Tom Roller
01-15-2012, 01:17 PM
I posted this on the LC Smith Forum - so I apologize if some of y'all read it twice. I am just curious to get a few thoughts on the gun as its receipt, hang tag and a letter have survived the ages.
I love my Elsies but my only wish, truthfully, is that this story was regarding a Parker.
A few week ago I had the good fortune of a friend referring a friend over to me regarding an 1920 LC Smith Trap E grade he'd inherited a while back and wanted to pass it on to a collector.
Long story short, the gun was purchased by his grandfather-in-law and, he having died in the early 1950s, the gun has sat unfired in a closet since his death.
I was amazed at the condition of it - I'd put it at over 80%. Other than a little thinning blueing near the chambers, the metal and engraving are perfect with no tarnish, rust or skuffs whatsoever and probably have 30% case color remaining (in the more protected areas). Even most of the blueing remains on the trigger gaurd. The checkering is excellent as is the original wood finish. Clearly this gun spent most of its life on the trap range.
What the kicker to the story is is that the seller retained most of the guns original documentation! The hang tag (in fantastic condition), the receipt from where the gun was purchased (H & D Folsom - NYC) AND a letter and envelope from hunter arms.
It tells a funny story - the purchaser sounded like a high-maintenance customer, apparently having written several frantic letters to Hunter Arms requesting that he NEEDED a 12ga Trap gun custom built in much less the time the factory could do (6-8 weeks). They offered him one that just came off the line - differing from this gun only being that it was without ejectors, had 2 3/4 chambers and had 32" barrels.
Upon receiving the letter from Hunter Arms, the next day he crossed the river from his home in Rahway, NJ and went to H&D Folsom in Manhattan and purchased a brand new 1920 Trap Grade that had apparently been sitting on the shelf for a couple of years. He surely knew that that gun was in stock but wanted a slightly different configuration or didnt want to pay the premium for a gun purchased through a shop (who knows!).
I am delighted to have this history with the gun - any thoughts on how it adds to the value of the gun?
http://www.waterdogguideservice.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_3349.jpg
http://www.waterdogguideservice.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_3352.jpg
http://www.waterdogguideservice.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_3359.jpg
http://www.waterdogguideservice.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/P11500221.jpg
http://www.waterdogguideservice.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/P1150025.jpg
http://www.waterdogguideservice.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/P1150027.jpg
I love my Elsies but my only wish, truthfully, is that this story was regarding a Parker.
A few week ago I had the good fortune of a friend referring a friend over to me regarding an 1920 LC Smith Trap E grade he'd inherited a while back and wanted to pass it on to a collector.
Long story short, the gun was purchased by his grandfather-in-law and, he having died in the early 1950s, the gun has sat unfired in a closet since his death.
I was amazed at the condition of it - I'd put it at over 80%. Other than a little thinning blueing near the chambers, the metal and engraving are perfect with no tarnish, rust or skuffs whatsoever and probably have 30% case color remaining (in the more protected areas). Even most of the blueing remains on the trigger gaurd. The checkering is excellent as is the original wood finish. Clearly this gun spent most of its life on the trap range.
What the kicker to the story is is that the seller retained most of the guns original documentation! The hang tag (in fantastic condition), the receipt from where the gun was purchased (H & D Folsom - NYC) AND a letter and envelope from hunter arms.
It tells a funny story - the purchaser sounded like a high-maintenance customer, apparently having written several frantic letters to Hunter Arms requesting that he NEEDED a 12ga Trap gun custom built in much less the time the factory could do (6-8 weeks). They offered him one that just came off the line - differing from this gun only being that it was without ejectors, had 2 3/4 chambers and had 32" barrels.
Upon receiving the letter from Hunter Arms, the next day he crossed the river from his home in Rahway, NJ and went to H&D Folsom in Manhattan and purchased a brand new 1920 Trap Grade that had apparently been sitting on the shelf for a couple of years. He surely knew that that gun was in stock but wanted a slightly different configuration or didnt want to pay the premium for a gun purchased through a shop (who knows!).
I am delighted to have this history with the gun - any thoughts on how it adds to the value of the gun?
http://www.waterdogguideservice.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_3349.jpg
http://www.waterdogguideservice.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_3352.jpg
http://www.waterdogguideservice.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_3359.jpg
http://www.waterdogguideservice.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/P11500221.jpg
http://www.waterdogguideservice.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/P1150025.jpg
http://www.waterdogguideservice.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/P1150027.jpg