LC Smith 12 Gauge
MY DAD LEFT ME HIS DADS GUN AND I AM CURIOUS AS TO THE HISTORY.
12 GAUGE DOUBLE BARRELL, SIDE BY SIDE BARRELLS, TWO HAMMERS SIDE BY SIDE.WOOD STOCK, KICKS LIKE A MULE. DAD TOLD ME TO USE "MEDIUM' SHOT IN IT. GREAT FAMILY TREASURE BECAUSE OF MY DAD BUT AM WONDERING ABOUT WHERE IT WAS MADE, HOW MANY AND IF STILL AVAILABLE. OF COURSE IT IS NEVER FOR SALE THANKS
12 GAUGE DOUBLE BARRELL, SIDE BY SIDE BARRELLS, TWO HAMMERS SIDE BY SIDE.WOOD STOCK, KICKS LIKE A MULE. DAD TOLD ME TO USE "MEDIUM' SHOT IN IT. GREAT FAMILY TREASURE BECAUSE OF MY DAD BUT AM WONDERING ABOUT WHERE IT WAS MADE, HOW MANY AND IF STILL AVAILABLE. OF COURSE IT IS NEVER FOR SALE THANKS
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Hey Guys:
I own an LC Smith 12 Gauge with 26" barrels, and double triggers. My problem is when I shoot it, the trigger guard recoils so hard it smashes my middle finger. I already have a limbsaver pad on this double barrel. I've tried shooting lighter loads which helps a little. Any suggestions?
Also what is this recoil monster worth? It does have barrel select, but no ejectors, and it is a field grade model. (The most unusual feature is that both barrels are cylinder, and it has NEVER been cut). It shows some case wear, and is probably 75% condition on the stock, and receiver. The barrels are perfect, and have been expertly re-blued.
Thanks for the help in advance.
Shake0 -
If it has double triggers, that's your barrel selector. Exactly what do you mean by barrel select? And if they are both improved cylinder, what's to select? One or both of your chokes has been opened up.
Without the NRA, the second ammendment would already be gone!0 -
quote:Originally posted by ishootblanks
If it has double triggers, that's your barrel selector. Exactly what do you mean by barrel select? And if they are both improved cylinder, what's to select? One or both of your chokes has been opened up.
Without the NRA, the second ammendment would already be gone!<P>
Yes, that is what is unusual . . . both barrels are stamped Cylinder/Clylinder . . . and it has barrel select on the safety. I assume this was a standard select feature, and someone ordered it with the same barrel choke. My guess is it was a quail gun orginally.0 -
Not necessarily does it mean that one of your choke's has been opened up. I have an L.C. Smith 12 gauge, 30" F/F. Field grade, extractors, splinter forearm, 2 3/4" chambers.
I have been offered $800 for it, but turned it down. Belonged to my grand father who willed it to me. I have mine insured for $1000...which is close to what it would cost to replace it!
John
A penny saved is a congressional oversight!0 -
Hello Shake...
Sorry to hear that you own an LC Smith scattergun[;)]. "Nord" and "laxcoach" will eventually come along and try to convince you that it is the "finest" shotgun ever made in the U.S.A., but I would take anything those two have to say with a LARGE doose of salt[:D].
Seriously now (and it pains me to admit it), the LC Smith (or as Nord puts it, "elcee") is a real fine shotgun. As for why yours is belting you so hard, it could be several things. First, what is the chamber length on your LC? What length shells are you shooting? If your gun is one of the older LCs, it may have short chambers in it (2.5" or 2-5/8"), and if you are shooting standard 2-3/4" shells, it will pound you. The next probable cause is the weight of the gun... LCs have always been on the "dainty" side, and as such, are lighter than most of their contemporaries. A "light" gun will kick harder than a heavier gun (like my favorite, the Winchester Model 21... which has very little kick[^]).
Finally and unfortuantely, your LC Smith was dealt a severe blow (to the value) when it was refinished... regardless of how well it was done. Serious collectors simply do not like refinished guns, and it is only the serious collectors who knowingly & routinely pay big bucks for old guns. Still, it is probably worth $400 - $600.
Bert H.
Real Men use a SINGLE-SHOT!0 -
I also have an LC Smith Field SXS. Is there a way to tell date of manufacture and worth? It has the 2 3/4" chamber, 28" barrel with Full and Modified chokes, a very tight action, original finish, serial number is FWS 4138*, and it still has the original box and wooden cleaning rod and old storage bag. Thanks in advance.
Boomer
"Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as it is by the obstacles which one has overcome while trying to succeed"
. and the antithesis to this philosophy was uttered by Bill Clinton "I smoked it, but I didn't inhale."[V]
NRA Life Member0 -
Boomerang - 1947 give or take a few months. Value won't be all that great because it's a field 12 ga.
Shake - Collector interest was destroyed by the reblue. The safety is most certainly not a barrel selector. Clicked to the rear you'll find the auto safety feature is disabled when you break the action. Pushed forward and the gun will auto safety when broken open. Field use - Safety forward. Trap/Skeet - Safety to the rear.
Bert got the kicking problem correct... Chambers are too short. Almost any smith can relieve them. It's necessary as the gun will soon be in two pieces if you fail to correct the problem. Kick should be rather abrupt, but not uncomfortable unless you're not shouldering the piece properly.
Cylinder/Cylinder indicates a custom order. Not at all unusual given that these guns pattern tightly and that the gun was probably intended for grouse and rabbit hunting. That, and the man who ordered the gun had a bit more money in his pocket than most.
Now for Bert and his comments... The Elcee is dainty! In fact it's like a thoroughbred compared to a Clydsdale. The feel, the swing, and the physical appearance are all so pleasing that I'm surprised Bert still fields his old rusty piece of cast iron[;)].
No other gun (in my opinion) has quite the lines of an Elcee. Look at a more expensive Parker, or a Fox, or any of our other classic scatterguns and your eyes will be drawn back to the Elcee. Then handle one and compare it to the others. You'll see what I mean.
Nord0 -
Nord, do I detect an olive branch from Bert? May I add another analogy to yours--- "like a thoroughberd compared to an overpriced Sterlingworth look-alike". Sorry to hijack the thread, Shake, but Nord has given you good advice,but I doubt that your gun has short chambers unless it is a very early gun. Smiths standard chamber lengths for a 12 are 2=3/4". Stick to light loads to minimize skinned fingers and cracked wood behind the sideplates, and try moving your middle finger to the side of the trigger guard. Boomer, go to lcsmith.org and you will find date of manufacture for your gun. One last thing, Shake---- choke markings are rare on an Elcee (unless it was rechoked by someone) and are limited to Marlin era guns ('68-'73) ,identified my an "M" in the serial number prefix. 0 -
I could be wrong, but I was under the impression that only vintage 16ga shotguns were chambered 2 9/16", not 12's. I have a 16ga field grade Elsie on which I have never touched the chambers. I shoot new and old manufacture ammo along with some decent home-loads for grouse and pheasant with no problems at all. Doesn't matter what load I shoot, though, it still kicks like a mule. I've never ran the chamber reamer through it, only lengthened the forcing cones slightly. Only way I've found to save my cheekbone is to put on one of the old-style lace-on leather cheekpieces. As long as it doesn't mess up your line-of-sight or the fit, it will reduce facial swelling the day after trap shooting.
Men, like bullets, go farthest when they are smoothest.0 -
I have two 12's made in the 30's. Both had short chambers until they made a trip to Ithaca Gun for some much needed work..
Remember, Elcee's were designed for paper shells which have a thicker wall than plastic. That's why we get away with shooting the slightly longer loads... And why the guns seem to kick so hard.
As Bert so aptly stated, weight does make a difference. The Elcee will give a more abrupt kick than a heavier gun, but nothing that should cause any major discomfort as long as the gun is mounted properly. If not, then the old girl will be first in line to point out just how badly you've failed in this department. I'd expect a large black and blue mark midway down your bicep.
A lot of what I share has a humorous side. I like to tease Bert just as he likes to pick back at me. On this subject, though, I'm dead serious... Learn how to mount the Elcee. Make sure she fits you and you her. Otherwise your life will be made painful and you won't be able to hit a broadside flock of barns even at 50 feet.
Come borrow my old Sterlingworth. Mount the gun and swing it. Stand back and just look at it. It's a nice gun. Then put one of my Elcee's next to that old classic clunker and see where your eyes go.
Next, pick up the Elcee, then mount and swing it. If she fits, she'll fairly sing to you and you'll then appreciate a truly fine scattergun.
Nord0 -
Damn... Nord actually complimented me twice in this string[:0] That is a NEW record[^][:D]
Lax... nope, no olive branch from this diehard Winchester owner. If it ain't a Model 21, then it is simply a second tier scattergun[}:)][:D]
Bert H.
Real Men use a SINGLE-SHOT!0
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