Sirs, I recently acquired this Lefever shotgun. It's my 1st single cocking hook type gun. According to Elliott's book, this appears to be the large cocking hook. His book states then as being made 1899-1921. Yet according to serial #20704 this should be 1893 made. Is this an anomaly? Also, on this same gun, 20704, should the pin ahead of the hook go across the watertable/action flat? I have a 14000 range with the 'two fish hook' cocking mechanism where the pin does go across.

Red;
Most likely this gun is one of two things. Either it was built out of sequence on an older frame in stock or it was returned to the factory for an up-grade to the newer action. The cross pin served as the barrel check on your two hook. The little hook portion shown in your picture of the lug shows where it checked the barrel's opening. With the forend off the bbl could slide rearward as the hook was reached allowing removal. An extremely simple, sturdy & effective barrel check with no delicate parts to give trouble as some highly touted makes. On the single hook guns the cross pin in the lug served as the check hook when it reached the end of the hook, thus this frame pin was not needed. On earlier actions which already had the pin upon being modified to the later hook design the center portion of the pin was normally cut out. Guns built from scratch on the later design did not have the cross pin at all. Yes this is the large hook as it has the extractor cam on top of the hook. Extractor guns built as single hook guns do not have the slot in the bbl lug at all.

Thanks 2-piper. Also, this is the 1st 32" LeFever I've had. Barrels check out (original chambers, bore diameter and wall thickness, fxf chokes)but when I got the gun, it arrived with a dent in the right barrel 13 1/2" from the breech. It's not a sharp dent, more like a depression if you will. I was hoping to use it on doves in about 13 days, but not with the dent. Is there a gunsmith that anyone on the board may know of within about 1 1/2 to 2hr from Dallas, any direction, that can remove dents in a timely manner? Not looking to have the barrels re-done, just get the dent out to shoot.

Patrick at Willoughby-McCabe is supposed to have a really good barrel man. Your sharp shootin' son going with you for dove?

Mike

Thanks for the lead on Patrick, Mike. And why, yes my son will be with me, as always. I just got back from scouting a field. I need the boy to go with me to bring birds home.