Re: Production numbers on rare lc smith 10 gauge?? Archived Message
Posted by David Williamson on February 1, 2016, 2:24 pm, in reply to "Re: Production numbers on rare lc smith 10 gauge??"
Tom, by 1925 hammer guns now had a 2 pin lock that started in late 1906 early 1907. From Dr. Jim Stubbendieck's book "L.C. Smith Production Records", the 10 gauge was discontinued in 1918 (pg.90) The records only have hammer guns starting in 1894, but I have serial numbers that go back to when John Hunter first bought the company from Lyman C. Smith in 1889. Since the Hunter Arms Co. officially started in 1890, the records for these early hammer guns are lost. Dan, ALL HAMMER gun with an "F" on the receiver were made prior to 1918, after this both hammer and hammerless serial numbers were mixed and since the Field Grade hammerless shotguns had an "F" on the receiver, Hunter Arms now owned by another entity, stamped the receiver with an "H". The first serial number with an H is H201. If your 10 gauge does have steel barrels, it is the first one known with such. Steel barrels were first introduced in 1898 and were stamped Royal Steel on top of right barrel. The early records sometimes did not list the type of barrels whether steel, Damascus or Stub Twist. If you or anyone wants to learn more about the changes made, I strongly suggest you buy the previous mentioned book, you won't regret it. I have been keeping serial numbers for hammer guns in both Syracuse and Fulton and as of today I have 477 along with descriptions of the three types of hammer styles, joint check, checkering, top tang shape, etc. Most of these are Fulton guns with the earliest ones having attributes to the Syracuse line of hammer guns, ie; finer checkering, vase shaped ebony tip, rounded side plate connecting screw, script stamped L.C. Smith, wider for-end, etc.
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