The L.C. Smith Collectors Association

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

LC Smith Long Range: Vintage and Contemporary ammo

Posted by Brian Kirkpatrick on July 26, 2025, 9:56 am

I was curious about the performance of LC Smith Long Range field guns so I added a circa 1930 Long Range to my collection. It sports 32” barrels with choke diameters of 0.694”’and 0.684”.

I also managed to find a nearly full box of period correct Western Super X 1 3/8 oz #6 shot. I think these rounds originally ran at about 1300 fps. The vintage load patterned about 60% with an obviously low POI (62/131) compared to my POA. Nonetheless, there was a respectable 80% of the pellets landed on the 30”x42” sheet of paper with about 16 pellets landing in an 8” bull. I wouldn’t hesitate to use this load on turkey or pheasant after adjusting my POA.

I had a box of Federal Upland paper ammo. These are 1 1/4 oz of #5 copper plated lead @ 1330 fps. These put 86% of the pellets on a 30” circle despite and obviously high POI (123/60) at 40 yards. An amazing 93% of the pellets landed on the 30”x42” paper.

Re: LC Smith Long Range: Vintage and Contemporary ammo

Posted by Drew Hause on July 26, 2025, 10:24 am, in reply to "LC Smith Long Range: Vintage and Contemporary ammo"
Edited by board administrator July 26, 2025, 10:38 am

Thank you Brian. Do you have a way to measure the length of the forcing cones and choke constriction?

In response to a 1925 letter of inquiry, H.C. Carr of Hunter Arms returned a catalog and “The Wonder Gun” booklet describing the extraordinary merits of the Long Range Wild Fowl related to the “special long tapering choke” which enables “kills consistently at 80 yards” with “a good 70% pattern with field loads”.
2 3/4” Super X loads in a 3” gun were noted to cause “about 5% loss of pattern”. 32 inch barrels were suggested “because of the decided advantage in alignment for close, long range shooting” but 30” barrels were also offered.
“The Wonder Gun” booklet claimed full choke patterns in a 30” circle using a 3” shell and No. 4 shot (188 pellets) of 92% at 40 yards, 45.2% at 60 yards, and 29.2% at 70 yards.

Bro David found this in his 1926 LRWF:
Chambers measure 2 15/16” long. Right barrel forcing cone starts at 2 7/8” and goes to 4 5/8” then to bore. Left barrel forcing cone starts at 2 15/16” and goes to 4 7/8” then to bore.
Right barrel bore .7305 to 28 5/8” then tapers to choke constriction of .042 (.688) with no parallel area of choke; taper 3 3/8" from .730 to .688.
Left barrel bore .7305 to 29” then tapers to choke constriction of .042 (.688) with a parallel area 3/4” long; taper 2 1/4" long to start of 3/4" parallel of .688.

1924 ad "longer tapering choke"

Re: LC Smith Long Range: Vintage and Contemporary ammo

Posted by Brian Kirkpatrick on July 26, 2025, 10:39 am, in reply to "Re: LC Smith Long Range: Vintage and Contemporary ammo"

I don’t have a way to measure my bore diameter. I will say however I also have a similar era FWE 12 ga with 28” tubes with the left choke also measured 0.684”. That gun shoots 72% at 40 yards with that same Federal 1 1/4 oz #5 at 1330 fps.

Granted every gun is different and my sample size is insignificant, but it would appear that there is at least the possibility that LC was doing something different with their long range barrel.

I certainly wouldn’t expect ammo that’s probably 70-80 years old to perform as well as it did when it came off the assembly line.

"Taper Choke"

Posted by Drew Hause on July 26, 2025, 10:59 am, in reply to "Re: LC Smith Long Range: Vintage and Contemporary ammo"

This is a turn-of-the-century German illustration. Taper choke would be B

The A.J. Aubrey may have stated the marketing verbiage; c. 1910 - "choke bored by the taper system" with "no recoil or kicking"!!

Re: LC Smith Long Range: Vintage and Contemporary ammo

Posted by Brian Kirkpatrick on July 26, 2025, 11:04 am, in reply to "LC Smith Long Range: Vintage and Contemporary ammo"

My 1922 version with a choke diameter shot 68% with 1 1/4 oz #7.5 shot at 1150 fps the day it left the factory. With contemporary loads of 1 1/4 oz #7.5 shot at 1250 it patterned 72% at 40 yards.

LC seemed to do a pretty good job of building their chokes to match expectations of a standard full choke.