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Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 908
Likes: 43
Sidelock
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Sidelock
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Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 908
Likes: 43
If it locks up tight and the fore end looks like it fits take it out and shoot a couple boxes of shells through it and see what happens. If there is any movement in the lock it needs to be tightened up or everything will shake loose pretty soon.

Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 305
Likes: 7
Sidelock
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Sidelock

Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 305
Likes: 7
Back to work on the ole lefever

I have the barrel and top lever fit (I think)and wanted to take it out for a few shots before pr0ceeding with other work.

I am seeing something that concerns me.

When I have the barrel on the receiver and minus the forearm metal, with good thumb pressure on the front pushing it into the barrel I see no light and cannot get a .0015 gauge to even get started anywhere around the barrel/breach interface. This the same whether I have to top lever engage or not.

Ok now when I put the forearm metal on. the metal snaps down pretty tight and I can tell it tensions the whole set up and although not bad does tighten up the opening/closing of the assembly. The thing that concerns me is that this opens up a gap on the left barrel face and I can now barely slide a .003 gauge in the gap as well as see light evenly around the whole barrel face surface. this is only on the left barrel.

When I take the forearm metal off I cannot feel any lateral movement between the barrel and receiver when closed and just a bit when opened.


What say ye?
The gun is looking good though so I have that going for me.

Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 908
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
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Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 908
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The fore end iron or hanger needs a minor tweek. Either the back of the iron slot or the back of the hanger. The pressure creating a gap may indicate the hook cut being a bit deep. Smoke everything up , put the foe end iron on and see what is going on. Fit the FE iron shoot it , then re-smoke and see if anything moved.

Joined: Feb 2002
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
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Joined: Feb 2002
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The forend exerts forward pressure on the bbls,,backward force on the frame when it's snapped/locked into position.
It is pushing the bbls away from the frame.

If there is space betw the bbl face and the frame anywhere with the forend in place, then the bbl's are off face at that spot. even though they can exhibit a very tight fit in the action and on the hinge pin. They are just short of reaching the face of the frame.

IF there is space betw the bbl flats and the action flat (water table) yet, the bbl can still rotate downward a little and it may be enough to close the .003 gap at the one point.
You might not have quite enough room to close it up completely, but at least get rid of some of it. You can always put a bit more clearance down there by trimming the bbl flats. It's only a few .000 but watch what you are doing as the bbls are made to only set down so far.
Remember the firing pins must hit the center of the chambers!
Go too far chasing a tight breech fit and then wonder if the sadly off center firing pin hits will work OK.

Spotting and fitting in the forend any more against the forend bbl hanger will jut make the condition worse as it will then allow the bbls to not only be off face,,but also loose on the hinge pin.
Thats where they start to shuck back and forth and the quick fix is to peen the forend iron on the bottom side to stretch it. That puts it tight once again betw the hanger and the nose of the frame.
It still won't cure any gap/off face problem at the breech.

You either have to rotate the bbls a little more in fitting to make up the gap as above or,
you have to move the bbl back from the hinge pin by enlarging the hook (shim, welding, inlay) or a new oversize hinge pin to move the bbl back those few .000 to allow it to reach the breech face.

Then the refitting once again of the breech face of the bbls to the frame face and probably the forend will need to be refit as the bbl hanger has now moved backward with the bbl assembly and will extra tight when putting on the forend. That's a good problem to have.

It's very difficult to read and feel with hand pressure only wether the action and bbls are really tight. Nothing like a heavy spring closing the action or the forend snapped and locked into place.

One pretty good way to tell if it's tight by using you hands and hand pressure to hold it closed and checking is put the bbls in the vise upside down with the action on it. Having the butt stock attached is even better as it gives you some leverage.
With the unit upside down and held by the bbls up close to the breech so you can tighten them securely,,pull down on the action/stock assembly as if to lock it closed.

You have a lot of leverage there and can hold it closed with one hand while checking with the other hand for the slightest movement around the bbl and frame areas.
Wrap your hand right round the breech joint areas and try side to side movements with the action with it pulled tightly closed.
Your hand will pick up even the slightest movement of the frame/bbl joint at any point.

Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 305
Likes: 7
Sidelock
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Sidelock

Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 305
Likes: 7
Thanks for the feedback

reporting progress

Ok I am doing this project for a learning experience. Up to this point I probably have a $2,000.00 Lefever nitro special 12 gauge, considering the time I have into it so far. Did the factories spend this much time fitting up these guns or am I going to have a North Florida Best Grade Lefever when done?


I took the forearm metal off and took the hanger catch and spring off. I put the metal back on and noticed the stem of the metal needed to move over just a bit to get the hole over the hanger. The direction it needed to move would be toward the left barrel barrel which is the barrel showing a smidgeon of light when the FA metal is attached.

Zip......Light bulb turns on over the head.

I did the following:

Smoked the FA metal in the round and reattached and worked the action and sure enough there is good contact on the side of the left barrel and no contact on the side of the right.

I polished inside the left side of the round keeping pressure on the left and nothing on the right until metal drops down with even touch between the sides of the FA metal slot and the sides of the barrel hanger.

I worked the barrel flats down a fart skin.

Results:

Action definitely opens and closes smoother. With spring loaded and forearm metal reattached, no light on either side even with top lever not engaged.


This gun will not get shot much but I will get it re-assembled and shoot a box of shells and see what happens and report back.

Thanks again

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