doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Early or Late Lefever?

I had an 1891 E Grade with the push-button forend release. It was one of my first American doubles (back when I was more into English guns), and I sold it -- a move I now regret considerably, as I haven't found another priced-right Lefever as nice, as old, or with a push-button, since. TT

". . . the beauty of the basic gun just cuts through."

Yes it does. I'm satisified with a couple of latter-day, middle of the alphabet, largely "non-adjustables" which is not to say that I couldn't be coaxed into admiring the earlier guns which I haven't seen. Happy the interest which survives both the passion to acquire and the awkwardness of the prevailing "social" prejudice. I'd love to shoot the "new" one with the very "understanding" skeet nazi tomorrow if the damascophobes are no shows. Unlike bunnies, the taffy tubes only come out below 20F and no sun and it's been a peculiarly warm winter so far.

jack

I don't see many of the Ohio DM&Sons on the internet auction sites and have never seen one except in a photo. Do you Syracuse enthusiasts also enthuse over the later boxlock? Are they so rare as to be practically unobtainable?

jack

Jack;.
According to Elliot there were likely a few over 1100 of the D M Lefever guns built. These were built in Syracuse, NY, Defiance OH & Bowling Green OH & in both box lock & trigger plate actions. Don't know that number would be considered rare, but certainly not very plentiful either. I once had opportunity to buy an extremely nice AA grade, but thought it too expensive for a working man. Considering all the money down the drain over the years on Automobiles, I still regret not taking out a loan & buying it. At that point in my life I would only borrow for what I considered a necessity.

Pipes:

I'll break some "dirt" into smaller pieces if I get the chance. Looks like rain here in the morning; that will serve my purpose just as well as cold.

jack

I have one, an 8E, more than well used, but beautifully balanced & pleasing to look at and shoot. The downside is that the cross-bolts are mechanically more problematic than the Syracuse sideplates, and the cross-bolt single triggers are a nightmare of predictable malfunction. They are fascinating, nonetheless, because they are Uncle Dan's swansong. I think that the quality is more uneven than with the Syracuse guns, but the best of the cross-bolts have very fine fit and finish and beautiful game scene engraving that rivals the best of the Syracuse guns. Rich

Looked at one of the crossbolt gun last year. Interesting in buying one, but not one that had trigger problems like the one I looked at. Ben Loving had one on his site with "noted trigger issues" for some time now. I have seen three single trigger cross bolt guns and they all had trigger issues. I have read that the guns towards the end were much better.

I suspect that Lefever was debugging his gun design as he went.
I agree there were Lefevers swan song but I suspect that if he had lived fove more years they would have been debugged and as good as any period gun. Funny he never gave up on trying to get the high grade sales. High finish, extra nice wood, engraving, nothing was spared. Either he thought that the extra profits in high grade guns were vital to success or he never thought of himself as anything other than the maker of better graded gun.

Fortunate enough one time to work on a double trigger, trigger plate actioned 7D with beautiful Damascus barrels. It was a marvel of interior finish (on par inside, with any Lindner Daly) and fortunately for the owner - reliable.

Jon,
I agree with you although I've never owned a later sideplate gun to compare. I'm just in wonder of all the adjustment screws that we have to play with.

The thing I find most interesting is that guns just a few serial #s apart have major differences. Some have the sears mounted on the trigger plate and others have over-hanging sears. The other thing that I've noticed is the latter guns of the same grade have much more engraving. If you look at an early Optimus vs a later one this really stands out.

Doug

Just poking around the GB and AA auction sites I see what you mean, Doug. There's a F and an E for sale on one of the sites that must be earlier guns as they don't have the circular vignette around the gamescene.