Stock design was evolving in the early 1890s and Uncle Dan Lefever kept up with the latest developments. A major innovation was the Monte Carlo stock, which first appeared on this side of the Atlantic in 1893. The design was not, in the eyes of some, as elegant as the classic straight stock, but it permitted raising the comb height on an older Lefever with a steep drop. A number of earlier Lefevers with an extreme drop at comb and heel were returned to Lefever Arms in the mid-1890s for restocking with the new Monte Carlo design. For example, I had a wonderful sidecocker, originally made in about 1882, which was restocked in the 1890s. The result was a Lefever with very high dimensions which may have been used as a live pigeon gun.
Mark Larson has just used his extraordinary skills to make an old Lefever of mine shootable by extending the stock and raising the comb in a way which is very similar to the new Monte Carlo stock design of 1893. My Lefever had sleeved barrels and therefore relatively low collectible value, so I felt comfortable in asking Mark to make additions to the stock, both to heighten the comb and lengthen the stock to 14 , so that it would be comfortable for me to shoot. The result was stunning. In addition to the stock extension, Mark epoxied a 1/2" strip of wood on top of the comb with several dowels inserted into the stock from underneath. Then he shaped the added wood and covered it with bondo for the final shaping. He used glazing putty to fill in low spots, and followed that that with a coat of primer, then a caramel colored enamel base coat, as the background for Marks outstanding grain and figure matching. The caramel color which Mark has developed has a very natural walnut look. Once the graining was done, Mark sealed the stock with a couple coats of polyurethane, followed by 4 coats of custom oil, block sanding, then another 4 coats of oil and then another block sand, and finally a few finish coats. Here is the final result:
Marks job was more expensive than a Velcro comb-riser, but a small fraction of the cost of a new stock.
For me, this was a wonderful solution to making this treasured old Lefever shootable. I have used a lot of comb risers and cheek pieces on guns with a lot of drop and never been happy with them. I am very happy with what Mark did making this Monte Carlo style stock, reminiscent of what Uncle Dan himself did after that stock designs introduction on this side of the Pond in 1893.
