1918 when Hunter Arms started the numbering over at 1. Hunter Arms started making guns in Fulton in 1892, they were made in Syracuse up to that date. My thinking is that JDW is close to the manufacturing date of your gun. If you look at the dates in Brophy's book you will probably come to the conclusion that a lot of it is guess work before 1918. I have an AI that is # 980. Brophy's lists indicates 1898 as the manufacturing date, however if you check the separate listing for A2 guns you will find # 978 and 984 with an 1893 shipping date. The A2 list of serials in Brophys book would be a good start to date any ejector gun Hunter Arms made before 1913

Jim A.