doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Advice on an Elsie

Hey all,

I popped into a small lgs yesterday and saw a nice looking LC Smith Field grade sitting on the shelf. I asked to take a look and broke it all down.

Gun is a 12ga, 30" barrels, M/F chokes and it has ejectors! It felt good to mount and had decent case coloring and almost all bluing. I checked the chambers and they were 2 3/4" on the nose. The wood is in average shape but the area behind the locks is sound.

The issues I found were some minor external pitting right at the muzzle and the butt plate was poorly replaced with one made for a curved stock (it doesn't sit flat obviously)

I'm going to stop in again this week with some empty hulls and check for ejector timing and function.

My questions are, as this would be my first Elsie, what else should I look for and what should I pay for it? They have it tagged for $1199 and I'm sure they know that's high. I feel like $900-$1000 would be more realistic?

Thanks,
Pat

Also, it has a simple letter from marlin stating that the gauge, barrel length, and chokes are original and that the gun shipped in 1929

Is this 12 a FWE or a R E regular framed 12 Smith? Also, does it have two triggers, or the Hunter One Trigger? You can sometimes heat (gently) a Black bakelite buttplate and them locate it in place on the butt with the screws while warm, and it will fit the curve of the stock- sometimes. All 12 gauge LC Smiths had std 2 & 3/4" chambers ( exception- 3" LONGRANGE" versions-- 3 years ago I bought a 12 Ideal FWE with DT, 28" barrels with the raised single sighting plane rib (first offered in 1939 for a $5.00 extra) in near Mint shape, a Pachmayr red vented pad was professionally installed, and it fits me like a glove-I paid $1150 for it from a dealer I knew at a gun show. Hard to know this pricing structure, does the dealer own the gun outright, or is he selling it on a % consignment? Hope this helps a bit!!

I'd look for a while first if it were me . I am not an LC Smith
expert by far. $1150 seems high unless it is in very good condition..no pitting!

That did help! I'm not sure which frame it is I'll have to check. It has a fairly wide rib. Much wider than an average field gun. Also it has double triggers (my preference).

Are the ejectors known to be reliable or finicky?

Thanks again,

Pat

suggest you take a look on the web at places like gunsamerica and gunsinternational to get a feel what others are asking for similar guns...recently, I sold a similar sounding gun, made in 1907 for $1000. it took a long time to sell it.

In the depressed market...$900. I've never had a problem with Elsie ejectors. What's the serial #. Take a bore brush with you to make sure the bores are not pitted.

Pat, if the gun was on a Featherweight frame, the serial number would be written on the barrels water table something like this; FWE 123437. The E meaning ejectors. A Regular frame would read RE 123437.
Most of these Field Grades were hardware store guns, and quite possible the store owner ordered one or more with ejectors.

This second type of ejectors are very reliable as it uses the cocking rod/s to trip the coil spring/s in the for-end.
If you get such gun, just make sure the extractor/s move freely as they can get residue inside the hole.

Take it out to a highway and throw it in front of the first tractor trailer you see moving at a rapid speed. Then check the truck for any serious damage. Oh, Don't worry about the LC Smith nothing can hurt those things.

Yes, buy her!!!!!