Fox Collectors

Just want to show some pics of a L C Smith Field Grade Long Range, a nice 3-inch/32-incher I scored last month. I'd promised my wife the Smith would be my Christmas present and although I peeked I didn't open the box to play until all our family were here on Christmas morning. Santa was good to me this year.

As most will probably know the Long Range Smith was a contemporary of the Super-Fox. Some of the ice had melted of late and I had her out for ducks real early this morning, but the few birds that were there yesterday evening were gone. Rats!

frank
If you expand this last pic you'll see some tiny raindrops as I was finishing up with the camera.

Congratulations on a nice Christmas present! I have been long interested in the LCS Long Range guns, myself. Long barreled Smiths are so easy to shoot, if the stock dimensions are decent. I'm not sure what it is, but many of them just seem to have wonderful handling characteristics. I shoot my 32" 16 ga. as good as any gun I own, I believe.

How about some specs on her, Frank ...........what's she weigh?

Hope you get to use her on some ducks, soon.

SRH

Thanks Stan, this is the third Smith Long Range I've owned over the years and the two earlier ones shot very well. Actually I haven't fired this one as yet but I'm looking right down the rib and seeing the right picture relative to the bead. 1-9/16 by 2-3/4 by 14-1/8 LOP. Weight 8^4. Chokes are 38 and 40 points.

I've been looking for ducks but this second split has been pretty rough. Supposed to be a 30-degree drop between today and tomorrow. I'm on the mend from the flu or something and probably shouldn't have gone out today but rode almost to my blind at the spring pipe this morning in the Rhino. Now I'm paying for it with hacking etc.

Eight/four would be great for a gun like that. I'd add a pad to it if I shot it much, just to get the LOP longer, which would add another few ounces, but not slow the swing characteristics. Nothing that couldn't be reversed without hurting originality. Actually, I'm finding I can shoot ducks well with a little less LOP than I thought, at least with my HE. I did the best shooting of my duck hunting life with it last Friday morning, but that's being saved for the upcoming article.

Hope you really enjoy it, and get to use it on some ducks this season.

Best, SRH

Doesn't look like that one spent too much time on a salt marsh!! Great find.

Frank does your gun have the reinforced loop and 3 inch stamp?

Craig, it has the 3-inch stamp and is marked Long Range on the barrel lug. It doesn’t have the reinforced loop which seems to be hit and miss on LR’s. Also kind of interesting, the chambers measure “tight” - the same as righteous S-F chambers using my special gauge made with dimensions from Super-Fox/3-inch chamber casts.

Frank: Same as mine 3" but no reinforced loop like many others. Mine is choked .040/.040 completed and shipped in 1926. Mine is a Eagle straight grip with double trigger and extractors 8lbs 4oz. . Just the way I would have ordered it. As you stated the chokes on the LR's are .010 less than a Super, it will be interesting to see how they pattern.

One of mine has the reinforcement loop, the other does not

Both are marked 3"

I probably won't get a letter on my LR but based on the s/n she's probably a late 1927 gun. If I get to the Southern this year I'll see if Jim S can look her up in the LCS records.

For those who might look for a Long Range Smith, here's a pic of the LONG RANGE and 3-inch stampings.

Sweet capture Frank. I have one of those on my short wish list.

Nice gun Frank, even if it is a Smitty!!!!