Parker Gun Collectors Association Forums  

Go Back   Parker Gun Collectors Association Forums Non-Parker Specific & General Discussions General Discussions about Other Fine Doubles

Notices

Reply
Thread Tools Display Modes
Lefever Arms upland gun - first outing
Unread 07-04-2018, 04:32 PM   #1
Member
Cold Spring
PGCA Member

Member Info
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,878
Thanks: 3,265
Thanked 6,238 Times in 1,200 Posts

Default Lefever Arms upland gun - first outing

While at the Northeast SxS I saw a gent coming down the tent aisle with what looked to be a short-barreled Lefever double gun in a push carriage. A small note in one muzzle showed it was for sale. I asked and got a really good, almost unbelievably low price and of course I was skeptical, that the barrels were cut or it had serious issues. It checked out as an H Grade/12-gauge in upland configuration with 26-inch tubes each with a choke taper out to the muzzle. Keels were in place with the tubes touching and the fancy scallop cut was intact on the rib. Chokes: 14 and 32 points. I'm told that original 26 inch Lefevers are quite rare; this one has twist steel barrels with nice bright bores, no dents, barrels ring clearly, no wood cracks etc. Ivory bead front sight. Needless to say I scarfed the gun. The Lefever Collectors were across from me in the tent and after inspection their comments were: "buy of the show" and did I want to make a quick profit.

Today was the first I was able to shoot her. I only had 65 shells loaded (PB powder/1 ounce of 7-1/2's at about 1170 speed) and I shot the woods course at Rock Mtn that some of you are familiar with. Also did 3 stations on the main course. I didn't look at the view birds, just at the menu flight paths on the station show boards and had at it with the clicker set for following pairs. The old Lefever pointed and shot like a dream with score 61 ex 65.

How I love these honest old upland guns. This one a 12-bore weighing would you believe a tad under 6-10 on my digital scale, with 2-3/4" drop and 13-7/8" LOP. Someone knew what s/he wanted when the gun was ordered in 1904. Right now I'd match her against anything on a woodsy clays course, and of course grouse season will be here in a few months but meanwhile I'm not giving the summer away.

Thought I'd share this story with my friends.

frank
Attached Images
File Type: jpg LF 1.jpg (508.8 KB, 27 views)
File Type: jpg LF 2.jpg (477.0 KB, 37 views)
Frank Srebro is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 07-04-2018, 04:58 PM   #2
Member
Dean Romig
PGCA Invincible
Life Member
 
Dean Romig's Avatar

Member Info
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 31,557
Thanks: 35,430
Thanked 33,039 Times in 12,321 Posts

Default

Holy WOW! What a great little grouse gun!






.
__________________
"I'm a Setter man.
Not because I think they're better than the other breeds,
but because I'm a romantic - stuck on tradition - and to me, a Setter just "belongs" in the grouse picture."

George King, "That's Ruff", 2010 - a timeless classic.
Dean Romig is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to Dean Romig For Your Post:
Unread 07-04-2018, 05:33 PM   #3
Member
Sara LeFever
PGCA Member
 
Sara LeFever's Avatar

Member Info
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 216
Thanks: 1,571
Thanked 752 Times in 158 Posts

Default

Awesome find, Frank! Glad she shot well!

Sara
Sara LeFever is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to Sara LeFever For Your Post:
Unread 07-04-2018, 08:40 PM   #4
Member
B. Dudley
PGCA Lifetime
Member
 
Brian Dudley's Avatar

Member Info
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 10,546
Thanks: 476
Thanked 17,411 Times in 4,591 Posts

Default

By the photo, i would think barrels to be shorter than 26”.
__________________
B. Dudley
Brian Dudley is offline   Reply With Quote
Visit Brian Dudley's homepage!
Unread 07-04-2018, 09:23 PM   #5
Member
J.B. Books
PGCA Member
 
Pete Lester's Avatar

Member Info
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 2,857
Thanks: 1,639
Thanked 4,793 Times in 1,365 Posts

Default

Congrats Frank. Will you be pattern testing this gun? You may find that .014 barrel shoots tighter than you think. Please share the results if you do.
__________________
Progress is the mortal enemy of the Outdoorsman.
Pete Lester is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to Pete Lester For Your Post:
Unread 07-04-2018, 09:48 PM   #6
Member
StubTwist
PGCA Member
 
Frank Cronin's Avatar

Member Info
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 978
Thanks: 6,180
Thanked 1,601 Times in 483 Posts

Default

Original short barreled Lefevers are indeed a rare find. Congrats Frank on your new acquisition and sharing photos with us. Looks like a really nice and well cared for Lefever.
Frank Cronin is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to Frank Cronin For Your Post:
Unread 07-04-2018, 10:38 PM   #7
Member
Cold Spring
PGCA Member

Member Info
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,878
Thanks: 3,265
Thanked 6,238 Times in 1,200 Posts

Default

Thanks everyone. Brian, the barrels are indeed 26" on the nose; the cell camera effect does make them look shorter in that pic. Pete, yes I will pattern test with my regular shotcup handloads and also with bare shot/Alcan fiber wads in paper hulls. I'll be doing extensive patterning for something else when I get time and will work in this Lefever and report then.
Frank Srebro is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following 5 Users Say Thank You to Frank Srebro For Your Post:
Unread 07-05-2018, 08:58 AM   #8
Member
Cold Spring
PGCA Member

Member Info
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,878
Thanks: 3,265
Thanked 6,238 Times in 1,200 Posts

Default

Pete, I saw your post on the Lefever forum and thought you and others might be interested in the profile of that right barrel choke. It starts a slow taper at 4" aft of the muzzle with 4 thou diameter reduction in the first two inches of run, then 4 thou in the next inch, and 6 thou in the last inch out to the muzzle. Total constriction is 14 points. That's with my Baker bore mike.

Some of this Lefever bore and choke technology still seems to be mysterious and that's why I'm particularly interested.

frank
Frank Srebro is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to Frank Srebro For Your Post:
Unread 07-05-2018, 11:16 AM   #9
Member
J.B. Books
PGCA Member
 
Pete Lester's Avatar

Member Info
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 2,857
Thanks: 1,639
Thanked 4,793 Times in 1,365 Posts

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Frank Srebro View Post
Pete, I saw your post on the Lefever forum and thought you and others might be interested in the profile of that right barrel choke. It starts a slow taper at 4" aft of the muzzle with 4 thou in the first two inches of run, then 4 thou in the next inch, and 6 thou in the last inch out to the muzzle. Total constriction is 14 points. That's with my Stan Baker bore mike.

Some of this Lefever bore and choke technology still seems to be mysterious and that's why I'm particularly interested.

frank
As I understand the process a reamer that gives a tapered choke of .040 in four inches would produce a choke of .020 in two inches and .010 in 1 inch etc. It would seem to me a very small amount of constriction will have a very short amount of taper. The 10ga I just got has .018 in the left and the taper is about 3.5 to 4 inches long to the muzzle and the right barrel with .003 which is continuous to the muzzle is very short, 1/2" or so. Barrels are not cut. It patterned very well and I was surprised .003 delivered 53% at 40 yards and .018 delivered 85%. It's not a lot of constriction for a 10. That's why I think you may be surprised by the pattern your .014 constriction shoots.
__________________
Progress is the mortal enemy of the Outdoorsman.
Pete Lester is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to Pete Lester For Your Post:
Unread 07-05-2018, 11:27 AM   #10
Member
Dean Romig
PGCA Invincible
Life Member
 
Dean Romig's Avatar

Member Info
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 31,557
Thanks: 35,430
Thanked 33,039 Times in 12,321 Posts

Default

Depends if you are using a choke reamer or an adjustable cutter.





.
__________________
"I'm a Setter man.
Not because I think they're better than the other breeds,
but because I'm a romantic - stuck on tradition - and to me, a Setter just "belongs" in the grouse picture."

George King, "That's Ruff", 2010 - a timeless classic.
Dean Romig is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 10:41 AM.

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright © 1998 - 2023, Parkerguns.org
Copyright © 2004 Design par Megatekno
- 2008 style update 3.7 avec l'autorisation de son auteur par Stradfred.