The same goes for the risk of shooting Damascus steel barrel guns. For most wingshooters there is romance in shooting old guns, but one does question the efficacy of using a hammer gun in real-world bird hunting scenarios. You would not want to put a modern 2¾ inch sporting load through one of those vintage 1800s guns. Most of the early guns were either hammer guns or had Damascus twist barrels, and were built to handle the common loads of the times. Smith Baker, most of these models would be impractical for today’s wingshooter.
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Though a number of models were available in early Baker Vintage production as well as the L.C. Smith Collectors Association Models, grades and options for the L.C. The Marlin Arms Company did produce a few guns in the late 60s and early 70s, though production was very limited.Īd from 1915 – Image from L.C. Production continued for 4 or 5 years until a portion of the factory collapsed, causing an eventual shutdown and the suspension of production. Though company ownership changed hands over the course of time, the next significant purchase came in 1945 when the Marlin Arms company purchased the L.C. During this period of production, options and variety were added to the lineup, including a number of grades, gauges, stock configurations, ejectors and trigger options. Smith Gun that most folks are familiar with began at length. At that time the company passed to John Hunter of Fulton, N.Y., and the production of the L.C. Smith to make guns under the Baker name until 1889. Baker and Leroy Smith would go on to create the Ithaca Gun Company, leaving L.C. Their offerings included side-by-side shotguns with external hammers and three barrel guns - side-by-side shotgun barrels over a rifle barrel, commonly referred to as drillings. Baker and the brothers Leroy Smith and Lyman Cornelius Smith began making guns in partnership in 1879 under the Baker name. They are also unique in design when compared to many of the other popular doubles of their time and are inarguably tied to wingshooting history in the States. Smith is easily one of the most recognizable names in the world of American double guns. Exploring the shotgun manufacturer famous for their American side lock