The L.C. Smith Collectors Association

The L.C. Smith Collectors Association
[ The L.C. Smith Collectors Association ]

I give up need help identifying early hammer gun

Posted by randy borchard on May 17, 2019, 10:12 pm

I picked up a old lc smith and have been researching it but Can't put my finger on exactly what it is.ser nom.on forearm is 084002,ser on the receiver is 72981 with a f under that number,,pat date march 23, 80 ser no. on barrel is 84002 with f under it.both barrels are marked with a c on the bottom,,and royal steel on top ,,and hunter arms co.makers Fulton ny,,is this a pieced together gun because the serial number is different on the receiver?it is 12 ga,,does anyone have the hammers for this gun I need a set. Was just gone intended for smokeless powder , any information would be very much appreciated ,thank you

Re: I give up need help identifying early hammer gun

Posted by Tom Garver on May 18, 2019, 6:45 am, in reply to "I give up need help identifying early hammer gun"

Randy, it appears as though you have a pieced together gun. The forend and the barrels were made in 1900. Dr. Jim could give you some info on that part. The receiver was made in 1899 and the records for that serial number block, 70,000-79,99 wete never recovered. Hammers are getting harder to find but maybe someone here will be able to help. E-bay is another option.

Re: I give up need help identifying early hammer gun

Posted by David Williamson on May 18, 2019, 6:51 am, in reply to "I give up need help identifying early hammer gun"

Randy interesting, you have a receiver made in 1899 that should have a cut-out in the receiver to accept a joint check. The locks should be a 6 pin configure and should have had the Type II hammers. The barrels are from 1900 (probably October)and should have been on a 3 pin configured lock. The barrels should not have the joint check pins on the side of the bottom lug. So yes this gun is a parts gun. There was smokeless powder then and before shooting it with low velocity low pressure shells I would have it checked by a competent gun smith that knows L.C. Smith's. After that, good shooting as many of us in the organization shoot hammer guns.
As for the hammers, look at eBay or if you are a handy person Dixie Gun Works has them but they are a blank casting and have to be fitted (orientation of the square hole for the tumbler has to be right)

Re: I give up need help identifying early hammer gun

Posted by randy borchard on May 18, 2019, 8:03 am, in reply to "I give up need help identifying early hammer gun"

thank you for that good information very interesting.i have a broken mainspring and have a used one coming for the gun, one of the hammers was broken at one time and was very poorly repaired. The gun overall Is pretty fair, however there is some pitting in the barrels , so I'm going to have somebody examine the barrels and hopefully I can get the green light to shoot light loads in it.i hope I don't have to make it a wall hanger as it would make a fun nostalgic hunting gun,

Mainspring

Posted by David Williamson on May 18, 2019, 12:46 pm, in reply to "Re: I give up need help identifying early hammer gun"

Randy, if the receiver you have is of the 6 pin configuration, the lock is a bar action lock meaning the mainspring is before the tumbler (hammer), if this is the mainspring you need I would like to know where you are getting it. Numrich used to carry them but are out pf the old stock. They do carry the newer mainspring that is for a back action lock (mainspring is after tumbler).

Re: Mainspring

Posted by Tom Garver on May 18, 2019, 1:19 pm, in reply to "Mainspring"

Randy, I have 1 gun in the 71000 range and 3 in the 72000 range and all 3 have the bar action lock that David is referring to. David and I talked about these locks before and feel that the locks didn't become a back action until sometime in the late 73000 or 74000 range. The last one I needed came from Jerry Andrews. Good luck

Re: Mainspring

Posted by randy borchard on May 18, 2019, 1:50 pm, in reply to "Re: Mainspring"

yes I looked all over for the spring and could not find any, a person on the forum was good enough to help me out and is selling me one.all I could find was the new type also.

Re: Mainspring

Posted by David Williamson on May 18, 2019, 3:44 pm, in reply to "Re: Mainspring"

The latest bar action 6 pin serial number I have is 72096 c.1899. There are a few others up to 73456, but the 3 pin back action started around 73240 in 1899. Whether the serial numbers were assigned to guns before they were built is any ones guess.

In my records I have hammer guns in the 25xxx serial number range with no makers name on barrels. One of the last ones with L.C. Smith Maker is 26397 c.1889. These all have the squared lug going through the receiver. Serial number 26644 has the round lug no barrel markings and the flat side plate connecting screw.

Hunter Arms Co. started in 1889 with the machinery and personnel being moved to Fulton along with partly assembled hammer guns and parts, these guns had no makers name on barrels.
Interesting was that there were no hammerless guns made. The last hammerless gun that I have is 23553. There were no guns made in the 24000 range and 25229 is the earliest Fulton hammer gun I have.

Re: I give up need help identifying early hammer gun

Posted by John Liles on May 20, 2019, 5:43 pm, in reply to "I give up need help identifying early hammer gun"

Hello Randy,
Where are you located? We might have tried and true smith or a member competent enough to check out your gun and let you know if there are any red flags between your gun and being a safe shooter.
John

Re: I give up need help identifying early hammer gun

Posted by randy borchard on May 20, 2019, 10:22 pm, in reply to "Re: I give up need help identifying early hammer gun"

that would be great I am from southeastern wi waukesha county the gun smith I have used for 30 plus years past away, i trusted him he was a master at his art ,when I take old shotguns to some of the young new gun smiths, they kind of look at me like I am nuts if you know what I mean..,the shop I got the gun from said go ahead and shoot light loads but bores are pitted I would like to see if they can be honed and still be safe ,I was reading about barrel liners today and making it into a 16 ga but that is not cheap ,I can buy a better condition gun for less,

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