doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Damascus Pattern

Mr Hause.... May I send you an e-mail with a picture of a portion of the barrels on an old Lefever I just acquired? Maybe you could recognize the pattern...... Thanks, Grant.

Most happy to do so Grant.
You might see the pattern here
http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/18020839

Please send the full size close up image by jpg attachment to revdoc2@cox.net
Something like this; Richard Brewster's Optimus

Interesting Grant, and thank you

This is "American Flag" found on some G grades (and Ithaca Lewis and Flues No. 4)




Your pattern however does not show the 'star' within the scrolls, but a small rectangle



and is "Washington" found on some F & H grades



This is a SAC



Bottom row on left is American Flag or Etoile' (usually smaller 'stars') lopin; 3rd is Washington



What is your grade?

Most H grade Lefever's will have what they described as "Best London Twist". It is highly unusual to find an H with Damascus barrels, though an extremely small number have surfaced.

Miller, I think they used what was on hand when a rush order came in and the �proper�, lower grade, barrel set was not at hand. If they had 10 G grade barrels on hand but no H grade they just used what they had. Or it could have been at the request of the buyer. H grade with G grade barrels for an extra dollar or two. I think Lefever was really a customer driven company a lot of the time. If a customer asked for it and paid for it then they made it. That would explain some of the mismatched things we see with Lefever.

I have also seen a twist and Damascus barrel combination and a steel and Damascus set. Then you come across the DS guns with Damascus barrels. Seen one of those two. Wish I had bought that one. Lefever are great because they are so varied in what you find. Of the thousands of Sterlingworths you see there are maybe five to six combinations, of the Lefever guns you will find many times that.

Damascus Twist



You can see the end-on ribband in the left barrel flat

Sorry for the confusion..... The gun is indeed a G grade.
Mr. Noble called it an Ideal grade.
There is a mark near the serial number, that I can't quite make out. Might be a frond, or three leaf cluster, or....
I'll try to get the grand daughter to get a pic of that too.
Thanks, Grant.

Mr. Noble was quite correct. On page 16 of the 1892 Lefever Catalog, the G Grade was introduced and given the name "Ideal".

Here's what remains of the mark



I do not think it is the Birmingham nor London provisional proof mark, and have never seen a "Washington" pattern on an English made gun.

It is probably the tube maker's mark, which was usually filed away from the "rough forged tube" with finishing.

This is Heuse-Riga Fils



This is a spangled JL the significance of which is unknown. Jonlet & Louet were Liege gunmakers. Jean Lahaye-Marbaise was a barrel maker in Fraipont. It doesn't look like the star as the 'points' are inward.



The Banc D'Epreuves de Liege provisional proof mark has been found on some early Lefevers



I am most certainly open to other opinions.

Maybe a Shamrock? Lots of shamrock trademarks, but I can't find one pre-1900 gun/importer/dealer related.