If you collect small bore L.C. Smiths, here’s one that will get your hear pounding. It’s a .410 L.C. Smith Field Grade, and it appears to be in pristine original condition. Its on Gunbroker.com now, and the listing ends on 3/9/2014 @ 8:30:00 PM ET.
L.C. Smith shipped their first .410 in October of 1926. According to the L.C. Smith Collector’s Association website, this gun was made soon after in 1927. In all the company made 2,665 .410s — 2,509 in the Field grade.
L.C. Smith made Field grades 1912 – 1950. They were the company’s least expensive guns and L.C. Smith advertised them as “…especially designed for those requiring a cheap, sound and plainly finished weapon. It is particularly useful for field and marsh where rough usage is required.” It looks like this .410 never saw that rough usage.
L.C. Smith FeatherWeight Field shotgun in .410 Ga.: Original 26″ barrels choked Full/Full. The blue, vivid case colors and stock varnish are all original! Not Restored! This shotgun is as it was shipped out in 1927! Don’t be fooled by the flat top checkering, that is Not wear! That was how L.C. Smith checkered a field grade gun back then! And that stock is in spectacular condition! There are however some cloth pattern “imprints” in the varnish. This gun was wrapped in cloth and stored for many years. It was a closet find that recently surfaced in my area! There is also a repair on the forearm tip area. Near impossible to see, looks like a dark grain line! No other cracks anywhere and very few handling marks, this sweetheart is very, very little fired and little used! Still has the original butt plate as well!
Action is smooth and tight just like a new gun! Lever is to the right. The bores are perfect, mirror bright and no dents. The Chambers are 2 1/2″. This gun was stored so long, I had my gunsmith inspect and test fire it, and it shoots just great! The barrel blue is original, thick and rich, just a hint of wear at the muzzles and some tiny marks and blems near the chambers! The original Niter blue on the trigger guard is wonderful, and there is no wear at the tang area! The receiver case colors are original from 1927! There are a very few and scattered blems and speckles, nothing big or bad! The weight of this wonderful LC Smith .410 is 5lb 8oz., LOP is 14 1/4″, Drop is 2 1/2″.
