doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Lefever Arms Co. shotgun quality?

I was looking at a couple of Lefever Arms Co. guns online recently and was wondering if anyone familiar with them could give me an idea of their quality in construction and workmanship and handling. I'm referring to the guns made by the Lefever Arms Co., after Dan Lefever left, the DS, I and G models to be specific. How do they stack up against the similar graded models of the other American shotgun makers? My interest is in using one for occasional pheasant and duck hunting and clays use, and to add to my collection, as I have no examples of a Lefever.

You say that as if it is a bad thing....

OK but strange guns, and because they didn't make a lot them, prices are on the high side for what you get.....

The closest I have is a 20ga Ithaca Lefever A Grade boxlock....kind of a duded up Nitro Special....or a dressed down NID....

Lefevers are the best made American doubles..If you don't believe that, just ask me...What gunut has is not a Lefever...and his comment on price is completely wrong...

The late I, G, and DS Grade guns are every bit as good as earlier higher grade guns except for the ornamentation.

The Durston era Lefevers (made after Dan was pushed out) are very simple guns with not a lot of parts in them. Still of very good quality. You are not looking at higher grade guns, so any quality differences in those is not something to be concerned with.

What is also important about the guns of that era is that they also settled down on that one design and stuck with it. Before that, Dan constantly changed his designs in production.

I regularly hunt with two Lefevers -- a GE grade, and an I grade -- both 12 gauge, and both over a century old. One might say they were "built to last." Excellent guns !

QUALITY? If I was allowed only one shotgun, and money was not a limiting factor, it would be LEFEVER OPTIMUS grade, original condition. Gauge not important. That is what I think of the Lefever 'quality.'

Find as DS 12, 16 or 20 and you will have a very capable gun for most any use you can put it to. Lefever was forced to bring out a series of lower grades to remain competitive at a given price. The funny thing is that as he brought out a lower grade he increased the amount of engraving on the grades above it so that early E grades have less engraving than alter ones.

When you get into mid to higher grade Lefevers you will find that they are excellent and the high grades are extremely fine, just hard to find.

My Lefever Arms Co guns are keepers. The rest of my guns are trade fodder for Lefevers.

Gold, you set up that Lefever perfectly, just beautiful!!! I can see why you cherish it.

Isn't there a Lefever 'automatic hammerless' on display in France?