L.C. LC Smith Field Grade Featherweight 28″ 20 Ga Sidelock SxS Side-By-Side Shotgun, MFD 1920 C&R

SOLD FOR: $1,145.00
LSB#: 180614GD08

Make: L.C. Smith

Model: Field Grade Featherweight

Serial Number: FWS

Year of Manufacture: 1929 (Pg. 120 of “L.C. Smith Production Records” by Stubbendieck)

Gauge: 20 GA with 2 3/4” Chambers

Action Type: Top Lever Opening Sidelock Double Barreled Shotgun

Markings: The top of the right barrel is marked “L.C. SMITH-20 GA-Field-FULTON, N.Y., U.S.A.”. The bottom of each barrel is marked “ARMOR STEEL”. Each side of the barrel flat has a proof mark, the left barrel flat is marked “31499 / FIELD 2 3/4 IN. CHAMBER”. The inside of the forend iron is marked “314199”. Each side plate is marked “L.C. SMITH”. The right of the water table is marked “FWS 31499 / FIELD”.

Barrel Length: The barrels are 28″ in length and have a full length finely serrated solid rib down the center.

Choke: Cylinder/Cylinder, both fixed.

Sights / Optics: This shotgun has a brass bead fixed to the front of the rib.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are two-piece checkered walnut with a splinter forend, capped pistol grip, straight comb and serrated black hard rubber buttplate. The stocks have scattered light compressions, scuffs and drag lines. There are no chips or cracks. The checkering is smoooth and well defined. The wood is generally proud to the metal. The grip cap has some light scuffing. The LOP measures 14” from the front of the forward trigger and 13 1/8” from the front of the rear trigger to the back of the buttplate. The plate has very little wear, in about Fine-plus condition. The drop at comb is 1 3/8″ and the drop at heel is 2 1/4″. The cast is about neutral. The stocks rate in about Very Good-plus overall condition.

Type of Finish: The barrels and trigger guard are blued and the receiver and upper tang are case colored.

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The bores are bright. There is no erosion.

Overall Condition: This shotgun retains about 87% of its metal finish. The barrels have a few scattered light marks with thinning finish at the muzzles. The receiver and sideplates retain the darker figuring from their case-color with the lighter colored areas having gone to gray and tehre is scattered light freckling. The trigger guard/bottom tang has scattered light marks. The screw heads range from sharp to lightly tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this shotgun rates in about Very Good condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The barrels lock solidly to the frame. Its safety engages automatically upon opening. We have not fired this shotgun. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None.

Our Assessment: The history of the L.C. Smith firearms is quite interesting. L. C. Smith formed a partnership with L. H. Smith and W.H. Baker to manufacture a three-barrel gun in 1879. L. C. Smith took over the company in 1880 and in 1884 began manufacturing hammer shotguns. Smith became interested in a new-fangled invention called the typewriter, and sold the company in 1888 to John Hunter. Smith went on to form the Smith-Corona company and became a world leader in the manufacture of typewriters. The L. C. Smith shotguns manufactured by Hunter Arms went on to become some of the highest quality shotguns made in the United States. When Marlin bought the Hunter Arms Co. in 1945, they began manufacturing the same guns under the L. C. Smith Gun Company title. A fire caused destruction of most of the manufacturing capability in 1949 and in 1950, the factory was closed. This is an L. C. Smith Field Grade Featherweight shotgun made in 1920, chambered in 20 gauge, for which only about 16% of field grades were chambered. The shotgun is in about Very Good condition with about 87% of its original finish remaining and nice bores. This would make great addition to any L.C. Smith, double-barrel, American, or really any shotgun collection and would also make a fine field shotgun to this day. Please see our photos and good luck!

CA Legal or CA Private Party Transferable: This C&R eligible shotgun CAN be transferred as a dealer sale in California. All cartridge firing firearms sold to a California resident must be DROS’d. This does not apply to out of state residents.

The year of manufacture is 1920 per “L.C. Smith Production Records”, by Stubbendieck, Page 120. The serial number is FWS31499. The forend iron is marked “31499”, NOT “314199”.