Posted by SGT on May 9, 2008, 3:38 pm, in reply to "1906 L.C. Smith?"
Yes, this gun has a pre-1913 serial number and could have Damascus barrels. To check the barrels, do as follows; cock the gun first, then remove the forearm and swing the barrels off the frame. If the barrels are fluid steel, they will be so marked on the bottom of each tube between the barrel flats and fore iron hanger lug (Armor Steel, London Steel, Royal Steel, Crown Steel, Nitro Steel, Krupp, Whitworth, etc). If the barrels are Damascus steel, you will most likely find them unmarked; and, as the forearm generally preserves the original barrel finish beneath the wood, you should be able to see the swirls of the Damascus pattern. Sometimes you will find a Damascus gun with an aftermarket re-blue which changes the color of the Damascus tubes to black making them appear to be steel; therefore, on any set of Smith barrels with a blued/black finish it is important to find one of the appropriate steel barrel markings noted above.