I have this 3rd Model Ladysmith that I picked up 18 years ago, and just finally got around to getting lettered. I know that most references including SCSW routinely describe this gun as being shipped with "smooth walnut square butt stocks with gold medallions", but I have wondered about the accuracy of this. Most of the photos I've seen of 3rd Models have had those smooth stocks. However, my gun has checkered stocks that exhibit checkering that has a very "factory" appearance and quality to them. Furthermore, I have seen numerous others pictured online that appear to have the exact same grips. A simple Google image search quickly turns up several.
My grips are numbered to the gun in a very faint, yet legible, pencil. And yet, the letter I received today states that the checkering was done after leaving the factory, from which it was shipped on June 15, 1916, to Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett & Company in Chicago.
So, questions. First, is it possible that the records are incorrect, and perhaps the checkering was either a special order or possibly just mixed in randomly with the smooth stocks during assembly. Or, perhaps there was one specific source that was checkering them, possibly for an exclusive dealer? I'd love to hear from anybody with any thoughts or insight into this.
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