Alex and his charming wife Jill were at the MI "Yooper Shoot" this past June over Father's Day week-end- had a chance to meet both of them and also buy some ammo- my older doubles love the 2.5" orange plastic 1 oz. No 8 target loads- Due to some "issues" with my two ejector 12 bores (3E Smith and GHE Parker) on Friday- I had to shoot the "two man hurry" on Sunday with the only other ejector gun I brought- the 2E Smith VR 32" Full and fuller- I wanted some RST spreader loads, but they had sold out, but Alex promised to bring more next year- What great folks, and to be able to do business with actual shooters who enjoy our beloved doubles.
On the 20 Smith- I am re-assembling a similar vintage Field FWE 16 for a friend. A now gone to his final reward gun repairman had taken it apart (Why? ) I don't know, apparently with a cold chisel and a crowbar- some parts I could TIG weld, but NOT springs, sears, hammers, etc- Pins I can turn from D-2, screws- well that's a gamble of course-
So I ordered new sears, springs, hammers, from Numrich. His Smith was mfg. in 1926, with the later style two-position safety (check Brophy's books for ils on difference in trigger springs, etc from the 3 way older style to the later two way- parts are different- after re-assembly, fitted the lock plates to the frame- BUT ooops- the sear "tails" were about 3/16" too short to make contact with the trigger blades- so a 'no-bang" shotgun. Had to go to older parts inventory to get proper sears and notch for safety into the mating notches in the RH and LH hammers- now it works OK-
What I am wondering, just as if there were differences between Meriden mfg. Parker ejectors and single triggers, and the later Parkers mfg. at Ilion, NY- were these "new" parts I ordered from Numrich for a post 1945 Marlin era Smith- or maybe even the ill-fated 1968 "re-entry" Smith with the "ugly as homemade sin" aluminum raised ventilated rib?
I have two boxes of purple 16 RST 2.5" hulls in 7/8 oz. no 8 shot when this Smith is ready for test firing with live rounds. 30" Armor steel barrels with the 2 & 9/16" chambers and both barrels check Full on my Galazan gauge- PG, DT, splinter with the earlier banjo shaped release escutcheon- fortunately, the previous gentleman did nothing to the barrels, ejectors or forearm, they are all A-OK--
If you are going to work on your Smith shotguns- Brophy's books are a Godsend- also the combination cocking curved steel tool, and assortment of vise-grips including needle nosed ones, drift and pin punches, and properly ground Grace or equiv. turnscrews- plus good lighting and a lot of time and patience--
RST-- indeed a first class op.
Threaded Mode