The L.C. Smith Collectors Association

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

LC Smith Featherweight 16g barrels

Posted by Tim Rogers on February 6, 2024, 9:02 am
Edited by board administrator February 6, 2024, 9:35 am

Good morning. I have an extra set of 30 inch barrels. How hard would be to get the barrels fitted on my 16g.

L C Smith Featherweight 16g barrels added to gun

Posted by Jent P Mitchell III on February 6, 2024, 10:35 am, in reply to "LC Smith Featherweight 16g barrels"

Call Gunter, He is one of the best at this type of work. Are these extra LCS 16 gauge barrels close to the same serial number as the original LCS ???.... Jent.

Pfrommer Gunworks LLC
2954 Hopkins Road
Rocky Mount, VA 24151
(540) 484-5555

Re: L C Smith Featherweight 16g barrels added to gun

Posted by David Williamson on February 6, 2024, 2:37 pm, in reply to "L C Smith Featherweight 16g barrels added to gun"

I used to think the same as to what Jent stated, are the serial numbers close, I found out that it really does not make much difference. I bought a 12 gauge hammer gun back when no one wanted them, someone cut the barrels to 25 3/16 and I bought it very very cheap. This gun was made in 1908 and I have 4 other barrels that fit this gun from 1899, 1900, 1917 and the latest 1927 a set of Specialty grade with a Ventilated rib. All fit right on except the Armor steel 32" barrels that I had to file some of the breech face to make them fit. They all now have a single beavertail forend that fits each barrel, and that is what takes a lot of time. Once you get the forend to fit on one barrel you cannot modify it to fit on the other barrels, you have to modify the other barrels.

You have to remember that these guns were production guns and too much time could not be spent on fitting barrels to actions, they were put together on jigs that aligned the distance from the loop to the action.

If those barrels were mine I would try and fit them on your gun so long as the are the same frame, ie: Regular or Featherweight. If they do fit you can try the forend, but if it were mine I would take the wood off the metal and then try it. If it does not have ejectors half the problem solved as then you only have to look at how the "J" spring fits into the notch on the barrels loop.

Good luck and let us know how you make out.

Re: L C Smith Featherweight 16g barrels added to gun

Posted by Tim Rogers on February 6, 2024, 5:38 pm, in reply to "L C Smith Featherweight 16g barrels added to gun"

Thanks for responding I have a barrel set of 1929. I would like to put it on in 1927. It does not quite close I didn’t know what it would take to make it fit.

Re: L C Smith Featherweight 16g barrels added to gun

Posted by David Williamson on February 7, 2024, 7:01 am, in reply to "Re: L C Smith Featherweight 16g barrels added to gun"

It would be best to show some close-up pictures of where it is hanging up. Is the extension rib hitting on the back of the receiver opening? Are the barrels breech faces rubbing on the breech? If this is the case a slight amount of filing on the hook using a round file the diameter of the hook. It might only take a few light passes to fit.

If you are not comfortable doing this then by all means send it to someone mentioned.

Re: L C Smith Featherweight 16g barrels added to gun

Posted by Tim Rogers on February 8, 2024, 7:24 am, in reply to "Re: L C Smith Featherweight 16g barrels added to gun"

Re: L C Smith Featherweight 16g barrels added to gun

Posted by Tim Rogers on February 8, 2024, 7:26 am, in reply to "Re: L C Smith Featherweight 16g barrels added to gun"

Good morning I am new it’s sending pictures. I’m not sure if this would help you out. Thanks for the help.

Re: L C Smith Featherweight 16g barrels added to gun

Posted by David Williamson on February 9, 2024, 7:34 am, in reply to "Re: L C Smith Featherweight 16g barrels added to gun"

Yes they were helpful, from what I can see the extension rib is hanging up in the slot at the rear.
Like I stated if you are hesitant about doing this then I would send it out, but again it looks like an easy fix. I use Prussian Blue and would put it on the extension rib, face of the barrels and the hook but only a very faint film of Prussian Blue on the surfaces and then try to assembly the barrels on the receiver to see where if there is tell-tale markings on those surfaces of the receiver.
If you decide to do it, the file must fit into the hook on the barrels. I use a fine round 1/2" file with light strokes and they must be parallel to the hook if not one barrel might be a little off-face. In your case two or three light passes and then try again, always easier to remove then have to add material.

Could you verify that the barrels are not touching the breech at the bottom? I hope they are. When I enlarge the picture it looks like they are not touching but want to make sure. If the barrels are touching at the bottom of the breech, then a few light passes on the hook should do it. OTHER WISE if the are not touching, a few passes with a flat smooth file on the back of the extension rib. The breech balls on the receiver are a little larger than the barrels but I would not worry about than. The donor barrels were struck to the original gun's breech balls.

Upon thinking about this as I type, if the barrels are not touching the breech face at all, filing the extension rib to let barrels close all the way is not going to help because the barrels will be off-face. Use a flashlight to make sure.

Without having gun in hand this is a hard diagnosis if barrels are not touching breech face.

Re: LC Smith Featherweight 16g barrels

Posted by Tim Rogers on February 10, 2024, 5:05 pm, in reply to "LC Smith Featherweight 16g barrels"

Dave, I’ve been looking at it closer. I have the tools needed to get the job done. Gonna send you some pictures. The 30 inch barrels seem to be thinner at the receiver than the 28 inch barrels. Did not know if I should continue?

Re: LC Smith Featherweight 16g barrels

Posted by David Williamson on February 11, 2024, 6:34 am, in reply to "Re: LC Smith Featherweight 16g barrels"

I are the barrels touching the breech face at the bottom? Take a piece of copy paper and put it on the breech face and close the barrels, does it grab? Again if the barrels are not touching at the bottom lightly filing the extension rib to make it close will not help because as I stated earlier the barrels will be off-face. Try starting off by putting a .004 shim on the back of the hinge pin and try closing it and see if the barrels are now touching the bottom of the breech face. You might have to go down to a .002 or even a .006 to find out.
As far as the breech balls on the receiver matching up to the new barrels, unsightly but will not affect anything but appearance.

Re: LC Smith Featherweight 16g barrels

Posted by Tim Rogers on February 11, 2024, 5:33 pm, in reply to "Re: LC Smith Featherweight 16g barrels"

Good evening Dave thanks. seem to be at the end All I had to do was very lightly fine file the hook. latches up tight snap caps works well. All I need to do is to go out and shoot it. thanks.

Re: LC Smith Featherweight 16g barrels

Posted by David Williamson on February 12, 2024, 6:54 am, in reply to "Re: LC Smith Featherweight 16g barrels"

Tim, glad to hear that you were able to get the barrels to fit. Like I stated hard to diagnose from here. Sometimes the for-end takes time to get it to fit a donor set of barrels.
Have fun shooting.

Re: LC Smith Featherweight 16g barrels

Posted by Tim Rogers on February 12, 2024, 4:00 pm, in reply to "Re: LC Smith Featherweight 16g barrels"

Haven’t got that far yet the forehand I have on there is from the barrel. I would like to get the original forehand that’s on my 28 inch barrel to fit it someday. For now I just wanna try it out.

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