doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com L C Smith 2 9/16 chamber

Hi folks, for many years I've had and shot an Ideal Grade 16 gauge, 1929, with I know and believe with two and nine sixteenth inch chambers. I've shot light two and three quarters inch loads along with "heavies" now and then. As I'm well along in age, I'd like to have the chambers opened up. I need advise and recommendations as to this procedure, and, recommendations of the most qualified and recommended folks to perform this. Thanks, Jay

Why alter the original configuration of your gun now when firing 2 3/4" shells hasn't hurt anything up to this point? Actually, your greatest risk is probably the likelihood of cracking the nearly 90 year old wood when firing the "heavies" you mentioned. Opening up the chambers 3/16" isn't going to do much, if anything to reduce the potentially stock damaging recoil from heavy loads. Stick to the lighter loads, and use the money you'd otherwise spend on gunsmithing work to purchase low pressure 2 9/16" loads.

1. Thoughts regarding chamber lengthening are here
http://www.lcsmith.org/faq/chambers.html

2. Thoughts regarding forcing cone lengthening are about 1/3 down here
http://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZIo0y746UsSRZIgRuuxwAbZjSBHitO_EanvwLYc-kGA/edit
and
http://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=459320#Post459320
http://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=400793#Post400793

Short version

1. I would never lengthen the chamber of a British or Continental double.
2. I would be VERY hesitant to lengthen the chamber of a U.S. maker vintage 16g and especially 20g double.
3. Vintage U.S. maker 12g doubles were, for the most part, manufactured with stout barrels. I have measured the wall thickness of lots of 12g doubles and BY AN EXPERT BARREL SMITH, most chambers can be lengthened.
4. Lengthening the forcing cone is of almost no concern in U.S. vintage doubles. The exterior taper of the barrels is less acute than the angle of the cone, so every one that I have personally measured has wall thickness in the forcing cone equal, or greater than, the wall thickness at the end of the chamber.

16g L.C. Smith victim of an inexpert attempt at chamber lengthening

Now there's a scary picture!

Yes- shoot 2&1/2" RST 16 gauge 7/8 ounce loads, and leave that Smith "unaltered" pls.

I guess this is why I never altered it. Thanks, Jay

Several years ago, I got some "Gauge Mates" for the 16 Gauge Smith, this is when I realized the chamber was 2 9/16". 20, 28, .410 would not chamber in the Elsie without my chucking them in the lathe and trimming them a bit. They worked quite well and were used hundreds of times. The L.C. has ejectors and I had to be careful when opening the gun so's not to send everything flying. I use this gun mostly for skeet and an occasional walk in the woods. My main concern is the ejectors and the damage the "Gauge Mates" might cause with their extra weight. Course you'll all know how tough it is to use gauge adaptors shooting skeet and having to pick out the empties while others are waiting.
Thanks for taking the time to read this. Jay