L.C. Smith Ideal Grade 12-gauge – 1941, FEATHERWEIGHT, MILLER TRIGGER

Manufactured by the Hunter Arms Company in Fulton, New York, in 1941, this L.C. Smith Ideal Grade 12-gauge, serial number FWE199966 represents a great mechanical foundation for a custom build or restoration project.

Built on the desirable Featherweight frame the features automatic ejectors and has been upgraded with a Miller single selective trigger. The barrels are re-blued but retain clear roll marks while the sidelock action displays vivid factory case colors across the plates, frame, and water table alongside crisp Ideal Grade oak leaf scrollwork. The shotgun is fitted with a custom straight-grip buttstock crafted from walnut and capped with a black rubber recoil pad. While functional for casual shooting, the stock does not do the guns mechanics justice, making the gun a prime candidate for a proper restock to complement the original factory splinter forend. The solid metal foundation, mechanically superior Miller trigger, and well-timed ejectors provide all the critical hardware needed for a bespoke sporting clays or upland build without the investment required for an unmolested collector piece.

Across the total run of roughly 26,000 Ideal Grades produced between 1912 and 1950, the vast majority were built with standard double triggers. While Miller triggers are occasionally seen on target-configured Specialty and Trap grades, finding an Ideal Grade fitted with an authentic Miller single selective trigger is relatively uncommon, representing at most a tiny fraction of surviving guns. Please review the photographs and specifications below. Thanks for looking!