Snapshots

By Compiled by Ed Carroll

Terry Wallace, a well-known engraver from Vallejo, California, died suddenly last September at the age of 66. He left behind his wife, Betty, two children and a grandchild. Wallace is remembered fondly by his many clients and fellow craftsmen, and a memorial display was to be exhibited at his usual spot at the Firearms Engravers & Gunmakers Exhibition, in Reno, in late January. (For background on Wallace's work, see "Engraving American Style," Nov/Dec '02, or "Chiseled in Steel," Fine Gunmaking, Jan/Feb '94.)

At the time of his death, Wallace had two project guns in the works, and his friends are trying to help sell them. They were to be on display at the Reno Exhibition also-unless they had been sold before then. Each gun is about 80-percent complete, in the white and ready for engraving.

One is an L.C. Smith 20-bore featherweight field grade (Serial No. FwE 136360), with several custom metal features by the late Bill Crowley, a straight stock by Larry Amrine and 26-inch Armor Steel barrels. The asking price is $8,000.

The other is a Winchester Model 21 (Serial No. 22308) with two sets of barrel: the 26-inch barrels choked Skeet 1 & Skeet 2 and the 28-inch tubes choked Modified & Full. Included are two forends with ejectors. Extensive work includes a re-sculpted action and a new toplever, safety button, lockplates and forend-latch plates. The package includes a stock blank. Asking price is $10,000.

For more information on these project guns, contact Brian Rebuck at American Bluing Co. (510-799-4998; bjrebuck@aol.com).

Marlin Firearms Co. will introduce a line of double guns this year bearing the L.C. Smith name. Made by Fausti Stefano, in Italy, the new line includes over/unders and side-by-sides in 12 and 20 gauge. All guns come with checkered, pistol-grip stocks with fluted combs.

Needless to say, the guns are not reproductions of the legendary case-colored Elsie sidelocks from Hunter Arms Co. of Fulton, New York. Hunter Arms produced L.C. Smith guns from about 1890 to 1945. In 1946 the company was bought by Marlin, which continued production of the guns until 1951. In 1968 Marlin reintroduced the L.C. Smith, but it was discontinued again in 1973. Now the Elsie has been reborn again-but in a completely different form.

The boxlock side-by-sides are light-less than 61/2 pounds for the 12 and 6 pounds for the 20. SRP for O/Us will be around $1,400, whereas the side-bys will fetch a few hundred more. Watch for them at Marlin dealers in the first quarter of 2005. -Chad Mason

When California-based Weatherby dropped side-by-side shotguns from its product line in 2003, spokesman Mike Schwiebert told SSM that "It's premature to say the program is dead." Indeed, this was the case, as Weatherby has come back with a new side-by-side for '05.

The Athena D'Italia is another Fausti-made import, though this one comes dressed like a slender and more traditional English gun, with a straight grip, splinter forend, double triggers and sideplates engraved with a scroll-and-ribbons pattern. It incorporates the time-tested Anson & Deeley boxlock design and has modern chrome-lined barrels, with ejectors and a stainless-steel Integral Multiple Choke system certified for steel shot down to Modified constriction.

The Athena D'Italia will be available in 12, 20 and 28 gauge, with the 12 having 28-inch barrels and the sub-gauges 26-inch tubes. SRP is $2,840 for the 12 and 20; $2,976 for the 28.

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