doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Lefever indicators?

Last week on vacation in NC I surprised myself by buying a Lefever 12 gauge Automatic Hammerless, built in Syracuse 1907 (#57xxx). I believe it's DS grade; i.e. no engraving. Excellent straight-grain reddish walnut, soft casehardened color on sideplates and frame, 28" barrels have 95% blue, spotless (I mean PERFECT bores); Buttplate needs replacing, but otherwise looks all original. I owned a beat-up Lefever years ago, and could not pass up this lovely gun at what seemed well under market value. My question concerns the cocking indicators behind the fences -- with snap caps in place they do not protrude, nor do they retract on dropping the hammers. Any advice or suggestions? Also, is there any way to tell how it's choked? I see no obvious markings.

Never say never with Lefevers as I am sure that you know. That said the DS grade as a rule did not have indicators. I have seen a few that did and even a few with twist barrels rather than the normal steel barrels that you expect. Look on the water table and see what grade if any is stamped there. Post picture if you can. Not that I myself can but many here can help you if you post pictures for them to see and work with.

First off, you say "Behind the Fences". Do you mean in the Frame?? The normal location for the cocking indicators are on the side plates. There function depends purely on the position of the hammers, nothing in the chambers matter. The only thing normally found behind the fences are the screws/pins on which the overhead sears hang. These should neither protrude or move in any way.
As Jon said is is not usual for a DS grade to have the indicators & they also normally have a straight rib extension as opposed to the square shouldered Doll's Head of the other grades.

Thanks, Miller. We've concluded that this is an I-grade gun and, like the DS, did not have indicators. It does have the straight barrel extension. Wallace Labisky's article in the 1966 Gun Digest was helpful, as were contributors to this great BBS.