Regular and Featherweight were frame sizes that were available in Field Grade and higher grade guns. A gun could be a Field Grade with Featherweight frame.
The higher grade, especially the Pre-1913 LC Smiths were less prone to a split stock that were the 0, 00, and Field Grade guns. This is because more care was given to the inletting of the higher grade guns.
That stated, if one shoots the 1 & 1/2 oz Baby Magnums in any LC Smith the stocks may not survive. For most of the LC Smith production 12 gauge loads of 1 and 1/4 oz were considered a heavy load. The original Super X 3" Magnum was only 1 3/8 oz! That was intended for the large frame, 9 to 10 lb AH Fox HE "Super Fox". LC Smith followed that ugn with their Long Range Wildfowl of which many had 3" chambers. I own 2 of those Elsies in Field Grade from 1924 with 3" chambers which DO NOT have split stocks! Perhaps more care was given to their inletting also?
Last edited by MarkOue; 03/30/11 04:08 PM.
