doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Anybody Seen a Broken Late LAC-Model Lefever?

-This is the one with the single cocking lever that went into production somewhere in the high 20k serial number range. Think all the Ithaca made sideplate guns were so manufactured.

I mention this because we always have a backdrop of sideplate Lefever related discussion going on here somewhere which I faithfully read and I have had my share of the more modest grades themselves - - I can't think of any reports of (at least) these later sideplaters being mechanically busted up due more to some type inherent design weakness. -Except maybe ejectors.

I appreciate all the wear compensating features Dan Lefever engineered into the gun, but I'm not talking about them as much as much as I am talking about just the gun itself.

I remember when I first started to focus on them. I kept looking for stock splits radiating from the sideplates' rear inletting, ala Smith. Didn't see much of anything. Also expected the need to replace an occasional spring. -Haven't had to do that, ever. Never really had a problem with a Lefever double trigger, or safety not traceable to disassembly/reassembly work, or terribly saturated wood. For that matter, too, can't recall a problem with a loose forearm, etc.

I like Parkers, too, and have many apart that seemed solid, only to sometimes discover a free-floating piece of inletted action wood that required attention. Can't recall this yet in a Lefever, unless there was clear evidence of some form of accident.

I guess this post is ment as a kind of personal belated acknowlegment of a fundamentally excellent product, upon original factory delivery. One good enough so as to not require me to use any of the wear compensating features I know I still have as back-ups.

I have seen more than a few with cracked or broken stocks. 100 years of use will do that to even the best guns if a few falls, drop and too heavy loads are mixed in. A few popped ribs come to mind also. Two with top levers that were a problem, one an early pivot style, both were minor repairs.

Some of the guns have been shot until they are almost loose. Easy fix witha Lefever. One of my F grades had been shot so much that it had been completely rebuilt with bushed firing pins and a new dolls head surface. Must have been used a ton for the wear it had endured. It works well to this day by the way.

Lefever, as you point out, made an outstanding gun. His attempt to allow for wear by multiple adjustments was ahead of his time. But if he had better steels most of them would not be needed. I like his lines and the fact that he built 12s that go from just about 7 pounds to almost 9 pounds and they all feel alive in my hands. His stock work and engraving was far better than most of his day.

If someone wanted to bring back the Lefever in small gauges I would be forced to buy several. How about a 28 gauge Lefever with 28-30" barrels that tips the scales just over 5 1/2 pounds. That would be one very fast handling bird gun if there ever was one. Or even a 20 version that is 6 1/2 pounds.

I have also seen a few LAC guns with popped ribs and cracked or broken stocks. Have seen a few that have had missing parts and not just the cocking indicators.
A friend of mine bought an F grade with both hammers missing, the safety missing and the foreend lug missing. Someone had epoxied the forend on and had explained the missing hammers as "the sears needed adjustment to hold the hammers back".
Several years ago I bought an early E grade 11,2XX cocking rod model with pivot top lever that had a rod and spring missing from the bottom of the locking bolt. I didn't know this at the time I bought the gun. It seemed to lock up tight so I took the gun to the range and (with low pressure shells) shot a few clay birds with it. Later, I took it apart to clean 100+ years of gunk out of the action & relubricate when I noticed there should have been 2 more parts.

Jack K

I'm sure there are plenty of broken automatic hammerless Lefevers out there, but my S.N. 299XX G-Grade isn't one them. My only problem with it is it's set up for a left-hander (cast-on and reversed triggers)and I'm not one, a lefty that is. I still manage to shoot it pretty often every year with fair enough results...Geo

Saw an E on the junk rack at Hamburg PA Cabellas that should have been but wasn't (at least according to the price tag!!). However, I've seen a number of guns missing part of one or both upper horns of the stock head. Probably just short grain. Can't expect anyone to totally subdue the ideosyncracies of wood. Awaiting new FE from MD member this very moment. Course it's just like my G with scratching and kickers. I think I bought it for the scratching as I like the (tastefully restrained) border and starbursts better than the (fussy and overdone)coverage on the E. Reverse snobbery is so soothing when you can't pony up for what you really want.

jack

I have a EE that has ejector problems.