I recently bid on and won a LeFever F grade on one of the auction sites. Seller listed the condition as poor. Seller showed all the nicks in the wood, and the usual questions were asked by potential buyers about bbl length and type. Seller said lockup was tight and barrels were 27"(cut)steel. She also said bore condition was less than average. People emailed and told her the barrels were damascus. The recoil pad was all crusty and rotted.
When the gun arrived, I wound up with a FE grade in the 53000 range. The stock had a few dents in the wood, but no worse than normal hunting wear for a 104 yr gun. The case coloring is a very conservative 20% on the sideplates, receiver, top of tang, watertable, and the forend too. The barrels are chain damascus with pit free bores. They ring like a bell, too. A small dent on the outside of the left barrel can just barely be seen on the inside halfway down. Barrels are 27", cut from prob. 28" because the barrels still have some choke, but the cut barrels don't bother me, it still goes bang and the "e" even still works. Right - cylinder and left - modified. Lockup is tight and lever is center. The oval escutcheon past the pistol grip may be original or may be added but it is engraved " T.P. Wilkes " in handsome script. I wonder how many birds Mr. Wilkes took with this old gun.
I didn't mean to sound to brag, I was just pleasantly suprised. Anyone else have a similar online experience?
cheers.
Last edited by RedofTx; 03/04/10 11:05 AM.
