doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Lefever 'F' Grade

Lefever's for all that is good about them have about the most variance in price I have seen in a long time. Jim's F grade going for $1099.00 was a steal in fact I was one mouse click away form bidding on it myself but since I am currently specializing in 16 gauge guns (hey don't laugh have you been tracking the prices and demand for 16 gauges lately) I chickened out waited a week and picked up a very nice H grade for half the price. The only way I would buy that gun is with an extended inspection time, long enough for Buck Hamlin or one of the more knowledgeable Lefever Smiths to give it the once over. Additionally there appears to be some pitting on the bottom of the receiver. I am also leery about the wood. There are not enough photos of the stock and the dents in the forend bother me.

I had a G grade with the same issue. It turned out to be the right hammer spring. Dewey Vicknair corrected the matter and it works perfectly.

I think that gun is several hundred dollars too high for the condition and problem it has. I would keep looking. There may not be that many Lefevers due to age but I would expect to be able to find one in that condition for less. Given a little time you should be able to find one in better condition for the same money.

Thanks guys for the information and your opinions!!!
I sort of gave it up after Mr. Legg said he just sold one in nicer condition for around the starting bid. I'll walk away look for another one!

Take a look at the G grade on Cabelas web site. Same price range, in much better shape. $999.00 for a G grade with ejectors.

Take a look at this F. Said to be fully functional.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=135475568

JMO, of course, but that one looks like a $6-700 to me, in today's market.

Look MA! No Hooks.

This ones an early side pivot, rod cocker. Not many of those left around. Would consider this a lot better buy than the late large hook one which doesn't cock one bbl. Them early ones had more adjustments than Carter had Liver Pills.

Miller could you please elaborate a little on the differences between the rod-cocker and the big hook Lefevers?
I thought all of Uncle Dan's 'Automatic Hammerless' shotguns had the big hook and all of the adjustments??
And which one do you like better for field use, the one I pointed out or the one directly above?? (After the right lock is fixed, of course).

T58;
There are essentially 4 cocking methods of the Automatic Hammerless. First one following the manual side cocker was the rod cocker. This one has cocking cams extending through the knuckle joint which are depressed by the forend with rods running back through the bar to push the hammers back. This action was made with a both a thumb push opener & the side-pivot top lever. Locking bolt is vrtically mounted & pivots at the bottom, entering notch in doll's head from rear. Action was revised under patent of 1890 to use two hooks for cocking. This one is often described as the "Two fish Hook" model. In this action one hook hinges under the bbls & the other in the frame with the two hooks mating with one another. I believe a few of the earlier ones of this version still used the side pivot lever, but shortly the center pivot was developed with the locking bolt being an extension of the lever & enterine the rib notch from the side. Next progression was the small hook guns, which used a single hook pivoted in the frame & engaging a pin through the bbl lug for cocking. Interestingly while this system went into use in the mid 1890, it is covered by the 1907 patent. This hook was soon replaced by the large hook which was very similar but added the extractor cam atop the cocking hook.
If you look at the views of the early one you can see several of the adjustments which were dropped over time. On the early ones a screw through top tang bore on the top of the locking bolt so bolt could be tightened by turning down this screw. with the change in bolting this occured automatically by having the bolt wedge shaped & allowing the lever to go around to the left. Early guns had a split bbl lug, visable in bottom pic, with a tapered screw which could be tightened to spread the lug taking up side wear. The two little screws in bottom of frame were turned up against thew bottom leaf of the main spring to act as "Rebounders". Early guns had an adjustment in the forend to keep it snug against the knuckle. I the beginning all grades had the sear adjustment screws, but at some point this was eliminated on grades below E. I have two Q grades which both have this feature, highest SN'd one is in 29K range. The vast majority of my hunting with a Lefever has been done with a large hook model, but I really do like those rod cockers, only problem is only one I have is a 10lb 10ga, which ain't much of a quail & rabbit gun.