doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Lefever 20 pics / info??

A few things of note; According to Bob Elliots estimates of production by grade the H, G, F & E were all produced in larger quantities than the DS. He assigns first place to the G followed very closely by the E. From my limited experience I would tend to agree. The introduction of the H was made in I believe 1898, but was around 99 before many made it to the stores. I believe the DS followed a couple of years later around 1901, or the same year Uncle Dan left the Co. There has been some speculation that the "Rift" between Uncle Dan & the Durstons may have had some influence on the grade being called the DS. It is also noted that apparently identical guns were also sold as an "I" grade, or next step down from an H.
The "Major" mechanical difference between the DS & higher grade ones is the straight rib extension rather than the square shouldered "Doll's Head".
Very shortly after my interest in Lefevers had started I had opportunity to buy a very minty 20ga DS, but pased as it was priced twice as high as a 12ga FE I had just recently purchased (my first Lefever). I still don't have a 20ga & have regretted many times I did not buy that one, at the time I just didn't realize how few 20gas were out there in grades higher than the DS.

Marine:

I have one much like Terry's, but with less condition, poorer metal color and with forend wood that appeared to be dog-chewed. I chose to have it restored to new (not "upgraded). It's in my regular bird-hunting "rotation" of guns and gives me a lot of pleasure. It helped that I have a neighbor who is familiar with Lefevers (to say the least), superb at this sort of work and the gun had shootable dimensions "as is".

Terry's is in nicer shape. That would be a tougher call.

Bill

Well Marine, one can always get carried away and make something like this 28-gauge out of a 20-gauge DS-Grade --

WOW thats beautiful. See here in lies my battle. I believe that the gun was built to be used. Anything that old is going to need cosmitics sooner or later. Doing it right by professionals is only in my eyes preservation. Its still the same gun just the finish is refreshed. I toss and turn over this all the time. Thanks for sharing the beautiful pictures with us.

Where you from in AK? I have a place in Auke Bay out the road from Juneau.

Researcher:

That's a beautiful Lefever. Do you mind sharing who did your gunsmithing? The way you did the case with the trade label and so forth is really cool.

This is my restored DS 20...it's less ambitious than Researcher's 28 conversion but I enjoy it. This gun wasn't nearly as nice as Terry's to begin with.



Bill

Bill thats a fine gun as well. Who did the work on yours if I may ask?

My gun was a project of Bill Harvey the stock-maker. As I recall he said Kirk Merrington sleeved the barrels and Jacqueline Favre, who engraved some of the later Ithaca single-barrel traps, engraved it. We were sitting around late one afternoon having a glass of wine. I kept shouldering that gun, and pretty soon was writing a check.

My Wife is from Kodiak, and we spend a good deal of the summer up there. In fact she and my bird dog are already up there. I'll head up there after the Nimrod.

I have never been out to Kodiak. I would like to make it there one day. I go to Haines to bird hunt and waterfowl hunt. There is a great place called Mosquito Lake there. I have a friend that has a place there. Well thats a fine shotgun you have there. It sure is something to be proud of.

Buck Hamlin did every bit of it, wood and metal.

I feel bad because the case colors are starting to wear on the sharp corners, but I'd feel worse if I didn't get to hunt with it.

Bill

Very beautiful shotgun. I would have to hunt with it too.