Posted by stanley on December 31, 2006, 12:11 pm, in reply to "Re: L C SMITH SKEET"
I just got around to checking my Premier Skeet and found that the serial # is one off of yours -- mine is FWS 51956. Other markings are like yours, except mine doesn't have the "E." (It does have auto-ejectors). It does not have anything roll-stamped on the top of the barrels. Primarily because of this, I actually got a Cody letter several years ago. Aside from confirming the basics (grade,gauge, barrel length,etc.), it states that the records reflect "Starting final inspection on July 26, 1949" and "No shipping date was recorded." July 1949 was after the factory collapse date of January 16, 1949. Brophy (p.16) indicates that after the collapse, officials decided on a course of action "to finish guns on hand and complete guns in process." Of course, as noted, Brophy also notes at p. 116 that when the LCS Gun Company ceased operations, unfinished Premier Skeet components were sold off. The fact that the Cody letter I have indicates the start of final inspection in July of 1949 leads me to think that it was finished by the Company, even though it doesn't have the roll-stamp. Then again, I don't really know what "final inspection "involved. Of interest (or confusion as the case may be), the following number is lightly but clearly "scratched" on both the barrel flats and the watertable: 098156. This is not the serial number, which as I noted is FWS 51956 and is stamped in all of the right places. Hope this helps.