May 28 & 29, 2020 Extraordinary, Sporting, & Collector Firearms
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/29/2020
Made with 32" Barrels with concave, matted rib are engraved "L. C. SMITH Crown GRADE" and "MADE TO ORDER BY The Hunter Arms Co, Inc. FULTON, NY." Engine turned barrel flats are stamped with serial number and grade. Splinter is of reinforced type. Standard weight L. C. Smith sidelock action features non-automatic safety (S inlaid in gold) and Hunter One trigger. Action is engraved with 70% coverage scroll with some rose bouquet highlights within geometric and line borders. Lockplates are near fully engraved with simple scroll and flowers outlining oval vignettes of semi-relief engraved dogs: pair of setters, one pointing, the other honoring point, on left, and a pair of pointers on right. "L. C. SMITH" is on scrolled riband on the front of each plate. A gold crown is inlaid on top lever pivot. Blued trigger guard with scroll on bow, surrounding central oval that has had initials engraved over, has SN on tang. Finely flame crotch figured American walnut capped pistol grip Monte Carlo buttstock which terminates with an open sided Hawkins pad. Borderless, pattern checkering wraps over top of grip and has small flairs into butt. Matching long beavertail ejector forend has J-spring and knurled roll release in guitar shaped escutcheon. Iron has ejector patent information engraved within line borders. CONDITION: Excellent, as partially refinished. Barrels retain nearly all of an old reblack, engraving lightly softened. Action retains approximately 70% original case hardening color, silvering on bottom and right side. Lockplates retain over 90% of their color. Trigger guard reblued, and subsequently silvered on edges and at grip. Stocks retain most of what appears to be their original finish with some finish added for preservation. There are incipient cracks behind lockplates on both sides. Bores are excellent. Action has just a hint of looseness. Ejectors are strong and in time. Trigger appears to function well. Our consignor recently had this gun’s stock expertly serviced by a well known master stocker to relieve the inletting and glass bed/reinforce the lock area and stock head ensuring that it can be used for many lifetimes without worry about integrity of the stock. A neat old trap or pigeon gun with lots of original color. Houchins in L. C. SMITH THE LEGEND LIVES estimates a total production of Crown grade guns at 890, 644 in 12 bore. Truly a dandy gun! PROVENANCE: Cody Museum letter confirming specifications. Notation from L. C. Smith Collectors Assn indicates that this particular gun has the earliest known beavertail forend. JSL
Barrel Wall Thickness
(L) .033 (R) .032
Drop at Heel
1 - 5/8", at end of MC 2 - 1/2"
Internal Bore Diameter
(L) .726 (R) .728
Paperwork
L.C. Smith letter