doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Don’t see ultra light 10s much

I have several 2 7/8" 10 gauge guns made by Lefever and Parker. Most are heavy 32" barreled beasts. One, an E grade Lefever is so massive and heavy that I thought it might be a very rare 8 gauge until I measured it.

However, I do have one pretty light 10 ga. It's an H Grade Lefever with 30" Twist barrels. It was sold as a 12 Gauge, and when I measured the chokes, I was shocked to find they were both around .755". A 12 ga. shell was sloppy in the chambers, but a 3 1/2" 10 ga. shell cut down to 2 7/8" fit perfectly. As I recall, this gun weighs around 7 lbs. 4 oz. and would have about modified chokes in both barrels.

It was a pleasant surprise because the H Grade Lefever was supposed to be made only in 12, 16, and 20 gauge. I have not seen or heard of another built in 10 ga.

Bill, I just could not bring myself to use a 1 1/4 oz. load on a dove. Those loads will bring down any duck that ever flew, even a canvasback at 2 1/2 lbs. I cannot use a load like that on a dove that weighs 6 oz. max. I have a "struggle" using a 12 ga. 1 oz. load on a dove, even in the late season. I know it's just me, but I have a need to match the load to the game and IMO 1 1/4 oz. on a dove is a bad mismatch.

I guess my mantra would be, to rearrange Ruark's saying, Use enough gun, but don't use too much gun.

I agree with Stan. I am more a long barrel 20 or 28 guy for high doves. Keith, I own a 7 1/4 pound Lefever ten also, but mine is fluid steel. Yours and mine are both rare Lefevers, the only two I have ever heard of that light. Mine is a 28 inch barrel gun.

Eightbore, what grade is your 7 1/4 lb Lefever 10 ga. gun?

Probably a G, but I'll check.

Have a David Kirkwood High Grade ($200) boxlock 10 Ga 7 lb 4 oz 28 in made between 1882 and 1885. Kirkwood from Boston
made custom light weight guns in the 1880's and 90's.
Best
Bill McPhail

My light ten Lefever is a G Grade.

Thanks for taking the time to check eightbore.

As I said earlier, my light Lefever 10 gauge is an H Grade, and the H Grade was supposed to have been built in only 20, 16, and 12 gauge. I have not heard of or seen another 10 gauge H grade.
So far, it appears to be one of a kind.

I also have two of only four known I Grade Lefevers that were built in 16 gauge, and one of them is the only one known with automatic ejectors. The I grade was supposed to have been made in 12 gauge only, and without auto ejectors. But a few 12's with auto ejectors have shown up. The saying, "Never say never when it comes to Lefevers " is a true fact!

WW Forsyth 10ga 7 lb 14 oz FEG 12ga upland gun. over 100 years difference in age and they are very close in dimensions.