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BWW
PostPosted: Tue Jan 19, 2021 4:27 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 14 Apr 2020
Posts: 144
Location: Boise,Idaho

On a local sight, a LC Smith 16 ga on a 00 frame. Ad says it has been restored to near original condition. It appears to have case hardening and very clean. Pictures on the sight are not great. I contacted the seller and he can only tell me it was mfg in 1913. He does not know if it will accept modern ammo, but says it was machined to accept 2 and 3/4. He can not tell me the bore chokes and says he has no way to measure them. He is asking 1450.
The gun is an hour drive away so I don't want to drive all that way just to measure the bores unless I know I can shoot it with modern ammo. Sorry guys I am not a reloader. I also don't want a safe queen. I buys guns to use.
Help, info,etc.....

Thanks, Bob
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PDD
PostPosted: Tue Jan 19, 2021 4:43 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 08 Dec 2010
Posts: 32
Location: East TN

There will no doubt be a couple of members along that are very knowledgeable. This site is great and full of friendly people.
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Researcher
PostPosted: Tue Jan 19, 2021 7:52 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 13 Jun 2009
Posts: 695
Location: WA/AK

What does he mean by 00 frame? In the L.C. Smith 00 was the lowest grade gun prior to the reorganization of grades circa 1913. Equal to the later Field Grade. While most 16-gauge L.C. Smiths were built on the featherweight frame there were a few built on the regular frame. In 1913 the "standard" 16-gauge shells here in North America was 2 9/16 inch. When they "machined it out for 2 3/4 inch shells" what are the remaining barrel wall thickness.

I wouldn't drive around the block for a refinished 16-gauge lowest grade gun with a $1450 asking price. Sounds like a must miss to me.

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Swampy16
PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 2021 4:22 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 17 Oct 2019
Posts: 453
Location: New Jersey

I agree with Researcher though I thought 0 was the lowest grade. Either way someone spent a lot of money having it restored and likely wants to try to recoup some of it. It has no collector value now so that’s out. As far as the chambers being lengthened I wouldn’t touch it. Not that it’s unsafe but the resale is gone. Plus who knows who did it. Someone that gets hold of a chamber reamer and thinks they’re a gunsmith may have figured the gun isn’t worth much so if I screw it up big deal. I don’t like barrels that have been messed with. I’ve lost money in the past over it as well. If it was a gun I knew I’d never get rid of any MY gunsmith told me there’s plenty of meat I may do it, otherwise it’s a no go for me.
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Savage16
PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 2021 7:29 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 30 Nov 2011
Posts: 1694
Location: Minnesota

Have you checked with the forum here?

http://www.lcsmith.org/
I think you really need pics of the barrel and receiver flats, a side view and the writing on the barrels and rib up close to the receiver. That will show serial numbers etc.
Is it an ejector?
How long has he had it? Longer = willing to listen to offers.
Will he let you take it to a gunsmith that knows how to measure chokes/chambers?
Lots of questions to be answered but I wouldn't dismiss the gun because its been restored as long as its done right/well.

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revdocdrew
PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 2021 8:43 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 28 Dec 2005
Posts: 2016
Location: Glendale, AZ

Savage has very good advice.
And if the case coloring was done with cyanide, and the barrels hot salt blued (in which case you will eventually have separate ribs and barrels) definitely pass.

There is very little market today for improperly restored lower grade > 100 year old guns.

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WyoChukar
PostPosted: Wed Jan 27, 2021 8:30 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 16 Jul 2015
Posts: 2124
Location: Hudson,Wy

I recently owned such a gun. 2 3/4" chambers with long forcing cones, chokes opened to Sk & I/M. It was indeed a 00 grade. A prior owner had put grade 3 wood on it. I used plenty of modern ammo in it, but I have barrel measuring tools and knew what I had. Letting a gunsmith (who knows about old doubles, wall thickness, etc.) look at it is a good idea. If the metal is good, my only concern with "modern" ammo would be stock cracking from excessive recoil caused by the ridiculously high velocity loads currently in vogue.

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