Re: Unique LC Smith Grade 2E? Ever Seen One Like This? Archived Message
Posted by SGT on February 13, 2007, 8:57 am, in reply to "Re: Unique LC Smith Grade 2E? Ever Seen One Like This?"
Dick: Although that may be possible, I have my doubts; as the serial numbers I have seen have some overlap. I therorize the different engraving styles are attributable to one of two circumstances. First of all, the customer could simply have been given a choice when he placed the order; ring borders or no borders. Secondly, Grade 2 and up guns were special orders; and, in that regard, I have in my possession a copy of a shipping ledger page dated 1895 for ejector guns. On this page is a bit more information than one typically sees in most of the early shipping records; and, among other information, is included the order and ship dates. Of the 52 gun records on this 1895 ledger page we see a significant number of guns on which an order was not received, and therefore the gun not shipped, until 1898; so my second theory is that the engraving style could have changed between the period of time that one gun shipped and an order was received for another gun entered within the serial number records at about the same time (remember that these gun frames were numbered numerically in these ledgers; but that the balance of the shipping information was not entered until the gun was actually completed and shipped). At any rate, it is my personal opinion that the engraving styles with the circle/oval borders were easier to execute, and were likely done by other than Hunter's master engravers. Hunter's engravers were paid by the hour; and, in an effort to crank out as much production in the least possible amount of time, one trick they used were templates. These brass templates were the size of a lockplate and were cut out in a fashion that defined all major layout lines of a standard given pattern. These plates would be fastened to a lockplate and the border lines scribed. Afterwards, the engraver would chase out the borders and begin to fill in the required scroll work and figures for that specific pattern . Obviously this is why we see such uniform ovals and circles on the Grade 2 and 3 guns(and higher grades); and, if the DGJ ever publishes my Jerred story, you will see photos therein of two examples of these brass layout templates actually used in Hunter's engraving department.
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Message Thread:
- Unique LC Smith Grade 2E? Ever Seen One Like This? - Double Trouble February 12, 2007, 5:55 pm
- Re: Unique LC Smith Grade 2E? Ever Seen One Like This? - 16Fan February 13, 2007, 10:12 am
- Re: Unique LC Smith Grade 2E? Ever Seen One Like This? - Double Trouble February 13, 2007, 9:14 am
- double barrell dog hammer 12 gauge - JACK DUBE February 13, 2007, 12:28 am
- Re: Unique LC Smith Grade 2E? Ever Seen One Like This? - SGT February 12, 2007, 7:10 pm
- Re: Unique LC Smith Grade 2E? Ever Seen One Like This? - revdocdrew February 12, 2007, 6:08 pm
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