doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com What are the best early 19th century American SXSs

I was wondering what the best designed and best finished of the early American SXSs. Before the Winchester model 21.

I would guess if ten of us were to answer you'd get about ten answers. Personally, I tend to think that overall Parker Bros guns tended to have the best finish. As to design I favor the early Lefevers.
I will now come back with a question for you. Name me one design feature of a 21 which you think makes it superior to the early Classic American doubles. gain personally but I have never seen anything in the design of a 21 which was any better than other doubles.
My old low end J Stevens which preceded it by around 20 years had a very similar cocking system. The 21 was bolted with a single under bolt, so was the Parker. The frame was a Cigar box shape with a pointed slab on each side that looked like it was hewed out with a foot Adz. Nothing graceful about it at all in the aesthetics line. Etc Etc. It did of course have that "BIG RED W" name on it. Just my humble opinion of course.

I am going to vote for the Lefever Nitro Special. They are like a fine swiss watch.


I agree on the 21s. I just do not see the draw.

I never said that I thought the model 21 was superior to other designs, its just that I know how much people think of the Winchester model 21 and I didn't want to see it compared with earlier shotgun designs. Actually I don't personally like the gun, although I don't have a problem with anybody else that likes them.
Pete

Parker�s are probably tops in fit and finish...followed closely by Colts & Remington�s. I agree that in regards to design....the Lefever is pretty amazing in it�s mechanical design and simplicity.

The "best early 19th century American SxS" would most likely have been a percussion gun since center fire cartridges hadn't been invented yet.

However, if we're really talking about late 19th or early 20th century SxS's, I'm also partial to the early hammerless Lefevers. But I still kick myself for not buying one of the really good American doubles when I had the chance around 1994... an A Grade Harrington & Richardson in very nice condition for $450.00. At the time, I had no idea what I was looking at, and no idea that I'd probably never get another chance like that. Besides, it had those dangerous Damascus barrels that everyone knows are more deadly than a grenade with the pin pulled.

Lefever�s best work, followed by Fox

I used to think L C Smith, but not anymore.

My opinion is limited by not handling some of the other early makers. I await the opinion of others with more hands on experience

I think the only issue some of us have with putting Fox in the upper echelon of fit and finish is it seems Fox was only concerned with external fit and finish. The insides of the Fox are, for lack of better words, unrefined and sloppy. Doesn�t matter what grade either...they all seem to have received the same lack of attention to the insides.
I�ve had numerous Lefevers apart, grade for grade they seemed to have left the factory as finely finished inside as the outsides of the gun. Parker�s are very nice, Remington�s and Colts were very nicely finished as well.

I like Foxes best but I defer to my gunsmith on who "finished" them the best. And his comments to me about fit and finish are consistent. First is Parker and second is Remington.

I can possibly agree with somewhat unrefined, but sloppy? Nah. Sloppy implies unreliability, and that does not describe a Fox. Ask all the gunsmiths you know how many times they have fixed the internals on Foxes, compared to Parkers, then decide. I believe you will reconsider. They just don't break, or get out of order, as much.

SRH