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Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 5
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Hoping you experts can recommend an adjustment tool for me. E-grade Lefever 12-gauge double barrel. Barrels are sitting a bit proud of the receiver face. Have identified the adjustment mechanism within (photo below). Two pin-receiving holes for rotation of the adjustment mechanism. [/b]What sort of tool do I need for this? [b]Was thinking of grinding two nibs out of a large flathead screwdriver but there's likely something better.

Thanks for your kind assistance!

[Image]http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f15/wtfoley3/IMG_0243_zpsme9ecljx.jpg

[Image]http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f15/wtfoley3/IMG_0245_zpszszmsqqt.jpg

Bill Foley
Carey, NC

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That screw with the face spanner holes is one of Lefever's wear compensating features. If your barrels are proud of the action at the breech face, moving that screw probably won't help at all. Some barrels were just struck that way, and some are struck a bit smaller than the breech balls. The compensating screw is only used to put barrels back on face. If the gun is loose, the bolting surfaces are worn, and the early Lefevers had another compensating screw to tighten that up. For later guns, it is easier to just make a new bolt a few thousandths thicker.

Many Lefevers are found with this compensating screw all buggered up because they are usually very difficult or impossible to move after 125 or more years. The later versions had a large screw slot that could withstand more torque, but even those can be very stubborn. I have had some that finally broke free after several months of soaking with good penetrating oil (forget about Kroil for these), heating with a soldering iron, rapid cooling with refrigerant, tapping with a brass rod, etc.

On the few that I have removed, I found a very slight taper to the threads, and I think the female threads also have a very slight taper, so getting them to go much deeper isn't easy anyway. I believe that when the guns were built, the assemblers probably ran the tap in a bit at a time to end up with a tight fit so this screw wouldn't back out. Retired Oregon Lefever Gunsmith Keith Kearcher recommended polishing the threads on a buffing wheel to get them to go a bit deeper. Good luck with finding a replacement screw though, if your buffing wheel grabs it and throws it into some dark corner of your shop. I forget the thread size, but it is most definitely not a standard size that you can simply buy a tap to run into the hole. I noticed that a couple seemed to have a hard black substance that may have been some early version of thread locker compound that prevented any penetrating oil from getting down into the threads. I have a loose I Grade gun on which I never was able to move this screw despite numerous attempts. I keep occasionally hitting it with Tasgon penetrating oil in the hope that it might eventually break free. After two years or so... no luck yet.

I made a face spanner for this type of Lefever compensating screw by drilling properly spaced holes into the end of a piece of drill rod with a small tee handle welded on, and using needle bearings from an old universal joint for my hardened pins. I suppose you could also use the end of the correct size drill bit to make pins. Some people recommend making a face spanner tool by carefully filing pins out of the end of a grade 8 bolt. That seemed like too much work for something that will probably break anyway. Naturally, a couple small pins won't take the same amount of torque that a good screwdriver blade will take, so great care must be taken to not get impatient and do damage to the screw or action knuckle.


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After 60 years of messing with Lefevers, I have found that the initial breaking free of the screw is best done with a punch that matches the contour of the head of the screw. I have that baby around here somewhere. The punch is struck with a hammer, hopefully breaking the seal. To be honest, I have only had two Lefevers that needed such attention. I would rather use the "hardened pins inserted into a block" as a wrench rather than a carved out screwdriver blade. The pins created by a filed screwdriver are way less than round and fitted to the holes and they aren't very hard. Dewey Vicknair did one particularly stubborn example, but I never asked him how he did it.

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As far as a tool. You would need to make something up. And then hope it doesnt break or that you dont damage the holes when you try to turn it. After so long of sitting in one place, those adjustable joints rately want to move. Later lefevers went to a slotted joint ball, which eliminates the need for a special tool, but does not make them easier to break free.


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Brian, I use my round end steel punch before I make any attempt to get the screw moving. I have not damaged a hole yet.

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Last edited by skeettx; 01/22/18 03:42 PM.

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