Gary, I now own Austin's rare #3 frame 32" 12 gauge lifter. It is one of the last lifters made, maybe the last, serial number 104,043. There are missing stock books in that era. I had been pursuing that gun since well before Austin owned it. When I first saw the gun, I had no idea how scarce these guns are, nor how late in lifter production it was. Several years after I was offered the gun by another collector, Austin showed up with it. He would not sell it to me, but he knew I wanted it. He installed a Silver type pad on it for shooting but did not modify the butt and the original buttplate is with the gun. It was ordered on May 2, 1908 and shipped to Shoverling, Daly, and Gales, probably seven years after the gun was numbered.
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