What if??

Originally Posted by Richard Anderson

All BS aside the LC Smith is a wonderfull and rare gun indeed. It aspires to a certain buyer/collector being NIB. That genre is no longer my cup of tea but that doesn't detract from this wonderfull shotgu. I have had NIB guns befor, a couple of repo's and a Win M70 .358 FWT with all the paperwork. I sold them all and haven't regretted it as I want to "enjoy the color" befor the next caretaker does.

I have gone the opposite route in my gun purchases (except for one- happened to be a LC Smith) as I ascribe to the Ernest Hemingway school of thought re: guns- that being- "A gun is to shoot" With the possible exception of his G&H Springfield, his Model 12 with solid rib, and a few Winchester .22's- he bought almost all his guns second or even third hand--

I was wrong to comment on the box and tag- I am a "doubting Thomas" by nature when it comes to spending my $- and tend to view some things as possibly being 'counterfeit' just because of the old adage- "If it sounds too good to be true, it ain't"!! I do see Galazan's advertising L.C. Smith hang tags- blank for about $35.00 and I wonder -why? But, there are those, and rightfully so, that want the original boxes, tags, instruction booklets as much as the near MINT gun itself.

About 4 years ago I bought a 12 Grade 1 LC Smith- DT- 30" that had been restored- supposedly by Turnbull, although the seller didn't have the provenance to prove it- looked like a new Smith- flawless- and I took it out a few times for banr pigeons and shot it very well- BUT- something about the "New" compared to my "wear with care" guns- so when a friend offered me about what I paid for it- I sold it to him. He's as happy as a lark with it-