Posted by David Williamson on March 5, 2014, 5:59 am, in reply to "L.C. Smith Shotgun."
Your grandfathers gun was made sometime in 1890. It is referred to as a 3 pin 1 screw back action lock hammer gun. Back action means the mainspring is behind the action or tumblers. As stated the other dates are patent dates. Royal Steel are fluid steel barrels first used on hammers guns starting in 1898.
These guns are still shoot-able once they have been looked at my a competent gunsmith and deemed ok to shoot and then with the appropriate low pressure low velocity shells available from RST or Polywad or if you reload there are plenty of recipes on the Hodgdon or Alliant site.