doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com What Lefever do I have here?

I just picked this up. I really know little about Lefevers.

The receiver and triggers are nickel. Beavertail forend.

One set of 28" barrels and a set of 30" barrels.

Let me know what you might know. Thanks!


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E grd with ejectors. I don't think the receiver and triggers are nickel, look as if they been polished. I doubt the beavertail is original. Neat find with serial numbered two barrel set.

An E Grade ejector nicely refurbished. I doubt the wood is original. The two barrel "set" may be for real, but I doubt it...Geo

This gun was very incorrectly advertised on Gunbroker as a rare variation.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/885208786

It is really just an E Grade that has been restocked and very poorly and incorrectly refinished.

The seller claimed that serious collectors told him that the beavertail forend was original and rare. Lefever never built a gun with a beavertail forend. Period. The case hardening colors on the frame are polished off, and it has been incorrectly nickel plated. No Lefever shotguns were ever nickel plated. The sideplates which were also originally bone charcoal color case hardened have been blued. This was NOT a special order feature, as the seller claimed.

The weep holes in the lower rib indicate that these barrels may have been hot blued, which can be very bad and cause the solder joints to fail. There is a good chance that the second set of barrels was purchased by the original owner from Lefever Arms Co. because one set has two different serial numbers. This was an original practice. It is a shame that a two barreled set has been desecrated in this manner.

The stock is almost certainly Black walnut. All Syracuse built Lefevers had English walnut stocks. This was not stocked by Ithaca. The style is all wrong.

Sorry to give you all of this bad news. It would cost way more than it is worth to correctly restore it. The seller covered his ass with his admission that he is not an expert. The next time you buy a gun, it might be a good idea to get accurate information before you spend your hard earned money. I'd advise you to sell it as is , and cut your losses.

Not a big deal about originality to me. I paid for a shooter not a collector. I got it to break some clays and shoot some pheasants.

I won a Lefever 5-stand a few years ago with a loaner gun. They needed a 5th shooter so loaned me one. I won it for a case of RST shotshells. I figure they might not loan me another so I have one to shoot next time

In that case you are good. Enjoy a pretty and interesting gun and shoot it without concern for loss of value...Geo

I guess Geo missed those big weep holes in the bottom rib that are a sign that the barrels have been hot blued. There have been a lot of threads and posts on this forum warning about the risk of the solder joints failing due to the corrosive hot blue salts, and ribs popping loose, Those threads also tell about the considerable cost of a rib re-lay and slow rust re-blue. The big beavertail forend will help that rib popping process too. Recoil plus increased mass of the big fat beavertail equals the inertia that puts excessive strain on the forend hanger.

The good news is that there were a number of other bidders who wanted this gun for some reason. So you can sell it and cut your losses, and buy one that is original and won't self-destruct.

I could make you feel good about this purchase... or I could tell you the truth. I chose to tell you the truth. I will do you no favors by making you feel good about a mistake. Sorry.

EDIT: It is interesting than an E Grade of this vintage does not have the sear engagement adjusting screws in the sideplates.

If you're happy, then I'm happy for you; but should you ever need to sell the gun, or your heirs decide the sell her, then I hope you didn't pay the nearly $10K the Gunbroker seller was asking. I don't recall seeing a single bid the month or so it was listed on GB.

I did see what the gun went for and it was no where near $10K. A little over 1/10 of that. At that price I'm sure he could re-coup his money if need be, but as he stated he was happy with the deal, and as you stated Tom, if you're happy, then I'm happy for you as well.

Keith... not to argue the point, but are you sure just because it has weep holes that the barrels were hot blued? They don�t appear to look hot blued. But I don�t claim to be an expert without gun in hand. Also I know I�ve seen Ithaca barrel with weep holes. I�m sure they weren�t hot blued.