My friend's 1928 LC Smith 20 ga

[Captain Bob]

Here is the content of an email just received from my friend Tom M. who lives, retired, near Buffalo, NY. I think you too might find it an interesting read due to several included references:
***
Hey.

Got back a few days ago, from a pheasant hunt in western Ohio. Not the best time of year for weather………incredibly cold and wind. Little snow, but 19 or lower and quite breezy. I do not remember ever being as cold as I was, but we got through it nonetheless. Did two hunts over two days and bagged 16 birds total. I employed the new (?) 1928 LC Smith 20 ga……… think I previously sent photos, but if not see attached below

I had gotten a mixed case of RST low-pressure shells and they worked wonderfully. I got good solid, killing hits on birds, and down they went without question. Nice easy felt recoil, and a good feeling that I was not beating the gun too bad with each shot. The 20ga ammo runs out at 1,175 f/s, so not bad velocity, plus the pattern is really nice. RST claims they make no ammo above 6,000 psi pressure, where the lowest Remington Gun Club ammo tends to be 11,000 or so.

I went 9 for 9 on “my” birds, and got in on a double…….two of us hit the same bird at the same time. So I guess I could claim 10 for 10 huh? Never got to use the second barrel. I was a bit leery about the effectiveness of the low pressure ammo, having never used it before, but got my mind changed on the first bird. It was a nice outgoing shot and I let him get up a bit and wham. No doubt about his fatality. I ordered some 20 and 12 ga. ammo in a mixed case with no problem. I got the box the very next day via UPS. All my pals told me to expect huge shipping costs and extra fees and so on. Horseshit. It cost me $10 bucks shipping with no additional fees of any sort, and that was that, plus it came damned fast. All good stuff as far as I’m concerned.

Some of my hunting pals have their minds made up on fairly slim (if any) evidence. Never let facts get in the way of a good story or firmly held position. I am sure you have never run into such stuff in your travels.

This is a sweet gun to carry and shoot. I did well on this deal. Plus it fits me pretty well. I am planning on doing a red pad on it come spring, to gain a bit more length. I used a slip-on for the hunt, giving me an additional 3/4 inch which I need. Just had no time to do the work this fall.

By the way, this is the gun I got in Maine just a month or so ago……at Kittery Trading Post. I must have mentioned this to you before.

So a good report and a pretty fun trip…….if you don’t count the cold. I do.

We will be with our granddaughter for Christmas. Neat. Looking forward to that.
I hope you and Roberta have a wonderful Christmas and New Year thing…….whatever.

Cheers and a blessing my friend.

Tom
***

[Harry Collins]

Beautiful little Smith and a testament to the effectiveness of RST shells. I am a firm beliver in velocity's between 1080 and 1200 fps giving the best patterns.

Harry

[Dean Romig]

Bob, I'm glad your friend got that Smith! It's a sweet little gun - I had it in my hands and it felt very nice!

And Three Cheers for Alex and Jill and Morris at RST for all they do for we shooters of these older guns.

[Bill Murphy]

Yup, I haven't had the chance to promote RST lately, but their shells are what we need for our guns. I have pressure tested both RST shells and my own reloads and some "big three" promotional shells at the RST facility and find that the RST ammunition is truly low pressure and the "big three" ammunition is not.

[Old and Reliable]

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--