20ga/30" from ca. 1948 in unused condition. Is it worth $1850?

I would think so if truly original. If you don't, someone else will.

I agree

If it is from 1948 the prefix to the serial numbers would be FW S and it should have the Single Sighting Plane rib. I think a 20 ga. with 30 inch barrels would be rather rare, and I've also read somewhere that it seems to be the 20 ga. with the 30" barrels are found more in California for some reason. Might have been a Bay area duck gun club special.
If it wasn't ordered with any special chokes, Hunter Arms made them full/full.
I would definitely think that in unused condition it would be worth more than that.
Let us know. I'd love to see some pictures of it.

Thanks. I like the semi-beavertail fe, it's ga and condition. My problem is I know so little about LCS shotguns. I know it uses locks not unlike Birmie Will Baker (with coil springs replaced by flat springs), and the guy who owned this company later made Smith-Corona typewriters.....and to watch out for cracks behind plates especially in field grade guns.
I'm fish out of water on this one, but might take a second look at this gun. I'm sure it will sell, I have seen 12br guns in equal condition and vintage go for not much less $.
You see, it's "hidden" in glass cabinet and the shop is full of Benelli and Browning lovers.

If it has a beavertail forend, it is probably a replacement, the only way to know for sure is to take the forend iron off the wood and see if there is a stamped serial number in the wood, usually on the end where the forend metal mates to the receiver.
L.C. Smiths were famous for loosing the forends because in order to take them apart you have to re-cock them, then take the forend off and barrels from the receiver. You will put a lot of pressure on the "J" spring and bend it.
As far as cracks behind the sideplates, that is true, because most people who shoot them now, shoot higher psi shells than you should. You should really shoot only shells with about 8,000 psi.
Also, if a 1948, it will have 2 3/4" chambers. Earlier ones before 1936 had 2 1/2" chambers.
Ask to take it apart, or have them take it apart and see if the serial numbers match on the parts you can see, forend iron, barrels, receiver. Write the serial number down and myself or someone will verify what year it was made.

Lots of infro, history, pics, answer guys here:
http://www.lcsmith.org/
And worth every penny if indeed 'unused'

Check the first few case color examples here for pics of almost new factory case colors:
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=12588446&uid=6511424

Thanks for your help. The gun was tight as new Merkel, but the wood was too nice for this model, so it was probably professionally re-stocked. There was some varnish overruns on top strap, but little varnish on the stock, and the buttplate was cracked and too worn when compared to rest of the gun.
I did buy pack of 'Cape-Shok' ammo for .375, nice Guide Series Saturday Lounger' (can't go wrong for $36 sale price), and three books, so it's all good.
PS. Didn't take the fe off to verify #s, because nobody at Gander Mtn. could figure out how to do it, and there was no release or finger slot.

PJ

I paid $1550 for a 20ga. several years ago. Case colors were at least 95% but the stock had been cut and a pad put on it. Looked like the closet queen everyone talks about. I had no intended purpose for the gun, just bought it because it looked so good. Since then I've started reloading for 20Ga. and shoot it as much as any of my other guns.

I think that price may be a bit high but in five years it will be that and more.

Kind of hard to walk away from a 20ga. Smith.

Jim

What is the original stock finish on these, varnish or lacquer?

I have a 1948 also, FW 16 Field gr.
Great condition but the canvas slip it was in looks to have
'embossed' a bit of the finish.

Previous owners' solvent bath ?? Hot/cold forming due to storage?

Thanks for any info.

T.

T. The original finish was varnish, also on light coat on the receiver.
And yes yours would be the same, FW S prefix. When Marlin took over all of the shotguns produced were FW S(Feather Weights) there were no more Regular models made. Regular models had only one screw holding the sideplates on, whereas the FW, FWS, and FWM, had 3 screws, 2 on one side and 1 on the other sideplate. The bottom protruding lug was also smaller on those models

Varnish? I don't think so. All original Elsies I've seen are oil finished-- as in a Tru-Oil-like product. I'm told that a slight bit of varnish was included in the product, but you can get the same effect with straight Tru-Oil.

Varnish

I suggest you take the finish question to lcsmith.org to get the correct answer.

In Brophy's book "L.C. Smith Shotguns on page 8, it gives the following from a May 15, 1935 paper going into detail on the making of the 3 highest grade "elsies", Monogram, Premier and DeLuxe. Saying that they are all custom built, the stock wood is all imported, and "the stocks are finished with as many coats of oil as are necessary to completly fill the pores and obtain the perfect finish."
The finish on the other models wasn't as labor intensive as the top grade, but still nice, and varnish was used on the stocks and as well on the receiver.
If you look up Tru Oil, you will see that it is a varnish.

Not to belabor the point, but from the Tru-Oil website--- "Tru-Oil is a polymerized LINSEED OIL with other natural OILS added".

They also have Tru Oil wipe on varnish, the point I think is that they did use some type of varnish, oil on their finishes.

FWIW, I have a late 20's Ideal 16 that came to me with an alligatored finish on the wood, apparently original. Wiped it down with denatured alcohol, and that dissolved the surface finish. So my guess, on at least this particular gun, is that the finish was shellac. Some carelessly refer to shellac as varnish.