Friend of a friend evaluated inherited L.C. Smith 16 Ga double -Ideal Grade with ejectors (S/N FWE107485, mfd 1927)
They identified a hairline crack on one side of the stock, from pistol grip to recoil pad-
First 2 attachments: hairline crack visible on one side.
Last attachment: 2 views of other side of stock (no crack)

Not a gun guy. This shotgun belonged to my grandfather who passed before I was born, and has been in my mother's possession since my father passed >20yr ago.
I've been maintaining it since my father passed, but with no interest in the family it's time to pass it on someone who appreciates it.
The guy who evaluated it said it's 60% and worth around $2K if the stock wasn't cracked.
Don't know if vintage shotguns with flaws are always kept intact, or sometimes "parted out" ie: one with a flawed barrel and one with flawed stock combined(?)
Location: Central NY. Considering a local auction house in Geneva NY for a few other guns.

Appreciate perspective on value with the described flaw, and recommendations for best options to sell and get a fair return.

Thanks for your time!

https://imgur.com/rOmbLKt
https://imgur.com/3uS8Fvl
https://imgur.com/a/Rdv16BK

Man, where is Beans when he is so desperately needed? Like when Tolly showed up with his LC Smith gun.

To the OP, inside baseball joke for the old timers, best of luck with your gun sale. Someone who actually knows will be along, presently.

Best,
Ted

Your friend might ask Dan May to evaluate the crack, which BTW probably looks much worse with the stock removed
Daniel May
Oswego, NY 13126
315-626-2605
info@classicgunstocks.com
http://www.classicgunstocks.com

Thanks for your reply-
Followed your recommendation and emailed Daniel May this AM. Await his reply.

Assuming able to get an eval by Daniel May, then have to decide whether to sell as-is with his evaluation/estimate for repair, or fix/sell at a higher price that offsets cost of repair by an amount making repair worth it.

Appreciate any expert estimates for unrepaired vs. repaired price ranges?

Also, appreciate opinions on best option to sell (as-is or repaired). ie: buyers may prefer to do the stock repair, or have "their guy" do it?

Thanks for your time.

I have no idea what that would cost to repair assuming that is an actual crack running the length of the stock, but LC Smiths are more notorious for cracking near the lock plates, and I would assume there are hairline cracks there as well. That said, I had some hairline cracks glued up in one that I owned previously for $100, and that held fine for as long as I owned it. I would look at having someone do an economical repair like that and selling, or just selling as is if you have no interest in keeping it.

For pricing, look at Gunbroker, Gunsinternational, etc. for somewhat inflated list prices and actual historical sales for comps.

If it were me, and I wasn't inclined towards digging in and learning about it, I would probably send to one of the guys who do bigger double gun auctions like Morphy's, Rock Island, etc. and just letting them describe and list it in one of their auctions that is geared towards a double gun audience. I wouldn't list it in a local auction that is going to be geared towards ARs, autoloaders, etc.

Dan-

Appreciate your recommendation to do comps on Gunbroker, but don't feel qualified to grade/compare this shotgun vs what sold there.
Therefore hope for some general projections for values As-Is and Repaired, just a ballpark idea.
Nearby auction house does "Sportsmen Auctions" that appear to have mainly shotguns/rifles. Expect that shipping to Rock Island/etc isn't cheap.
UPS/Fedex has appropriate box/packaging? No concern safely shipping vintage shotguns undamaged to Rock Island/etc.?

Hoping to hear from classicgunstocks.com -their feedback may provide a good starting point to determine how to sell this shotgun.

The photos you have are not that clear...is the suspected crack on both sides ?

Suspected crack only on one side -
Hairline crack = difficult to show in pic -it's from bottom left to top right corner in following pic:

https://imgur.com/mpXBaX7

Post this on the LC Collectors web site or if you are a member on their for sale forum.

The LCSCA general discussion forum does not allow inquiries regarding guns that are for sale
https://members.boardhost.com/lcsmith/

But yes, the Member Only Forum has a (free) For Sale section
https://lcsca.clubexpress.com/content.aspx?page_id=31&club_id=43784&action=login&sl=

The three pictures linked above do not provide an adequate basis to evaluate the gun, so it would be almost impossible to give an estimate. Based on the condition I can see, I doubt it is a high dollar gun and that you would recover any restoration costs in a subsequent sale.

With respect to shipping, I use USPS. Contact Morphy's or Rock Island for shipping instructions. Double box the gun, and I get HDPE pipe insulation at Home Depot to wrap the barrels, so that they are not dented in transit. I usually spend about $40-50 on shipping per gun. Make sure you insure them.

Thanks for your replies-
Apparently it costs $40 to become an LCSCA member-
Not sure worth $40 to register and post on the free For Sale section on their forum(?)

Dan S. W. thanks for your reply.
Here's 15 more pics if that helps you/others to evaluate -best I could do!

https://imgur.com/pvQpakL
https://imgur.com/ilDWq3m
https://imgur.com/5G3BwTP
https://imgur.com/aheLhHi
https://imgur.com/HmR9UP6
https://imgur.com/GalBl8b
https://imgur.com/sN9oWyV
https://imgur.com/Br4jv9d
https://imgur.com/9dptcpt
https://imgur.com/yXXOqUa
https://imgur.com/loZXBkH
https://imgur.com/KxrvUqt
https://imgur.com/3sRouRE
https://imgur.com/iQlcxQm
https://imgur.com/Mag1LXP

Just too many factors to give you a good estimate. I'd say wait for a nice sunny day and take it outside and shoot the same pictures you just shot with that good light. Good pictures sell guns because they show condition. If the barrels are sound and everything else works, to me its a $1,500 dollar gun in it present condition.

If the crack at the apex of the right lockplate extends to the butt, repair (and there are some genuine magicians) will be...uh...complicated.
At some point did someone put varnish on the lockplates?

Assuming attached pic shows the crack you identified, would say no it does not extend to the butt. Measures 7/8" length.
Unfortunately, can't answer Q's about history. Belonged to my grandfather, and sat in my father's gun rack w/4 other guns. Don't recall him ever shooting the shotguns.
As noted in OP- grandfather passed before I was born, father passed 20yr ago. My father never discussed details/history on the guns with me. He took me out a couple times to shoot an old .22 in the rack as a kid -that was the extent of the sport in my upbringing.
No reverence for the guns was passed on -that's the main reason why no attachment and want to finally pass them on to someone who appreciates them.

https://imgur.com/SsDbPA0

If it were mine, I would take the recoil pad off and see if how far the crack goes, if it is a crack. On the one picture of the left lock the wood finger is not tight against the lock and I would be more concerned about that.
The gun looks in otherwise good condition. You didn't mention how long the barrels are. A 12 ga. Ideal Grade with ejectors in the same condition, a 16 ga. would bring 50% more.
The chamber length would be 2 9/16", 2 3/4" chambers came out in late 1939-40.
A nice gun for someone to add to their collection. Good luck with it and let us know how you make out.

David, thanks for your info-

16 ga. and barrels = 28".

Two very small holes in the recoil pad that I assume have screws at the base are 1/2 to 3/4" deep -can't see what I have to remove.
Also, concern that my inexperience lead to damage removing a vintage shotgun recoil pad! Don't know if special precautions req'd.

I would be interested in removing the recoil pad, not to see how far the crack goes, but to perhaps see what caused it. Many guns have had large holes bored into the butt to either remove wood to reduce weight, or to add weight to change the balance of the gun. Your crack may simply be a stress crack caused by the maker using a piece of walnut that wasn't fully seasoned. Or it could have been cracked in a fall or by dropping the gun.

But I once purchased a Lefever G Grade that had a similar crack, and the buttplate was also slightly warped outward. I bought it, suspecting that someone had packed lead into a hole in the butt. And when I removed the buttplate, I was not surprised to find that a rather large hole had been packed with lead shot that had swelled and oxidized heavily, causing the stock to develop a longitudinal split. It was a fairly easy repair after digging out the oxidized shot, blowing the dust and debris out of the crack, repairing with Titebond II wood glue, and clamping with surgical rubber tubing. I then turned a walnut dowel to closely fit the large hole, and epoxied that in place for further reinforcement.

Your recoil pad is already misshapen and deteriorating so I would not be overly concerned about damaging it. Down at the bottom of those two small holes you describe are the screws securing it to the stock. All of the few pads I have removed have used Phillips Head wood screws. You should use a well fitting round shank screwdriver, and lubricate the shank with liquid soap so you don't tear or damage those holes any worse than they are. Actually, those holes should be near invisible slits cut with a razor knife, and again, the screwdriver shank is lubricated so that after the pad is installed and cleaned, the slits would not be visible. I'd bet the cost of a good professional crack repair and refinish will exceed the hit you will take in value selling it as is. So you may just want to leave it alone, and let the buyer worry about it.

This gun has automatic ejectors, doesn't it? And it sure looks like the frame, lock plates, and top lever have been coated with something like black lacquer, which is flaking off in places. The crack behind the lock plate is a fairly common malady found on many L.C. Smith guns. If you ever saw how fragile and thin much of the inletting is behind the frame, you'd wonder how they all don't split like firewood.

Those 2 holes are what fastens the recoil pad to the stock, they would use a slotted head screw driver. Does the recoil pad just say Whiteline, if so later on they would be called Pachmayr .

Yes, "WHITE LINE DE LUXE"
Risk-averse, therefore the concern about no experience w/vintage shotguns resulting in damaging the recoil pad/etc probing for the screws/turning blind thru those holes.
Maybe there's nothing to worry about, but prefet that to wait until an expert evaluates this shotgun in person.

Grease the hole with vaseline