doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Gladiator Tournament Grade

Bought it without knowing what it was and have been pleasantly surprised with my initial research. I�ve been in the doublegun game for 25 years and have learned to buy the gun and not the name. I think this philosophy might have paid off in this instance...

Serial number 38218
32� barrels
Choked mod/full
Tournament grade

Cross posted at L.C. Smith forum
Can�t wait to hear thoughts and feedback from this group...
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mpBqCkWWRXEk79FIIpYO5gnt00BcKHbr/view?usp=drivesdk[/img]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1t9nkBB-b9FKtED4YIAYdx7gDipqDy8Ha/view?usp=drivesdk[/img]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1f6VgrZfDTErL0FX2u29hibOUHcL3DoIt/view?usp=drivesdk[/img]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XzG6EcWK3pO8HD8cARXq7UsidIkGLTZa/view?usp=drivesdk[/img]

Pictures should be available now.

For those of us who research guns other than Smiths, please let us know what degree of rarity this gun exhibits. I know a little about my Smiths, but sure don't know about this grade or model.

According to L.C. Smith production records... only 66 Tournament Grade Gladiator guns were ever made for Sears and Roebuck. 61 in 12 gauge and 5 in 16 gauge.
Less than 500 in total (all 3 grades in both hammerless and exposed hammer) were ever delivered under the entire contract.

The Hammerless models were all Fulton or Fulton Specials dressed up. The Hammer Gladiators were L.C. Smith models.

Full size images of the 1918 and 1920 Sears catalog Gladiator listings are on Lloyd's thread on the LCSCA
https://members.boardhost.com/lcsmith/msg/1603043001.html

From http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/17126039
The Fall, 1918 Sears, Roebuck and Co. catalog listed the Gladiator Field (Fulton), Gladiator Tournament (Engraved Fulton), and Gladiator Diamond (Engraved Fulton). 280 Gladiator Field (166), Gladiator Tournament (61), and Gladiator Diamond (53) were made in 1918 (214) and 1919 (66).
51 Gladiator Tournament guns were 12g (all but 1 32") and 10 16g.

Might be an example where �rarity� doesn�t equate to �value�...

Precisely! It takes both scant supply and high demand to create great value. I bought a field grade Gladiator several years ago when I learned how scarce they are. But I also realized that I likely won't have people lining up to buy it from me.

Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder...but value lies in the eye (or wallet) of the buyer.

Iv seen Gladiator Field grade and own a Tournament Grade....but have never seen a diamond grade....anybody have one.....