Re: 1st year Elsie Fulton gun

[Lloyd McKissick]

WHO: That looks to be a Syracuse Smith through and through. The breech balls are a dead giveaway and the square barrel lug (with the heavy frame bolsters) confirms it.

I can't exactly make out what it says on the top rib but it appears to say that it's from Syracuse NY. It also looks to be in very good original condition. From my reading there were some later guns made in Syracuse after the sale to the Hunters in 1888. The folks at the LC Smith webpage can give you a better sense of the build date but I'd think it was earlier than 1890.

[WHO]

Lloyd, if you double click (or double tap if you are on a phone) on the photo, it enlarges and helps to see finer details. The rib is engraved " L C Smith Maker Syracuse NY Damascus Steel". You might be correct that the gun is earlier than 1890 since the serial number is 16xxx. Not sure if the early Smith serial numbers were in numerical order.
Wayne