I have been looking for a 20ga for my son who is just about to turn 12.
I have been offered an LC Smith - Ideal in 20ga, and I have not yet seen the gun, but it has a history of belonging to the same family since around 1960 and both the father and his brother used it then it was pased onto the 2 sons who are now in their early 20's and have graduated to 12ga.
Trouble is, we don't see too many of those guns over this side of the pond so I am looking for some comments/advice.
The owner says that the action is still nice and tight, but the safety does not go on automatically when opening/closing, but works manually. The front trigger needs work since it is a bit over-sensitive.
The barrels are pitted inside, but to what extent I am not sure until I see the gun. My feeling is that with the modern plastic cups protecting the shot unless the pitting is radical it should not make too much of a difference.
The stock is an reasonably good condition.
The owner will probably let me have the gun for between $140-200 and I figure the gunsmithing for the safety and trigger will be about $75-$100.
Would this be a good buy?

If that is US$ buy it now. 20 Ga Smiths are scarce. And an Ideal grade at that. The action alone is worth about $150.

The Auto safety is accuated by a a thin bar that rides in a slot in the top tang and mates with a slot in the top of the stock. Turning the lever to open the action pushes the bar back, which pushed the saftey back to safe. If the stock has ever been off the gun, the chances are that the bar is missing. When the stock is removed there is nothing holding the bar in place. It can be a challenge to re-install a butt stock on Smith.

Look for cracks in the wood at the back end of the side plates. There is not much wood left in the front part of the butt stock
If you have to replace the butt stock its a custom job and expensive - lots of labor

Depending on the depth - the pits may hone out. Take it to your gunsmith to have it checked out.

check these out - could not find 20 ga Idea but did find a 20 ga field and a 16 Ga Ideal

http://www.gunsamerica.com/guns/976378227.htm
http://www.gunsamerica.com/guns/976334589.htm

Check the site out- they have many L. C.Smiths

Thanks Trigger,
I hope to get out and have a look at the shotgun in the morning.
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