doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com L C Smith Grade III Restored

I posted some pictures here awhile back of the L C Smith Grade III I decided to have restored. It had 3 issues 1. being off face,2 .the stock had multiple cracks and it looked like screws in it and finally the barrels had no finish left. I showed the results of the stock work in another thread so I thought I'd show the barrel results as well. First off let me say that my photographic skills are mediocre at best and the barrels actually look better then I am depicting. I am very pleased with my 123 year old shotgun and will get it out for a shooting session shortly.

The friend who did the barrels provided the following information:

"These barrels are Fine Damascus, they were used on early No. 3's. After that starting around 1898 on they used Chain Damascus, a little less expensive and for steel they used the new Nitro Steel. The Fine Damascus was used for No. 4 and No. 5's, but only on the No. 5's for a short time. But, you could order what ever type you wanted.
"
Jim






For reference this is what the gun looked like after the stock and lockwork had been completed but before the barrels were redone.

Nice barrel finish. The old grade III Smiths are about where they begin to look really good...Geo

I asked the barrel restorer to do up the barrels so they looked gently used as is the case with the rest of the gun. No one will look at this gun and ask if Doug Turnbull did the work! I am very pleased with the end result as this now looks like a well cared for 123 year old gun. And I personally think this is appropriate and proper.
Jim

Jim;
I like that effect. I totally agree it is appropriate & proper. I personally still have grave reservations about re Case-Hardening a gun & feel this is the best way for a refinish.

That's nice, Jim. Was anything done to the receiver and lock plates?

SRH

My intent here as I stated above was to put this gun back into the condition it would have been in if just lightly used and well cared for over the years. I believe it has been brought back to that condition.
I decided NOT to have anything done to the receiver or the lockplates because IMO case coloring when re-done always looks new and again to me garish on a gun that's this old. To me the silvered out appearance of this metal is quite within the condition one would expect on a vintage firearm.
Again this is solely my opinion and I'm certainly interested in others!
Jim

Jim, the barrel finish does look appropriate to the rest of the gun.
Have fun with it and I hope you shoot it well.