Old Hammered Doubles questions ...

jayefsee

You folks were such a big help with my Beretta question, here's another. After all of the talk I've heard about old doubles, with Damascus barrels, blowing up, I thought I better ask about this one. This is an old hammered double barrel shotgun. It has 30" barrels. Top of the right barrel is marked "ROYAL STEEL"; the top of the left barrel is marked "HUNTER ARMS Co. MAKERS, FULTON, N Y." .In front of the hammers, on both sides, is the name "L. C. SMITH". It is a 12 gauge, although that is not marked on the gun anywhere. The serial number is the same on all three pieces "159XXX" with the letter "F" under it. The end piece on the stock has the head of a dog with a bird in its mouth. Good clean gun. No rust . looks all original . blue in protected areas . turning to brown on top . checkered stock and forepiece. So when was it made ? . Are these barrels "Damascus" ? . should it be safe to shoot ? . and any idea as to value ? . Those pesky insurance agents ask all kinds of questions. Thanks in advance for your help.
JFC

dennisw

JFC
Type in( royal steel hunter arms )into Google and read Grampa's shotgun by Briley. Also refer to two guns simaler to yours.Royal steel could be laminate not twist.
dennis

nord

Yours is a field gun "F" made by Hunter Arms in Fulton, NY. While Elcee serials are a bit difficult to decipher, a date of 1900 would be close enough (though I believe the gun may well be as late as 1920).

Royal Steel is just that! Not damascus. Not laminate. These tubes were designed for smokeless powder and are among the best ever made. The only consideration is chamber relief for today's slightly longer shells.

Royal Steel made the transition to the later hammerless models. I happen to have two hanging on the wall not 20' away.

As to your particular gun, the 12ga. is at the bottom of the barrel as far as collectors are concerned... That's the bad news. The good news is the bottom of the Elcee barrel is well over the top of many others.

Value will be most affected by case colors on the receiver. Faded blue on the tubes will be of somewhat less concern. Make sure the wrist of the stock is uncracked and intact. Insurance won't be a factor as the gun probably won't bring even $500.00 on a good day and $150.00 less on most.

One more thing... Nice gun!

Nord

jayefsee

Thanks for your responses. Through Google I found a supplier of copies of the 1906 Hunter Catalog for L. C. Smith shotguns. That's on the way. The information that these are not Damascus was great !! Thanks again to both of you for your help.
JFC

He Dog

I like those old Elsies, but they don't fit me worth spit. One design flaw with the L.C.'s is the way the sideplates come to a cathedral point. That tends to crack the stock just behind the point of the plate, as Nord implied on check the wrist for cracks. In my part of the country, even re-blued L.C,'s guns are asking collector prices of $500 and up.

My heros have always killed cowboys.