I have to partially disagree with Lloyd, the Syracuse L.C. Smith's were built in my opinion better that any other gun including the English guns. The Quality 7 was the most expensive shotgun made in 1887-1888 at $740 and was the most expensive shotgun anywhere. The engravers that Lyman hired were the best there were. The walnut was all sourced from Europe. The barrel stock probably from Belgium as I don't think here in the U..S. anybody was making barrels. The serial numbers for hammer guns started at 10,000 in 1884 and ended in late 1885 at serial number 14,999. Starting in 1886 the hammer guns started at serial number 15,000, 17,000, 21,000. Hammer guns started in late August 1886 at serial number 16,000, 18,000, 19,000, 22,000, 23,000 and ended at serial number 23,553 in my records.
Many people bad mouth the L.C. Smith for the crack/s behind the lock plate/s, this is from the Fulton era when they used American walnut and American walnut is no good for a true side lock shotgun. I have many pictures of Syracuse L.C. Smith's and have never seen a crack in the area behind the locks.
I am always collecting data and serial numbers on both the hammer and hammerless L.C. Smith shotguns. I have accumulated 381 serial numbers of both types. In catalogs of 1888 they list only 10 and 12 gauge guns with 30"or 32" barrels in Regular Weight, Heavy Weight and Extra Heavy. Only within the last 8 years have some 8 gauges surfaced from Syracuse. These must have been special ordered because of no reference to them.
Beans, welcome back. I think...
JR
