Nudge,
You speak the truth! Uncle Dan's finest creations can truly be breathtaking.
I collect both Boss and Lefever and I would differ with you slightly on one point.
While the beauty and finish of an Optimus and a Boss SLE Best are comparable, as are by and large their durability (except of course the Lefever's ability to be put back on face with a turn of a special screw driver), the British Boss' handling characteristics are consistently better than a Lefever's. This is simply because Boss and all the other English gun houses were focused on producing lightweight and balanced guns for fast driven shooting. Their proof houses allowed them to push the envelope on barrel wall thickness and 2 1/2" loads kept even their finest 12s under 7 lbs.
Generally Americans valued stoutness and durability over handling.
In the 1890s Boss and Purdey SLEs were being shot by the aristocracy of the wealthiest society since the Romans at pheasants pushed over them by serfs. High grade Lefevers were shot at live pigeon shoots and waterfowl by wealthy competitive American businessmen.
To get an American gun with proper handling for the uplands (under 7 lbs with barrel weight forward) in the early 20th century, we turned to the 16 gauge. Now a 16 gauge special order Lefever may well be the handling peer of a 12 bore London Best. Particularly one with 30" barrels! I think Rocketman's objective measurements on handling characteristics will show this to be the case.
