L.C Smith 20 ga.: Do I really need one?

The cracked stock (behind the lock plates) is a common problem to LCS's. A lest than superb repair is also often seen. What can't be seen underneath can be a horror show sometimes. Cavernous dremel dig-outs with all sorts of glued in supports. All in the hope of saving the wood from further splitting.
The LCS butt stock doesn't afford much recoil support on it's best inletting, but it can and does hold up if done correctly. Likewise a correct repair can save some very badly cracked and otherwise botched repair jobs.

Hunter One Triggers (HOT) and ejectors can cause all sorts of headaches, The latter especially if the butt stock has been off of the gun for repair or just for lookin' as some people are apt to do.
Just over tightening the tang screws a quarter turn or so can effect the HOT (or most any of the older single triggers like the Parker, Ithaca, ect). Tightening the lockplate screw too tight pulling the plates inward can cause it to malfunction too.
An easy 'fix' for some gun mechanics is to back off the screws till the trigger works L/R and R/L when dry fired. All set!,,not hardly. That usually leaves the action/frame slightly loose in the stock. The wood gets battered during shooting and the fragile Elsie stock (and the other makes too) develop cracks.
'Ringing' the bbls,,hanging them from your finger and tapping them to make them chime can produce some results for you too see if there are loose rib(s) or not. But don't rely on the method too awful much as the loose rib the technique will uncover will be an obvious one. Usually a rattler a few inches long at the muzzle end or up against the forend lug. You should be able to see and feel those with a normal visual inspection which should be done before purchase anyway.

The test will not show any gaps or bridges in the rib that are loose,,unless they are several inches in length,,say 8 or 9" and more.
The bbls will still ring like a bell.
Again those you should spot easily enough by eyeball.
Look closely, use a magnifier if needed. Go up one side and down the other of each rib slowly.Pressing on the rib as you go. You'll see it move if loose any distance. You may see oil squeeze out from the seam.
It is a true rarity to find ribs w/o a pin-hole or two in the soldered joints of the rib when bluing them and they are in the water tank. But unsoldered joints should be taken care of.

Check bbls for cut bbls,,especially those w/ cyl/cyl chokes.
Uneven muzzle, muzzle that's not square, fresh solder in btw bbls at muzzle, rough finish on edges of bbls at muzzle. Sight bead slightly off center or too far forward or back. Muzzles of bbls usually touch,,BUT not always. A wide spacing betw them is a good indication of a cut.

If you are happy with the bbls anyway, choke tubes either replaceable or permanent can be installed, though figure the $$.
 
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It is not true that the LCS 16 is built on a 20 ga frame. The FW LCS guns were all built from the same frame forging, which was introduced in 1907, but they were machined differently for each gauge, with different firing pin spacing and different barrel diameters.

From the L.C. Smith Collectors Association site, in response to the FAQ regarding how many different frame sizes were made for LCS shotguns:

The Featherweight (FW) frame was introduced with the 20 gauge gun in 1907 (SN 1104 completed December 4, 1907), and was produced in two sizes: 12 gauge and 16/20 gauge.

Thanks to all for the information and advice.

Decided not to buy the LCS 20 under discussion. Determined that there are other good buys out there without buying someone else's problem to fix.

H Richard: check your PM's
 
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