doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com E Grade Lefever 12

My gun is marked E but has ejectors. Blue book says there would be an another E to indicate ejectors. Is there a difference between and E grade and a EE grade other than ejectors?

With Lefevers there are no rules without exceptions. I pulled an EE out of my closet, i.e. a gun with ejectors, but it's marked only "E". I don't think every ejector gun was marked "EE". Also, even if it was originally shipped as a non-ejector gun and marked "E", the gun could have had the ejectors added later by the factory without changing the marking from "E" to "EE". All the variables and variations are a large part of the interest with Uncle Dan's guns. Enjoy them. Rich

My E grade ejector Lefever is marked EE. Bobby

Dwight: You've gotta get rid of that gun, man, and fast. Clearly, it's been messed with, and will be nothing but trouble. Of course, it'll have to be priced to reflect this serious flaw, but PM me and, because it's the holidays and I just give and give, I'll take it off your hands until another sucker comes along. TT

Would this stamping thing break down to early and late guns for Lefever Arms. The 1902 F(E) which I have is stamped F. What other makers thought ejectors worthy of stamping? I thought it was a descriptive convention used by collectors.

jack

I doubt the gun is even safe to shoot without ejectors. I'm working on a patented Lefever Disposal Unit (which looks suspiciously like a gunsafe) in my basement, so if you want to send it to me, I'll see how it works

Lefever does not follow any hard and fast rules. Ejectors were often not marked on the watertable, but on several extractor guns they were marked with an "E" that was clearly done by the same stamp that struck the first grade. So you have a EE, FE or GE, which is in fact a E,F, or G grade extractor gun. Serial numbers often seem to fall out of order. Early numbers with much later features. Features often tend to change over a range of numbers instead at a hard and fast line.

On the plus side Lefever never lowered fit and finish like Fox and others did towards the end. They improved the engraving as time went by and when the need to have a lower price point gun got too large to resist they created the H, I, DS grades, ect... Their wood selection was quite good and some of thier stocks even on the lower E, F and G grades is exceptional.

I just wish that they had made another 60,000 so we would have more to look over and choose from.

I want an E! A nice lightweight 12 or 16. Sounds like all the good ones are in your safes. I'm bummed.

Chuck there are hundreds, if not thousands, of nice E grades for you to find. It seems like they must have made 10,000 of the E grades and I suspect that 90% of them are still in decent shape. Far fewer Lefevers turn up as beaters and parts gun than any other makers gun seem to in my travels. I can find you 50 LC Smith or Fox beaters for every Lefever beater. Either the design is less prone to beater status or the Lefever owners just took better care of them.

The few E grades that I have taken out of circulation are not a factor in your quest. I have decided to put a stop on my collection when it reaches two dozen total Lefevers anyways. Closer to that number than I want to be. Might have to sell a few project Lefevers if I can find others that I want more than them. The early pivot style with all the adjustments are extremely interesting to me, but the engraving on the later guns is also better than the early guns. So many choices and so few holes in the gun room.

But my one 20 E grade might be a little harder for you to find. In ten years of watching it is only the third that I have held. Five pounds six and one half ounces of Lefever magic. Perfection as far as I am concerned. I have come to the conclusion that Lefever never would have built a 28 because his 20s already feels like a 28 and are far more versatile. It is about 1" too short but I might have to have a leather covered pad put on it to make it easier to shoot. It is too nice for one of those strap on pads.

That one and my Winchester Model 12 28 gauge, my first real gun, will be tucked into my coffin when I go. Might see some nice coveys in the happy hunting grounds. NO-tox shot is barred there you know. Lead forever.

Hook me up, Jon.