I thought so. I’m glad you’ve admitted it. You’re not the first guy to break a shotgun in half pissed off about it not opening.
The top strap was probably already cracked.
I have a very rare Flues from the early days with 32 inch barrels. Such a tiny frame and forearm attached to such finely struck tubes. One of the lightest.
The cocking mechanism is worn/damaged, so just like your shotgun, sometimes it just wouldn’t open. Stuck in the primers.
In my case, that usually revolved around taking the forend off and jiggering the barrels off the frame, and then putting it back together and recocking it.
I really enjoy shooting that gun. The problem with the cocking system needs attention, and the guy who would’ve fixed it for me died.
But the thing that has allowed me to save that gun, was that members at my club, deemed it unsafe and petitioned to stop me from shooting it on the club grounds. That was quite the intervention.
It saved that shotgun from an untimely stock death, because we all know the heads of every Flues are paper thin and soaked with oil after 120 years.
Anyway, If the ingredients come together, or the stars align to get your Smith restocked,
I’ll step forward to support the effort.
