Preacher,I'm going to call you on the carpet on this one.
Where in the LC Smith literature does it say don't shoot 1 1/4 ounce 3 3/4 dram loads in a Smith gun that they aren't designed to handle it?
From the late 1920's on that was a very common shotgun load by every ammunition company. I'm guessing Smith designed their guns for that very thing.
And the first 3 inch 12 gauge shells that came out were 1 5/8 ounce actually, so they're designed to handle at least that much in a Wildfowl Model.
Or are you saying that they didn't build the guns to fire the shells that were available at the time? What you're saying is Smith was so far behind everybody else that they only made their guns to fire shells within blackpowder tolerances even in the nitro powder era?
Come on Preacher, lets not start a campaign of misinformation here that might last beyond this posting. Smith guns were designed to handle 2 3/4 inch shells loaded with 1 1/4 ounce 3 3/4 dram shells. They were not made as "fine game guns" contrary to popular opinion. They were hardware store shotguns just like every other American made gun of the time. And they were made to fire whatever it was that the old farmer kept next to them out in the barn.
Maybe they will crack now, because the wood is getting to be over 50 years old on them and you should be a little careful shooting them in the modern day with a heavy load. But when these guns were new they were made to fire the ammunition of the day and that particular loading was one of the main ones of the time.
Argh!!!!!
Destry