June 25-28, 2018 Firearms
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/25/2018
Fewer than 900 Crown grade L. C. Smith's were made, and they are hard to find in good condition. This very attractive example has 28" barrels engraved "L. C. SMITH CROWN GRADE" and "MADE TO ORDER BY THE Hunter Arms Co, FULTON, N.Y." There are 1-1/2" triangles of scroll engraving at breech ends. Engine turned barrel flats are stamped with serial number and grade. Crown steel information is on bottoms of barrels. Case hardened action with serial number, "E" and "C" on water table, and features automatic safety and double triggers with checkered finger blades. Action has nicely filed beads around fences and is engraved with 80% coverage varying sized scroll with rose bouquet highlights. Lockplates are near fully engraved with matching scroll and bouquets within geometric borders surrounding oval vignettes of dogs, backgrounds etched bringing subjects into semi-relief; a pair of setters are pointing and honoring point on left lockplate, with pointers in similar pose on right. The etched backgrounds have been engraved with well detailed trees giving both scenes a realistic look. "L. C. SMITH" is in scroll terminated rib and at the front of each lockplate. Scroll engraved top lever has gold inlaid crown. Blued trigger guard with rose and scroll on bow, has serial number on tang. Nicely marbled and figured European walnut round knob pistol grip buttstock measures 14" over serrated composition buttplate. Point pattern checkering wraps over top of grip. Matching splinter ejector forend with inset ebony tip, has J-spring and knurled secondary release in engraved guitar shaped escutcheon. Excellent, as partially refinished. Barrels retain over 90% original blue, some areas with blue filled in, most notably an area 4" from breech end of left barrel, where a scratch or dig has been removed. Action retains approximately 95% original case hardening color, slightly silvered on fences and sharp edges, thinned a bit around bottom. Lockplates retain essentially all of their original color. Trigger guard retains over 90% of its original bright blue with loss at back of bow, and on tang, mostly due to flaking. Buttstock retains essentially all of a professionally applied hand rubbed oil finish, checkering re-cut. There is evidence of repairs running from center of trigger into checkering on right side of grip, and another two repaired cracks running from rear of left lockplate toward upper tang, as well as toward checkering on left side. Forend retains most of its original finish, checkering lightly worn. Blue on escutcheon is over 90%. Bores are excellent. Action is tight. Ejectors are in time. This is a very pretty high grade L. C. Smith.
Barrel Wall Thickness
(L) .028 (R) .026
Choke
(L) .037 full (R) .010 IC
Internal Bore Diameter
(L) .726 (R) .727