Re: Starting a basic LC Smith gun collection Archived Message
Posted by Michael Harris on May 30, 2017, 11:15 am, in reply to "Re: Starting a basic LC Smith gun collection" |
Mike, There are so many avenues that you can travel down when collecting. Dr Drew gave you some great advice. The most important thing to me is that when you buy a gun, you are buying the barrels FIRST! Make sure there is no pitting, that it has good barrel wall thickness, and that the barrel length is the correct one for the gun. Without good barrels, all you have are parts.Everything else can be fixed if necessary. You also need to know how to tell between factory original and a restored gun. There are people out there that know how to hide most anything. Study,study,study! You will need Dr. Jims Production Records Book and possibly the Blue Book of Gun Values. Talk to every collector you can find and extract any and all info that they are willing to give. Take notes! Research the internet. If you find something you like, don't be afraid to contact them and discuss it. Once you feel comfortable, you need to decide on what you want to collect be it Syracuse guns, Pre 13, Post 13, small bore 32" guns, Odd engraving patterns, Trap guns (both sbt or dbt) Certain grade guns, skeet guns, one off guns, etc. Once you decide on what to collect, have patience and get the right gun for you. If I remember correctly, Dr. Drew and Dr. Bill Hambidge wrote a very good article (I think in the Journal) that desribes in detail what to look for when buying a gun. Maybe Dr Drew can point you in the right direction on that article. Best of luck collecting. It is fascinating
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