doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Basket case Lefever Optimus

It's a little like Pamela Anderson - no matter how many times it's been handed around, no matter how many miles it has, there's always at least one guy who wants to take a crack at it.

As they say, Greg "It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it".

It's probably the most worthy of all the vintage gun restoration projects I've seen. Some people are just more willing/able to put significant money into it than others.

Keith Kearcher looked it over very carefully at Vegas; he thinks we can make it into a "respectable display gun" very reasonably, so that is the first step (repair wood, not replace), light engraving pick up, probably brown barrels). Given the stock dimensions, and the fact that I have plently of guns to use, I don't plan to try to make the barrels useable at this time. I had A through H grade Lefevers, so took this opportunity to add a missing model at a somewhat reasonable price.

If any of you are at the Western Concours in San Francisco in two weeks, stop by the "Featured Collection" and we'll discuss this or anything else that passes through our minds!

Given the broken stock neck, I wonder if this is one that would warrant the never heard of 'head transplant'? That way you'd keep the original beauty of the buttstock as original wood while regaining strength in the head/neck area. I think Mr. Travallion would be a good choice for that. That also opens up the opportunity for modern (your) dimensions.

The obvious fix for the barrels seems to be Teague liners. But, also an extra set of barrels from another Lefever would get the gun going quickly.

Terry: I take it that you were the buyer. Please keep us up to date on it's restoration. as someone said: "It is a worthy undertaking".

Best regards, George

Terry,
This is what I meant by 'head transplant' only if you could imagine the reverse of this. That is; a new head and neck to the old buttstock. It'd be much stronger than a repair, be essentially invisible, and retain the original buttstock butt.

Thanks, Chuck. I followed the thread where you showed the entire process and have read about it in the McIntosh/Trevallion book. Yours came out great as did one Keith Kearcher did for me on an AAH Parker. I was thinking about two slabs on the sides, thus saving the actual head of the stock, but until the gun is in hand, I will hold off on any decisions. I would like to preserve as much of the original wood as possible, and I do like your idea of altering the stock dimensions as we repair the terrible work which has been done in the past.

Terry,
Congratulations on the Optimus. Like many others, I would like to see your progress. I too, looked this gun over carefully at Vegas. It was a beautiful gun once, I hope you and your smiths bring it back to its former glory!
Chris

I just uppacked the gun, and am "Optimistic". Little engraving must be recut - trigger bow where the word Optimus is half gone, but unless other voids show up as it is cleaned, that part does not looks to bad. Barrels are frightening, as warned. Chuck's suggested "head transplant" is looking more likely than my hoped for "slab insertion" as there seem to have been multiple breakage events.

I'll keep you posted. Perhaps a month from now for first "in process" shots.

Terry,
If you believe you will procede with this project, I think it would be great to have a gunwriter to photograph and follow the process for an article in one of the journals.