doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Lefever C 10 Gauge

Sought the Boards advice some time back and finally acquired a graded Lefever. It's a C-grade, S/N 9308 (1886, I believe) two-barrel set. Keith Kearcher rebrowned the damascus barrels, did a buttstock transplant and convinced me to leave the colors on the action alone. The barrels are 30 and 28 inch. The shorter barrels carry another serial number, F 1188, as well as the S/N of the gun, but no grade letter on the flats. Grateful for views on the second barrels.

The gun weighs at 8-1/2 lbs with the 30-inch barrels on. Those barrels are 45-50 thou. The shorter barrels save several ounces. They are 25 thou at the thinnest some distance from the breech. Have not yet fired it, but I have my gaugemate gold inserts out for possible use this weekend.

Pictures:


Lefever C 1886 10 gauge Damascus

Action with Cocking indicator

Bushed strikers

Patents

Two Barrel set

Buttstock Transplant

That is fine looking Lefever. It is tempting to have it completely refinished but I like as it much more than as a flashy refinished closet queen.

Tim:

That's very nice. Would you be able to shoot a photo of the engraving pattern on the rib and maybe a closeup of the dolls head in profile? I've got a c grade from that same era that's a basket case and I'm trying to piece things together.

How long did Keith have the barrels for? What are the stock dimensions? Thanks for the info

Parris

Nice gun. I just love the early Lefevers. Im glad you did not case color it, as i think it looks great the way it is.
Bob

That's nice. When you say stock transplant, where does the old stock end and the new stock begin. Looks great in its understated, original condition.

Parris,

I'll post photos as requested tomorrow when the light is good to take them. Keith had the gun for two or three months or so. Stock was cut at pistol grip (photo below - eeb thanks for your question). LOP is 14-1/2 inches. Have not measured other dimensions. Two barrel case is from Jeff Mayfield (Jeffsoutfitters). Can't recall where the reproduction Lefever Arms Company label came from.

Regards, Tim


Good description of this in Shotgun Technicana

Parris,

Photos of rib of 30 inch barrels that I believe are original to the gun, profile of the dollshead and look at the dolls head from the back.

Regards, Tim


Rib 30-inch barrels

Dollshead Profile

Dollshead/Extractors

Bob,

Another tidbit on this gun to add to your Lefever data base: the 28" barrels with the extra serial number F 1188 have .790 bores and are chokes cylinder and modified, according to Keith.

The 30-inch barrels have .800 bores and are choked modified and full.

Do you have the s/n F 1188 in your data base and/or can you clarify why that damascus barrel should carry that designation?

Regards, Tim

Tim
I see that number but not sure what it is. As Syracuse Lefevers didnt come that low. When I soomed in at the picture could the number be 11885? Could the 5 not have stamped well? Also the barrels look like there were built a little later than the other set. I also note that they dont have wings on them.
Bob

Bob,

You are absolutely right. What I had too quickly dismissed as some imperfection is, under glass, a badly stamped "5."

Yes, I'd noticed the lack of wings and also the peculiar "F" in the second serial number. Possibly salvaged barrels from an "F" grade that is a few years later than this C-grade??? The grade for the older barrels is stamped on the flats, bboth barrel and action rather than on a tube. Any historical consistency in that? A related consistency question is whether Lefever abandoned wings at some definite point -- or were lower grades generally made without wings?

Regards, Tim