doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Differences in G and H Grade Lefevers

I have a nice G grade and I am currently looking at an H grade that seems identical with the exception of the H stamped on the watertable. Stock and grip cap and forend are the same, and the sideplates are stamped "Lefever" rather than engraved. Could someone tell me what the differences in grades were on the "field" model Lefevers? Thanks

Mostly cosmetics. According to their 1913 catalog they both have English walnut stocks. The H had twist barrels, if they were not steel and the G had damascus. If the barrels are steel Lefever said the H carried Carman Fluid Steel and the G Premier Nitro Steel (I'll betcha they were the same). The H had slightly plainer checkering. That's about all the significant differences I see.

I boought a few H grades in the last year and the later ones could be any combination of barrels. I bought one with twist, one with damascus and two with steel. I was only suprised to see the damascus barrels and wondered if they were just out of twist or if it was by request. I always think of G or higher for Damascus barrels but this set was what had to be original to the gun. No second set of serial numbers and the numbers all matched.

The one certain fact about Lefevers is that there is an exception to any rule that you can think of with them. That is what makes them so interesting to collect and shoot. 60,000 different combinations of the same gun. Cocking systems, levers, stocks, barrels, bushed firing pins, engraving, wood, you name it and it varies from one gun to the next. On top of that is the fact that they are sometimes out of numberical order for when made and what you get. Kind of like a surprise in every one.

G grades typically have border line engraving on the sidesplates, while earlier H grades are often plain. However, as KY Jon noted, there are exceptions, such as engraved H sideplates in later model years.

"Early" G grades typically had line engraving on the plates, while "Early" H grades typically had none. Later a scroll design was added to both, along with the border being added to the H. The H was always advertised as having twist bbls & later twist or steel, while the G was always advertized as having damascus with steel also being added at a later date. I have absolutely no input as to the why's of an H with damascus bbls, though would think it very uncommon. Perhaps it is a late Ithaca build using available parts, not previously SN'd & numbered to match the frame. All the H's I ever saw with non-steel bbls had what Lefever described as "Best London Twist" bbls or what i would generally describe as "Stub Twist". they have a broken up pattern as opposed to a continuous spiral as on a "Wire Twist" but definately not the Swirl of a damascus. Another possibility is a few very early ones may have been made on essentially G guns sans the small amount of engraving. What SN range was the damascus H in??
Essentially I believe in the beginning the primary difference between the two was the bbls. When steel bbls began to edge in, it likely became necessary to give them different names to "Maintain an Image" of higher grade bbls.

Thank you all for the responses. The only engraving my G grade has is a little embellishment on the bolt heads attaching the sideplates, but no border on the sideplates. The casecoloring is very vivid on the sideplates, but absent on the frame. Is there a source for looking up serial numbers? The Lefever website does not seem to have such a service. I'd love to bid on the G grade Julia has for sale, but the range of value is a little ambitious on their part ($3k - $5k).

EEB;
Go down to the bottom of the page & click "Other Useful Information". Once there you will find a link to "High Grade Shotguns, Dates of Production". You will find Lefever SN's listed there. Understand this list is not from factory records, but an "Estimation" comprised after much work & study by Bob Elliot, who has also written a couple of books on Lefevers.
I have never seen a G grade without at least the line border around the plates. Are you sure you looked real close, on early ones it is just a simple line, no flourishes or anything, about 1/16" inside the edge of the plate, all the way around.