A gentleman from Syracuse, NY called recently to tell me hed just taken in a Syracuse Arms 12-bore gun described as a Grade "D3" Live Bird gun; made an offer I thought fair, and here it is. Im not sure that any of us have actually seen a SAC live bird gun other than the pics of the early Grade BE example at the NRA museum; thus I suppose we can assume examples are certainly uncommon, and certainly this is the only example Ive ever handled. Although the story cant be authenticated, the seller said the gun came into his shop from an individual who had purchased the gun from an old estate there in Syracuse, NY; whether that meant this gun had remained within the family of the original owner or not since it was new he couldnt say, but the gun was never abused and remains in very nice condition. This gun was obviously built for trap or pigeon shooting, as it is noticeably heavier than normal; and was made with the following stock dimensions: 14 3/4 LOP x 2 drop at comb x 2 drop at heel. It also features a differently shaped comb than the typical SAC gun from this period, and the comb on this example closely resembles the combs featured on post-1900 Smith guns. But straight stocked SAC guns of any style seem to be very uncommon (Ive recorded 5 examples). This SAC gun is an early example and probably made around 1895 or 1896, as it features the early V spring forend fastener. When the seller initially gave me the grade as D3, I was super excited as the only other Grade D3 Ive recorded was the presentation grade 10-bore featured in a DGJ article 4-5 years ago. And although this gun has nice wood and an unusual feature or two, its otherwise about as plain as an old shoe; and for whatever its worth Ive not a clue as to the meanings of the Syracuse Arms Co "D3" Grade stamp, nor any of the other early Hollenbeck and Syracuse Grade "D" stamps for that matter. Thus far Ive seen two SAC guns stamped D3, two stamped D2, and several stamped D; no two have been alike and all have varied in decoration from very little (such as this example) to presentation quality. That changed after 1900, as from about 25XXX and up there is much more consistency within the features of the "D" Grade SAC gun examples Ive seen).
This "D3" gun features virtually the same engraving coverage and style seen on the early Grade 1 Twist barreled SAC guns (Ive actually seen Grade 1s with more engraving), the wood quality would be equivalent to what Ive observed on early Grade A and Grade B guns; and so is the quality of the Damascus barrels. The double line border around the checkered panels is a nice touch, as is the manner in which both grip panels meet at the top of the wrist behind the top strap. One nice touch was the way in which the tip of the lower tang is finished off; as opposed to being finished with a sharp point, it has been rounded and reshaped a bit. The only thing I could determine as to after-market modification/repair is that the original opening lever was replaced at some point, as the replacement lever and screw are not presently engraved; but would have been originally. The gun still retains a high percentage of its original Damascus barrel pattern/finish, traces of case color, bores are in great condition, screw slots still remain sharp; and the original early style dog's head butt plate has survived in superb condition. Dr. Drew will lend a hand by posting pix soon; but for now, and since my cell phone efforts were pathetic, he's suggested I come up with pix that will actually be legible. Although certainly not the prettiest SAC gun Ive ever owned, this example is still a very, very nice piece; and a seldom seen and extremely unusual SAC gun. Perhaps this unique piece will make for an interesting discussion; and I'll get those photos as soon as possible.
