doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com For all you LeFever fans.

The ad actually says, "This is a minty example of an African Cape rifle", which I take to mean it only looks like a African Cape rifle. This ad was surely written by someone who is versed in the art of deceptive descriptions.

binko

If you look at the photo of the top rib and barrel markings, I think you will conclude it is not just rifled tubes inserted into the original barrels. Notice the apparent level of the dolls head is the same as the "Lefever Arms Co" markings area then the surface ramps up for the major portion of the rib and sight mounting. It must have received a complete new barrel assembly to require that rib change.

I know Lefever built a few double rifles in his career, but I've never even seen pics or read what chamberings he used, so I won't stick my neck out and say with certainty that he didn't build this. I would bet those colors were the result of a torch artist, but he might have fooled us if he used a bigger tip and didn't get so carried away. Looks like a steel leopard. I can't see any telltale lines indicating sleeving. Could be original tubes with liners, but the rib, as noted above, is specifically made to transition into the rear sight. The engraved wording from the short rib extending into the long rib looks right, but a skilled engraver can do wonders. Who knows without a much closer examination? Maybe ED1 will weigh in and tell us how those torch colors actually improve the metallurgy of the action and make it safe for 40,000 LUP.

This is interesting. Although the description states SN 11144 you can clearly see 10144 marked on the watertable and barrels. From the photos it appears that the barrels are fluid steel. At SN 10144 LeFever was not using fluid steel barrels on any grade of shot gun. I can find nothing stating what they would use on a rifle.
I agree with Terry, the rib looks very similar to the example in Elliott's Master Gunmaker p 46, so I do not think these were simply slieved guns. Wheter this gun came from the factory like this is a very good question. Claiming it came from the factory with that paint job is an insult.

Please see Keith Kearcher's Double Gun Journal article Volume 6 issue 3. It contains pictures of 4 original Lefever Double rifles; 3 hammerless and 1 Nichols and Lefever hammergun.

I believe this gun is an original double rifle Lefever that has been re-case colored. At one point in time, it may have had a set of shotgun barrels with it (2 barrel set). The rifle barrels were made this way for balance and to fit the large frame. Most of the Lefever double rifles are in Sharps calibers. All of the Lefever hammerless double rifles I have examined are prior to the 105xx serial range.

Dr. Bob- Lefever #10,005 is a AA grade with original Whitworth Steel barrels. Three of the other double rifles in Keith's article have earlier serial #'s than this one and they have steel barrels as well. Steel barrels were in use at that time.

Good info Josh.

Josh,
Thanks for the reference to Keith's article. Indeed, the construction does appear consistent with known double rifles produced even earlier than this one.

Given that you could order a Lefever just about any way you wanted it, especially the high grades, somebody who wanted an AA with Whitworth barrels would probably not be denied, although I am not aware that they were advertised at that time.

Maybe the guy should have said..."This is a minty example of African Cape rifle engineering".

Maybe the guy should have said..."This is a minty example of African Cape rifle engineering".

Josh, thanks for the reference to the DGJ article. It seems there is a distinct possibility that this may in fact be an original Lefever built double rifle with new "interesting" case colors. This leads me to more questions. What would the breech pressures of this cartridge in its' original form have been? Assuming it is more than the 7000-8000 psi we are cautioned to limit loads to with shotgun barrels, how does the same gun with the same breeching and wood inletting hold up with higher intensity rifle loads? I've been looking for a copy of Ellis' "Building Double Rifles on Shotgun Actions" to see how this is handled. I'm thinking that a .45-110 Sharps loaded with black powder and 400 gr. bullets would probably generate higher pressure than typical shotgun proof loads. Muzzle velocities would probably be at least 1700 fps, so recoil would get your attention. If these are stupid questions, please go easy on me.