doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com L.C. Smith Grade 3

OK, went back by there. There seems to be something funny with the hinge. It locks up tight, but is pretty loose when open. Also there are some gaps that look larger than they should be in that area and the extractors don't seem to be very strong (with A Zoom snap caps they fall back flush when opened?)

The chokes have been opened to CYL/MOD and there is some light pitting. Wall thickness on the barrel that is mod is .040 and on the cyl it's .029. I don't have a proper mic with long extentions. I really should get one.

The tubes look not to have been cut to me, but I could be wrong. Photos below.

Again, thanks for your thoughts. I have learned a great deal through this board!

[img]https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/h...7e40d9e8623a87f[/img]

[img]https://scontent-b-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/hpho...amp;oe=54CEE508[/img]

[img]https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/h...4a12e5c880602e3[/img]

[img]https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/h...a3c876ec6b906ec[/img]

[img]https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/h...96d619196fc5c6a[/img]

[img]https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/h...aac3c2db05749ec[/img]

Shane

Hey Shane,

The barrels look cut to me. The solder plugs are a give away on those - I'm pretty sure there should have been an integral widows peak return to fill the gap.

The gap at the forend looks like a weak "J" spring and that may be the wiggle you feel.

Pushing the extractor back in seems wrong on every level, but that's actually the way the Rotary Extractors work.

Definatley restocked

The brass screw in the forend is not factory.

It's still a pretty cool gun for $500, but may just be right on the edge of being a deal.

Hope all is well! Sorry we didn't get to visit more in Tulsa.

Bryndon

As for measuring bores, I have one of these and it works pretty well. It checks bore dia and choke constriction in thousanths instead of the bookmark style tapered dealios.

http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools-...-prod12736.aspx

For under $100 it pays for itself with the first mistake not made.

Right!? I have passed on some guns I should have taken because I wasn't sure about the bbl walls. Luckily, I have not bought one.... yet.... that I should not have. At least not for that reason. Good to know you like that style.

The bead placement is not what I would call factory, so that made me wonder about the length. But I thought there would be more space between the bbls at the end had they been cut.

The J spring makes a lot of sense and may well fix a lot of issues with the hinge as well. Numrich seems to have them in stock... so a cheap fix/try.

I think if I bought it it would be to put 20ga or 16ga tubes in it.

Sorry that we didn't get to visit more as well. You coming in nov?

Thanks,
Shane

Shane, for $500 that is a good buy even with some of the flaws. The barrel length is uncommon but I have one with that length also, the thing that is uncommon is that it has Good Damascus instead of Chain Damascus. I'm guessing it was ordered with them.

The "J" spring could be the reason, but I would try to straighten it a little if it is bent. Putting a new "J" spring sometimes will and will not work as they have to be fitted to the gun. Getting one that is short, and there is no way to fix that.
The for-end screw is a #6 5/8" long.

From Grade 2 and on up through the higher grades, Smiths with Nitro proofed barrels had a half-moon witness mark milled into the top and bottom ribs- I suspect the gun has amputated barrels, also the rust patina and the badly boogered bushings for the firing pins and the copper retaining machine screws for same tell me- test dry-fire this older rotary disc joint check style Smith against a pine wooden block (assuming you have the proper re-cocking tool) and check for both depth and uniformity of penetration into the wood (about 3/32" is max- 1/16th is average for good pins-- Also check the three position safety and the triggers pulls-and remove the lock plates to check the inletting of the stock jaws- If all this checks out, and the 28" barrels are kosher, maybe $500- more like $400 in my book--

My Quality 3 also allows the ammo to be set into the chamber after extracting the fired hulls, that is VERY nice with the Briley tubes
Buy it and then come to Amarillo and let's play!!!
or don't buy it and let me know where to buy it.
Either way the gun wins

Mike

Shane, from the serial number this gun is from sometime in 1896. At this time the convex ribs on the receiver bottom were discontinued, and they started listing the guns now as No. 3 instead of Quality 3. Mine have 20 lpi checkering and the wood is very nice on most that I have seen.

The chokes in some of the written literature state that the area of choke was 1" long and parallel and then it tapered 1 1/2" to bore, and this is what Dr. Drew was stating saying the choke started 2 1/2" from the muzzle. This would give you a good idea if the barrels were cut, but as also stated, you don't know what someone might have done to the choke area. Catalog of 1906 states "all chokes will be full and full unless otherwise ordered".

Still a good deal at $500. This grade was done away with in 1912. It was a very nice hand made and fitted gun.

The reason the extractors feel strange to you is because it has a rotory joint check. It's function to keep the barrels from opening too far. but the extractors don't have constant pressure to hold them out when the barrels are fully open. you get used to it after a while. Mark

Shane, I'm going to disagree with the crowd and tell you to save your money. I wouldn't want it free. This gun is a ramshackle, pitted p.o.s., regardless of what it once was. Take an aspirin and let it pass.
JR