was looking beyond the firearms industry for his next business venture. Photo Courtesy Vintage FirearmsĪt about this time, L.C. A total of 206 were made and only 26 were in 20 gauge, like this example. Smith, Maker.” The Monogram was one of the three highest grades. Smith, Maker of the Baker Gun.” The Baker models were phased out beginning in 1884, and by 1886 newly designed hammer and hammerless side-by-sides were being made by “L.C. continued to make the Baker guns, which were marked “L.C. Leroy Smith, William Baker and some other partners went on to form Ithaca Gun Co. In 1880, Lyman (L.C.) Smith bought out his brother and William Baker. There was also a drilling-type three-barreled model consisting of a side-by-side shotgun over a. These were outside-hammer models with sidelocks, Damascus barrels and in 10- or 12-gauge options.
HUNTER ARMS DOUBLE BARREL SHOTGUN SERIAL NUMBERS SERIES
Baker in 1877 to manufacture the Baker series of shotguns. Lyman Cornelius Smith and his older brother, Leroy, entered the gun business in partnership with William H. Smith Company has a rather complicated history. The classic Purdey and Holland & Holland “best” guns are examples of the finest shotguns in the world and are built on sidelock actions. Sidelocks are most often associated with the British, which contributes to what some consider to be snob appeal. Automatic ejectors were standard for this and higher grades. An Ideal Grade 12 gauge with foliate-style engraving, made shortly after WWI. Some makers of box-lock models add false sideplates to give the guns more eye appeal. Sideplates are attractive and lend themselves to just about any level of engraving desired.
The sidelock’s sideplates are removable and allow easy access into the gun’s mechanism for maintenance or repairs. Some say they are more delicate than a box-lock, but that’s not always the case. Sidelocks are more complicated and require a higher level of skill to manufacture. So is the Winchester Model 21, the Ithaca, the Fox and the Lefever.
Not that there’s anything wrong with a box-lock - the Parker, considered by most experts to be the finest American shotgun ever produced, is a box-lock. All the others were built on a box-lock action. The “Elsie,” as the brand is affectionately known, was a sidelock. One name that stands apart from the other great American doubles because of its basic design is the L.C. But the classic side-by-side appeals to the most avid shotgun aficionados, both hunters and collectors. These models dominate the clay target sports and are preferred by many hunters. The over/under has become well established in the States, thanks primarily to imported models. By the 1950s, the only quality side-by-side still in production in the United States was the Winchester 21.Īs time went on, the great American double became more and more popular as a beloved relic of the past and helped establish the gun collector’s market that we know today. The era of the great American doubles gradually came to an end after World War II. Also, many hunters liked the idea of three or more rounds of ammo.)ĭouble-barreled shotguns were more expensive to make and to buy, and gun manufacturers could realize more profits with the pumps and semi-autos. (Over/unders offered a single-barrel view, of course, but were rare in those days. One frequently touted reason - perhaps somewhat of a myth - is that Americans tend to be rifle oriented, and they were more familiar with a single sighting plane. Many shotgunners began to prefer the single-barreled gun. But then progress came along and soon the gun companies were developing pump-action and semi-automatic repeaters. In the early 1900s, the side-by-side was still the standard shotgun in America. With all the many grades, gauges and options, these are the guns that collector’s dreams are made of. Each of these brands had (and has) many advocates, users and collectors. Smith topped the list of the better double guns that were made in the United States. Grand old names like Parker, Fox, Ithaca, Winchester and L.C. The era of the great American double-barreled shotgun lasted for almost 100 years, from shortly after the Civil War in the late 1860s until the middle of the 20th century. Smith was owned by a number of companies, including Marlin. Early models had hammers, but hammerless models became available later.Consider as fine as other great American double-barrels.Though highly sought, history has not been kind to L.C.
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