doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Lefever...............the newest addition

George-and others. Maybe you can help me learn. Was on a book and odds and ends recon Fri- Saw a G Grade LeFever serial no. chart from Calazan indicated 1899- 30" Damascus barrels- DT and EXT- shortened stock with a (ugh) Herter's baby-crap brown BP-semi-pg stock tight and no splits around the locks- forearm had Acra-Glas(?) perhaps where a release latch might have been- Had the side plate cocking indicators- you had to really open the barrels with some pressure to re-set either or both hammers (I had some snap caps)- safety works, sears tight- I noticed the engaging set of hooks that cock the action when I removed the barrels-and you had to have the pivot or cam back when you reset the forearm-leaf spring snap engagement- Another "tire kicker" said he thought the forearm was a replaced one from an ejector grade LeFever-hence the "fill-in" with acra-glas in the aprox. center- but the iron had same serial no. as rest of gun and was a non-ejector series-barrels tight an on face (as judged by wiggle test with forearm off) dime in muzzles test(/) would indicate Full choke in each tube- no dents- no markings on top rib-would this be a Two-Hooker" Lefever- and what might it be worth as a project gun? Also, the other fellow said that it could be safely shot with light target loads.?? Huum!! Damascus- and possibly short chambers-If I buy it, I don't want a "frag grenade" going off in my hands- might ruin my career as a concert pianist (joke!!) RWTF

The finest application of John Lobb leather cream would not help that piece of stinkin' hide. Just get a new leather pad.

RWTF;
Your description sounds like a 2-Hook gun. It would have one hook in the frame bar which attaches to the hammer axle & another pivoted under the bbls. The two hooks engage one another for rotating the hammers back upon opening. Assuming this to be correct I would be suspicious of the '99 build date. Not familiar with the mentioned chart, but the large single hook was in common use well prior to '99. To the best of my knowledge whether or not a gun had ejectors played no part in the forend, "except" for a very few early ejector guns which had forend ejectors. The vast majority of ejector Lefevers will have the in-frame variety with nothing in the forend. Lefever forends will be found with a pusbutton release, a clamshell release (Deely & Edge variant) or a pull off forend with either a Metal or Bakelite Dogshead escutcheon, all in the center of the forend. Normally only the I/DS grades will be found with nothing in the forend center. If the area filled with the glass is round it was most certainly one of the bakelite dogsheads originally, in fact are you certain it is not one of these with the surface worn smooth, they didn't really hold up all that well. Any other shape than plain round it likely had a metal escutcheon. I assume it did not have one of the latching mechanisms, & is one of the snap-on; pull-off type.
From that era it runs high odds of being Damascus, chamber could be either 2 5/8" or 2 3/4", but either way would need proper loading, not current SAAMI loads.

Battle,

Pete Kogut (Double Gun Cases) in Farmington, NH, has done this for me. He did really great work matching the grain and feathering it all together. It's time consuming, exacting work and not cheap. But it is a lot cheaper than restocking and allows you to keep the original wood. Double Gun Cases has a website. Good luck on it.

Not ignoring your question,Fox but I can't say any more or say it better than Miller did. If the hole in the fore-end is round, that's probably the original escutchion and you can replace the dog-head fore-end escutchion with a reproduction from Galazon...Geo

Jim Legg.......no he didn't! I asked for LOP, barrel length, grade stamp, what was engraved on side plates, choke, etc. ect, and got nothing. He said he would get me better pics and what i needed but never heard back from him. So i offered a low price for a low grade gun and just hoped it was better than expected. I knew i was taking a chance, but i always thought i could get my money back if the deal went through. He was asking 900.00 at first and said he would take what he had in it, 600.00. I'm happy with it, just wish the stock hadn't been cut!

What a great find and at a great price! Kudos to you.....for having a big brass pair and taking the risk!

Thanks, George-and others- The stock is too short and too much drop-but he also had a few L.C. Smiths 12 gauge sidelocks- and I liked the lines of the LeFever better-but I have never owned a sidelocked or sideplated action (if that is the Uncle Dan style) double- only boxlocks- so _"Fools rush in maybe" but Foxes usually circle a few times and check the wind- thanks for the "starting pointers'- we shall see!! RWTF

Battle, You done good!!!!!!!!!! Bobby

craxon......thanks, i think!