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Joined: Sep 2021
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Second of two shotguns I'm posting about this AM:
Friend of a friend evaluated inherited Lefever 12 Ga double (S/N 19854, mfd 1892, E Grade)
They identified following flaws-
Re-blued damascus
Missing barrel hinge pin
Receiver plates re-glued

Not a gun guy. This shotgun belonged to my grandfather who passed before I was born, and has been in my mother's possession since my father passed >20yr ago.
I've been maintaining it since my father passed, but with no interest in the family it's time to pass it on someone who appreciates it.
Location: Central NY. Considering a local auction house in Geneva NY for a few other guns.

Appreciate perspective on value with the described flaws, and recommendations for best options to sell and get a fair return.

Thanks for your time!

[img]https://imgur.com/1U7WcBV[/img]
[img]https://imgur.com/f8biHz8[/img]
[img]https://imgur.com/GIIrZCB[/img]
[img]https://imgur.com/Ee4zUHe[/img]

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First off, Syracuse Lefever shotguns do not have barrel hinge pins. Lefever used an innovative ball and socket joint that permitted a small amount of adjustment to take up eventual wear.

The rebluing really hurts the value of your gun. Collectors dislike any such egregious deviation from original condition. The greatest concern is whether the barrels were blued using the common hot salts method. Soft soldered shotgun barrels should never be hot blued because the caustic salts may become trapped under the ribs and attack and loosen the solder joints. Most guns have some small voids in the solder joints that allow the Hot blue solution to enter, and flushing out the corrosive residue is difficult, and often ignored by gunsmiths ignorant of the problem.

I also note some damage to the wood where the relatively fragile stock fingers meet the frame. But it is hard to tell the extent and severity of the damage from your pics. I saw your friend's valuation of your 16 ga. L.C
Smith Ideal grade, and feel he is optimistic. To get a better handle on actual values, I'd advise spending some time watching ACTUAL SALES on a large internet site such as Gunbroker.com

You need to compare your guns to those in very similar condition and configuration, and understand that small gauge guns carry a premium over the more common 12 gauge guns. You also need to just ignore the large number of guns that are listed with unrealistic reserves, and are relisted over and over with no bidding activity. Those sellers are simply trolling the waters for a naive buyer with more money than brains. The only thing that matters is ACTUAL SALES. Opinions and wishful thinking are meaningless. Once you arrive at a selling price, don't forget that this forum has a For Sale section with a $12.00 fee for a successful sale.


A true sign of mental illness is any gun owner who would vote for an Anti-Gunner like Joe Biden.

1 member likes this: LCSmithLefever
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OP,

Its tough to tell from those pics. Blued-over Damascus can be fixed, but it would need to be worth it to someone to do that, as the bluing may be masking fissures.

I would say a rough range on this gun is $700 - $1,300.

You dont need to go to an auction house. Create a profile on GunBroker, take good pics, and let it fly. When it sells, have the person send you the details of the FFL they wish to use, and whem you receive their payment, you ship to their FFL with a copy of tour drivers license in the box.

That's all it takes to sell a gun.

NDG

1 member likes this: LCSmithLefever
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Originally Posted by Nudge
OP,

Its tough to tell from those pics. Blued-over Damascus can be fixed, but it would need to be worth it to someone to do that, as the bluing may be masking fissures.

I would say a rough range on this gun is $700 - $1,300.

You dont need to go to an auction house. Create a profile on GunBroker, take good pics, and let it fly. When it sells, have the person send you the details of the FFL they wish to use, and whem you receive their payment, you ship to their FFL with a copy of tour drivers license in the box.

That's all it takes to sell a gun.

NDG

NDG, thanks for your reply. Some follow-up Q's:
GunBroker is the best option for this Lefever? What is the advantage over an auction house?
Ask b/c with the described flaws, particularly the re-blued Damascus, assume prospective buyers/bidders would want to inspect this shotgun(?)
Would the risk you mention fixing the re-blued Damascus be another reason buyers may prefer to evaluate in person?
Again, appreciate your feedback. I don't know anything, but want the buyer to know exactly what they are getting and get a price as appropriate as possible regarding flaws.
Therefore, just seek more perspective -assume "letting if fly" on GunBroker means no reserve, and hope bidders willing to gamble that there's no surprises?
I'd be a first-time seller on GunBroker with only the info in my post, therefore not aware of level of risk to receive far below reasonable value on GunBroker?
THX

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Post it here for sale, it’s free other than a small donation to Dave. Auction house gonna charge you a fee and the buyer a fee, that’s gonna reduce the value already. From the poor pics, I don’t see that it’s worth much more than a grand, maybe not that much. JMHO

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You’ll be lucky to find anyone willing to pay more than a few hundred dollars given the flaws you’ve mentioned and the unknown condition of the gun. Sounds like a bottomless dollar pit to me. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.


When an old man dies a library burns to the ground. (Old African proverb)
1 member likes this: John Roberts
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No illusions regarding the value of this shotgun -because no idea whether it's worth a few hundred or a multiple of that. It is what it is.
That's why I'm here, and lean toward selling via auction. If I posted this Lefever for sale, no idea how much to ask.

Goal coming to the experts on this forum:
Get a consensus to determine a reasonable range for fair value.
Determine best way to pass this shotgun on for a fair price to someone who will appreciate it.

Thanks for your time -and appreciate all help in this regard!

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Trouble here is everyone is an arm chair X'spurt....

Get some better pics....Post it in the sale section here and tell them like it is just like you did in this thread....At the end of the description state...."Best offer in a Private Message"....let it ride for a week or so.

If you come to a private agreement.....Mark it sold and send Dave his due.

Or you could "part it out" on Ebay....Ebay covers a vast audience.

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HomelessjOe, thanks for your reply.

For non-experts like me, Armchair Experts are better than nothing! haha
Will keep posting for sale here in mind as an option, but not great with photos and unsure how to manage offers.
Parting out on Ebay is an interesting recommendation, but taking the shotgun apart, setting prices on the parts, determining shipping amt, etc is above my pay grade!

To get a reasonable/fair price, still assume auction is the best option for someone like me(?)
The guy who evaluated this and other guns recommended a shop about an hour away that would post/sell them online. Thought the local auction house may be a better option(?)
Looking for the most convenient way to get a fair price for my mother/not be taken advantage of -not looking to squeeze every last $, just need to be in ballpark for a fair sale price.
No support here for selling via the nearby auction house that does "Sportsmen Auctions" that appear to have mainly shotguns/rifles -that would be a mistake?

Any armchair experts that want to let fly with estimates on value and how to are welcome!

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Offers are easy to manage....yes or no.

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