doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com what would it cost today

There is a recent thread on how much repairs and replacements cost today. I saw this Lefever on gunbroker, it looks like it has
had some work done on it, what do you see, and how much do you think it would cost today to have the same work done.

Lefever

I just see the stock, the forearm actually looks period, if not original. It sounds like a project gun that someone gave up on (been there, done that). It doesn’t appear that it sold for much.

Not sure how difficult it would be to sort the sear/trigger issues it has, might they be connected to the restock? Just a restock on a Lefever would be far more than this gun sold for, but, that doesn’t make it a buy.

Best,
Ted

I agree with you on the butt stock, I think it was nicely done, but it isn't in the style that you would expect for a G grade Lefever, I think there has been some other significant work done,

btw, I don't consider it a "buy"

Looks like the orig stock to me that was redone.

The forend wood looks original, but it has been refinished with checkering recut.

The buttstock is definitely a replacement. No question about it. It was reasonably well done, but there are several clues to show it is not original. The area of the cheek panels where the side plates are is too wide, especially toward the rear. This is a little detail that many stockers don't get right. The teardrop drop points were never used on any Lefever I have seen. Some higher grades had an arrowhead drop point, and I have seen that same arrowhead style drop point on two lower grade Lefevers. (I own one of them) The inletting around the right side plate is a bit sloppy. The detail around the nose of the comb isn't quite right, but it was done better than is seen on many replacement Lefever stocks.

The dished out area just behind the frame, on either side of the forward portion of the top tang is another very telling give-away that this buttstock is not original. Wood is often removed or sanded away during a refinish, but adding or leaving wood where it never should have been isn't going to fool many experienced collectors.

It is hard to tell, but it appears the end of the buttstock wood is cut straight, while original Lefever buttstocks and buttplates are curved. The original LAC monogram buttplate may have been heated in boiling water and straightened. Finally, looking at the semi-pistol grip from the bottom, you can see it is much wider or more bulbous than any Lefever of this vintage I have seen. And I looked at one while writing this.

The right side cocking problem is probably due to a worn or fractured over-hanging sear notch, or the same on the hammer bent... perhaps compounded by an accumulation of dried oil and grunge.

'' A LOT ''

I think old Lefevers are really neat, but...the days of "project guns" may well be behind us now.

Unless you yourself are competent to do most of the work needed to put a gun back in order, most will now languish. The few truly-competent doublegun gunsmiths are all now doubled-booked and ageing out, with very few (if any) younger people stepping up to replace them (and the money simply isn't there to tempt them) and moreover, since the love of these guns is largely driven by nostalgia, very few younger folks (younger than 30) have any interest in them. They simply don't have any connection to them or if they do, it's far-overshadowed by other considerations (in Maslow's hierarchy of needs these things don't even register). They have become artefacts of another time and another place.

If these guns ultimately become dirt-cheap and commonly available (& some are now), that might change (but that presumes a number of things, like "legality" and then having practical places to use them).

For the 1st time in my life I now own guns that will, in all practicality, not ever be used much. In even the recent past, this was a guarantee of a quick trip down the road of commerce, but these days that's thankfully not so-necessary (the rewards of now habitual delayed-gratification, eh?). I own them mostly for fondling and then enjoying the visual effect. Having them as "possessions" seems like an accomplishment of some sort (a classic example of "yesterdays treasures") but I can't imagine anybody much younger than me feeling the same way about them (& 70 is looming ever larger these days).

I agree with Keith, I've never seen a G-grade Lefever with that tear drop behind the side plate, or a Prince of Wale's grip. But I think there has been
some other work done to it, and I hope someone will spot it.

.

Well Fred, the compensating ball-end screw in the action knuckle shows some buggering, which is seen fairly often. Apparently, many owners couldn't resist attempting to tighten that big screw. I suspect most gave up after being unable to move it, and after seeing they were doing damage. Every one I have attempted to turn took lots of effort, long penetrating oil soaks, heat, etc.

The big clue to other work being done on this gun is the second serial no. of 61599 on the right barrel. It is said the presence of a second serial number indicates some major factory modification or repair, such as replacement of a damaged barrel. Robert Elliot estimated that this practice consumed around 5000 numbers out of the total of 72,000 or so. And production of the hammerless guns started with S/N 5000. So the total production would have been around 62,000 if Elliot's production estimates were correct. In this case, I'd suspect the modification was the addition of automatic ejectors. But the right barrel may also have had some work done, because it is evident the muzzle wall is much thinner compared to the left. Perhaps the barrel was honed to remove pitting, or the right choke was opened up.

I had this gun on my Watch list. Not because I wanted it, but because I was curious what it would end up selling for. It sold for a higher price than I expected for a well used G Grade that has a replacement buttstock and cocking issues. But as has been noted, even this incorrect restocking job on a Lefever would cost more than the total sale price, including fees and shipping, so it was better than buying one with a trashed original stock. A competent DIY'er should be able to fix the cocking problem for zero to $50.00, depending upon any used replacement parts being needed.

I disagree with Lloyd about the days of "project guns" being behind us now. While there are certainly fewer people willing to learn to repair or restore old guns, cars, houses, etc., there will always be some people who have the inborn trait of wanting to fix things. And amateur fixes will continue to run the gamut from bubble-gum and baling wire to top flight restorations.

We do have this phenomena that started during the Biden Administration called the "Great Resignation". where many people simply dropped out of the workforce. Even now, long after the Covid19 debacle, we still have large numbers of people who simply refuse to work. I believe that removing all forms of taxpayer funded Public Assistance or Welfare for able-bodied people would cure that shit post-haste.