doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com What do you think of this $300 Lefever?

What do you think of this for a project? http://www.gunsinternational.com/Lefever-GH-12ga.cfm?gun_id=100133840

29 1/2" barrels? $300?

Thanks!

If you don't mind the snip on the front end, at least they're not asking some no man's land price like 695$. It hasn't got 7% bright case color so I assume Crosnoe has an inflationary scheme for evaluating greyed out patina. Is a GH a composite--barrels from one gun of a certain grade; action from another? Don't know much about condition from description--you'll have to poke and prod by email or phone unless you can get there to put hands on. Best I can tell it might be on face, might have decent barrels aside from hacksaw choking, wood might be pretty good; looks like it's got adequate drop for tall faces. How can you go wrong if the 3 bills is too hot to carry any longer?

jack

Looks and is described just like my G-Grade; I'd have thought it was worth more than $300. Hmmm, maybe I need to go check my safe to be sure mine's still there...Geo

Watched a very nice F or G grade sell at auction last week for $225. It was a pivot lever but post cocking lever gun, 13,000 series. I guess I could have bought it, but I was on a quest. Those who pay $695 for such guns should get out more. We hope that "project gun" doesn't mean that you have to do work on it to make it fire. We are here to help. By the way, I would have thought that Jack would have been at the auction.

Near as I can tell, Bill and I agree and my only real fault is that I lead a sheltered life. I have never paid 695 for a Lefever. Paid 9C a couple times. I can't do this full time which perhaps makes me susceptible to prices that are sometimes greater than the buyer's optimum, which would be nothing at all and you just give Bill the gun with a nice Thankyou note for taking it off your hands. The last pivot lever I saw was a remuddled abomination rewooded with a ridiculous piece of wood and about 5" of drop; the asking was several multiples of 300$.

jack

This G appears to be a two-hook gun. I have one very similar & can assure you as long as I'm its caretaker it could not be bought for $300. It does have the plate mounted sears & still has the cross pin through frame bar. I don't really think the G grade was added until after the two-hook guns had replaced the rod cockers.

For the money I say go for it. You can always return it if it crumbles in your hands. Looks decent to me. I have a serious weak spot for Lefevers--about concluded the final version remains the best designed and executed SXS ever factory made in America. Hope this heresy doesn't get me thrown out of the PGCA.....

apologies I did not ever intend to hijack a thread. my bad.

Buy the patent, not the gun, Pipes? To follow your thinking, it's an important variation of an evolving mechanical design, and a desirable one, and one of personal importance to you. The OP wants it as a project gun. You encourage the thought that it's a good choice as he won't be getting another for that price where your views are known and accepted. Apparently Crosnoe doesn't share your views, or really anybody at all's views, as he's sacrificing "70% case color" and 70% of some other mysterious stuff for 3 bills and hasn't noticed the innards. Funny old world and people have more fun than anybody. But anybody knows that what makes a good "project" is something so cheap that there's no great loss of outlay if correction and restoration goes south or proves too tough. I think the OP has got the best of it in a gun which is as lowdown cheap as Murphy believes it should be and yet very valuable to you.

jack

You would be hard pressed to find another $300.00 Lefever gun that was not in a basket. If you are looking for a high condition gun that will be a family valuable this gun is not it. If you are looking for a decent shooter with what looks like fairly decent stock drop then this gun is a very good buy.

Does 29.5 instead of 30 or 32" even make that much difference? This gun will be more useful as mod and mod choked gun than as extra full and full that several other Lefevers I own. I can not see reaming out those old guns to make them more user friendly but this gun you could make I/C and Mod without any decrease in value. That gun with open chokes could be a very fun gun to own and shoot.

Did anyone else notice he also has listed as an I grade a gun that is Described as "Lefever I grade 12ga, 30" full & ext full, Damascus barrels, Double triggers, Exts, 60% cc but dulling, 70% print on barrels, Excellent bores, 14 1/2 LOP butt plate, No cracks"? I have seen two other I grades with the same features. Were they bin clean out guns at the end of production or early guns that were made from better grade parts? Lefever is the one maker that never seems to follow any real rules.