doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com L C Smith specialty grade?

I need any info for a neighbor you can give on a L C Smith specilty grade shotgun he has inherited. It's a 12 ga 32" bbl F&F, BT forend, twin beads, single trigger, ejectors, 8# 10 oz marked specialty grade. ser# RE476xx. He would like to know about how much it is worth and info on when it was made, ect. It's in very good shape, everything works and he says it has'nt been used in 40+ yrs.

gunny, same information was posted on the L.C. Smith site yesterday. I didn't respond because it is very hard to impossible to give you an answer on what it is worth without actually seeing it.

The gun was made in 1922. The RE means it is a Regular Weight gun. The E means ejectors. The Beavertail forend, twin beads, single selective trigger, and the ejectors were all special ordered, along with the 32" barrels. Have him look on the trigger plate and see if it is stamped "Hunter One Trigger" and there should be a seperate serial number with it.

This gun sounds like it was set up for trap shooting, if it has a recoil pad it should be a Silvers for back then. I don't know exactly what other style was offered

If you just ordered a Specialty Grade with nothing else, it would have come through Hunter Arms with a splinter forend, roller type forend release, 28" barrels f/f, hand engraving on both sideplates, good wood and a hard rubber pistol grip cap, and a hard rubber butt plate.

Go to http://www.gunbroker.com or http://www.gunsamerica.com and look at the Specialty Grades there and get an idea.

JDW, Thank you for the reply. I am not familiar with L C Smith's so I told him to ask at the L C Smith site but he didn't get any replys so I asked here.
Yes it does have "Hunter One Trigger" on the trigger plate but I can't find another ser#. The pad is a Hawkin and it looks old and original. There is also a engraved gold band on the top rib.
Thanks again for the reply.

Gunny,
You now know when it was mfg'd. What it's worth depends on a bunch of factors, not the least of which is, how much someone wants it!

You say "very good shape" but this sounds to me like a generic and not a technical description. NRA VG designation means something very different than "boy, that really looks nice!" The latter could lead to much drooling and coveting which, in turn, can turn to $$$.

How much case coloring is left? How is the bluing? Is the wood pretty and unscarred? Do all the numbers match? How are the bores? BTW, that "gold" band should be silver on a Speciality.
If it was really set up as a trap gun, there also may be a special safety on it making it possible to lock it out.

If it were mine, I would be holding out for $2000 but I might be holding it for awhile.
Hope this helps. Lee