L.C. Smith hammer 10ga grade F
 

I came across an Elsie F Grade Hammer 10ga, 100% original, fading dam pattern on 32" barrels, 2 7/8", no case except protected areas. Six digit serno starting 170xxx, built 1912. Wood solid and free of cracks and repairs, checkering worn but good. Stout barrels, .140 ahead of chambers, .035 8 inches before muzzle, full and full. Butt plate is worn, fading scene with no cracks or chips. Barrels ring, action tight as a drum. Hammers work as they should. Short LOP, 13.5" to butt plate from front trigger, do not believe it was cut. 9 lbs even on the scale. 1 7/8" by 2 7/8" drop. I have no idea how common or value, any knowledge from the collective is appreciated.

in my opinion from 750 to 900.... charlie

Must be the time for old Elsie's to show up. I found one languishing with a VH. They looked so forlorn together I decided they both needed a new home. Both are quite shootable. The Smith is a little newer than yours at 175xxx but it has lovely 10ga bores with just the slightest pitting. Haven't weighed it but I'm pretty sure that when I take it to break in on a few roosters, I won't be heading out for a couple hours hike. I have a couple spots in mind for a short hike that could be productive. When Parkeritis drags one into the even darker side of double guns a guy could end up with something very weird, like a 16ga Francotte with very strange forearm underlever arrangement. Yes, it came home but in my defence, I'm thinking about selling something - maybe next year or the year after.

I am a big fan of the 10 gauge.

Do you mind telling me why? I'm not being argumentative, I'm just curious. I don't own a 10 and I've wondered about them. If I ever do buy one it'll be an old one. I like early Parker lifters with the musket barrels. I've shied away from them figuring that it'd become a safe queen.

Extra power. Clay targets just disintegrate. The extra weight makes them swing through better at skeet, at least for me. The big issue is the cost of ammo, but I am getting into reloading to fix that problem.

I am a recent convert to the 10 gauge and have not had the chance to try one out on game yet, but I understand you get much better range.

I love shooting skeet with my 10's. Always shoot low gun. Sometimes I shoot the houses in reverse order to compensate with tight chokes and to let that going away bird fly out to the out of bounds marker (42 yards) and break it before it hits the ground.

One of the men at my club shoots skeet with a model 12, full choke gun and he does okay with it. If he hits a bird it explodes in a cloud of dust.

I'm going to think about a ten. Yeah, I think reloading would be just the ticket.

Steve, reloading for the short ten is the only way to go if you are going to shoot any volume of shells through one. Just yesterday I hit 1800 2 7/8" 10 ga shells through a Parker NH since Fall 2010 shooting crows. Then there are many rounds of trap ans skeet and a bunch of non-tox loads at waterfowl.

My 1 1/4 ounce lead shot, low pressure reloads in 10ga cost me about $8 per 25. My savings though reloading the short ten is significant.

pete did you buy that old lc smith ten... charlie