Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill Murphy
Francis, my old pre 1913 vent rib 32" Smith is the best handling 32" gun I've ever shot. I guess we must have the only two factory pre-13 32" vent rib Smiths out there. I had never seen or heard of another until I heard about yours. Smith did just a wonderful job on my barrels. Most Smith vent rib guns are such pigs with big ugly beavertails and thick trap stocks.
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I am not a huge fan of the big beavertail forearms on side-by-side guns, to my mind you loose some of the dynamics of a grooved mount and swing- However, as I mainly shoot 12 bores, I don't have the problem of wrapping my hands around a splinter forearm and the smaller barrel configuration of a 28 gauge side-by--
I tried to get this older Smith lettered, but records don't exist- sn is 1074 and the Nitro 32" barrels are stamped with that plus 2E- Later patent ejectors, but not the banjo shaped escutcheon, the later rectangular- checkering about 18 lpi- pg capped and solid red pad- fits me like an Armani suit on a Goombah--three position safety, 3" chambers but not marked so- and NOT a LongRange model- no bushed firing pins, but frame has the older reinforcement rails at the bottom- good solid walnut with grain, ebony tip on splinter--
I love it- for Tower birds, Turkeys, later season mallard and geese (with the Classic loads from Cabela's) and although I have yet to shoot live box birds, I did use it for both rings of the "pigeon ring" clays shoot last summer at Da Yooper- I hit 90% of the clays, BUT-- the ribbon has to fall inside the ring to score, and that was my downfall-but not the gun's fault at all- it loves 1 oz. No 8 RST 2.5" loads-patterns 80% at 40 yards in 36" circle shot after shot, and puts the pattern at about 65% over my POA- and NO middle bead on the rib- I'll bring it to the April shoot, if plans hold up--
