According to Bob Elliot's book an article of co-Partnership was entered by Daniel M Lefever & John A Nichols in the city of Syracuse NY, March 10, 1876. Their partnership was apparently terminated by 1879. This was an important milestone in the development of the Lefever shotgun. I would say this buyer got a great bargain. This gun had a catalog price of $100.00 in its day, certainly not clunker price.

Miller/TN
I Didn't Say Everything I Said, Yogi Berra