Still snowing here this morning, so digging out will have to wait. My wife estimates that we've received at least 24-inches in the last 36-hours here.
Information on the higher grades of LC Smith guns isn't hard to find. The elaborate (& accordingly expensive) Deluxe, A-3s, Crowns, and Monograms have been well-covered, and in multiple publications over the years. Because of the number of variants produced (and with the grade name changes after the Hunter Brothers took over {from Lyman Cornelius Smith} in 1890, and then again in 1913) it can still be confusing, but because of the fanfare that usually accompanied each change of the higher-end gun model names, that is relatively easy to track. Where things become muddled is in the succession of the entry-level guns over the early years at Fulton, New York. I am open to correction here, but I have it thus: entry level for the Syracuse "Style" of Hammerless LC Smiths (produced from 1886 to ~1889) were the Quality 2 guns (priced at $80 in the late 1880s). Starting in 1890 at Fulton, the Quality 1 gun was introduced by the Hunter Brothers as their entry level model ($60), but this was a transitional gun in so-many ways. Arguably, Hunter Arms was using up actions, barrels, stocks, and other supplies brought over from the last of the guns and parts produced for assembly in Syracuse. Also, during this period (& even before in Syracuse) almost all the guns were made with braided-steel tubes. Laminated Steel, Three-Iron Damascus, Two-Iron Damascus, Single-Iron (Stub) Damascus, and Plain Twist Steel were the options. Fluid steel likely began to appear in the middle 1890s, but it was a special order item.
At sometime in 1892 (late?), the Quality 1 guns became No. 1 guns and the Syracuse "Style" of hammerless guns ended. The engraving was picked-up a little in the center of the lock-plate, but the action was flattened on the bottom (w/no bolsters) and the screw heads were also flattened (not rounded like the earlier Syracuse line of guns). The price remained at $60 ($75 w/ejectors, available for the first time). In 1895, the No. 0 Grade was introduced, with a few more changes to cut down on the amount of work (& time) invested in it's making to control costs (like one screw in the lower stock tang, not two as before). Other than some line-engraving on the lock-plates (on the very early versions) this model looked very-much like the 00 Grade and the Field Grade guns that came after it, and was priced at $47 per copy ($60 w/ejectors). This was done without much fanfare, obviously, which is interesting because the Hunter Brothers sold way-more (orders of magnitude more) of the entry-level guns than they ever did of the higher grades. Referred to as the "Regular Grade" in initial advertising, sculpting of the action became very minimalist, with no bolsters or any other embellishments. In 1898, further "refinements" were made to control costs and the 00 Grade guns were introduced at $25 a copy ($50 w/ejectors). The 00 Grade was described as the "workhorse" of the line at Fulton, produced only in 12-gauge initially. It was during this period that fluid steel became the more-common barrel material used.
In 1913, all the grades and models were renamed by Hunter Arms (the 00 Grade became the Field Grade, the 0-Grade became the Ideal Grade, the No. 1 became the Trap Grade, etc.) and several processes seem to have been changed then as well (to better suit mass-production). It has been speculated that during this period, American walnut was substituted for English walnut in the stocks of the lower-end guns. Fit and finish seems to have suffered a little as well, as compared to the earlier guns. The higher grade guns were still elaborately engraved (many were still inlaid with silver & gold) and fitted with lovely, highly-figured wood. The era of braided-steel tubes ended (in 1920) with Armour Steel and even Sir Joseph Whitworth fluid steel tubes being available in all the guns. The rest, as they say, is history, and fairly well-documented at that. Field grade guns were produced in incredible numbers, from 1913 to 1950. The base price was $25 in 1913 and $99 in 1950 (w/ejectors and other specialty items available all along the way for an additional cost). Total production for Field Grade guns is listed at 195,205 in Houchin's book.
I'd like to dedicate these little LC Smith missives of mine to Francis Marion (AKA Run-with-the Fox). You'll be missed Foxy.
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/thedailynews/name/francis-morin-obituary?id=53023005
