![lc smith field grade lc smith field grade](https://bid.auctionbypearce.com/images/lot/1195/11953914_0.jpg)
In viewing your limited pix, I think the gun has been aftermarket refurbished and likely by someone who paid good attention to detail, given that screw slots remain sharp and the gun seems to have its original flat top checkered diamonds (wood was probably cleaned and checkering not re-cut just new finishes applied).
#Lc smith field grade serial number#
As to your gun, its very odd that the gun frame is not stamped with the serial number prefix letters and had your gun been stamped in the normal fashion the serial number stamp would have been "FWSE5". There is a fee for a records search but thru Jim you should be able to verify grade, barrel length, options, gauge, manufacture and ship dates, where the gun was originally shipped etc. You can visit this web site, and on that site find Jim Stubbendieck who has a copy of the surviving L.C. The prefix stamp "E" would have also been on the frame had this gun been stamped in the normal fashion as this letter stamp denoted optional factory installed selective automatic ejector, which your gun has. The "S" stamp was a prefix stamp added to all Smith guns made by Marlin to distinguish their guns from all other Smith guns and to Smith collectors, instantly ID's a Smith gun as being manufactured in the 1945-1950 production period. An FW framed gun will show two screw slots on the left-side lock plate and one on the right side while an R framed Smith gun will have one screw slot on the left side and zero on the right side (there is no evidence that an R framed Smith gun was ever manufactured during the Marlin era production period).
#Lc smith field grade how to#
Novices wouldn't know how to determine the difference, but there are several differences between the two frame types but the easiest way for non-Smith gun collectors to make a determination is to count screws in the lock plates. Your gun was probably made in mid to late 1945 and the serial number would be interpreted as follows: The letters "FW" denoted the gun being manufactured on Smith's "Feather Weight" gun frame this designation was factory code distinguishing this style gun frame from their Smith's Regular or "R" gun frame, but did not necessarily mean the gun was light weight at all.
![lc smith field grade lc smith field grade](https://www.turnbullrestoration.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/LC-Smith-Field-Grade-Shotgun.jpg)
on thru the final Smith gun Marlin produced in 1950. Guns were consecutively numbered from that point FWS2, FWS3, etc. The first Marlin era Smith guns were made on frames already serialized with the 6-digit number sequence in use by the LC Smith Gun Company then Marlin assigned their own unique serial number sequence to the first batch of gun frames they ordered beginning with FWS1, a Crown Grade presented to the president of the company, Frank Kenna (FWS2 was also a Crown Grade). Smith Gun Company in 1945 as a result of a bankruptcy sale. The Marlin Firearms Company purchased the L.C.