Frank Lefever

[Andy]

Originally Posted by Brian Dudley

It was a labor of love for sure and I am thankful to the owner for being committed to saving the gun as that is what it was about. Anyone should know that none of these things are worth what is spent on them for restoration. It just is what it is.

I will not publicly share the cost of the work. If you have a specific project you are interested in, you can feel free to contact me.

Nothing any of us does makes any fiscal sense at all. My wife, however, thinks I'm profitable : )

[terry buffum]

This gun looks to be about a B grade, which cost the same as an AHE Parker circa 1900. Even with the cut barrels, it was well worth saving. Thanks, Brian for taking it on and doing a great job!

[J. Scott Hanes]

REALLY appreciate your taking the time to photograph and document this restoration. I am envious of your skill and attention to details. Certainly a fantastic piece of work. Thank you!

[Randy Roberts]

Of all the excellent work on display in this thread I am drawn to the butt treatment with the heel and toe plates like a fat boy to french fries, that's just me. I can't quit looking at that. Nice job on the entire project Brian!

[edgarspencer]

As soon as I saw the stepped lock plate in the first picture, I knew it was gonna be a good'n.

[B. Dudley]

Originally Posted by edgarspencer

As soon as I saw the stepped lock plate in the first picture, I knew it was gonna be a good'n.

The crazy thing is that the head of the stock WAS original. The inletting was perfect. But everything on the outside was so molested and banged up that absolutely no original detail or traces remained. You could not even see the steps in the wood where the steps in the plates were. Let alone any sign of what the cheeks were shaped like, or if there were any sort of drop points.

[Mike Franzen]

Congratulations to all who worked on the project. Great to see something like this brought back from all the neglect and abuse it suffered. If desperate times require desperate measures then this gun must have lived through some of the worst.

[ArtS]

Great job! I too love the ebony work. The partial plates on the butt are really nice. I guess it is the nature of the wood, but a lot of these fail for one reason or another. I have 4 different guns waiting for new tips right now. I am waiting to do them all at once. I keep a big stock of ebony for guitar work, but don't like working with it due to allergies. Getting it ready for use between glue compatibility and ensuring dryness is tough.

[B. Dudley]

It is all buffalo horn. Not ebony.

[BRDHNTR]

Masterful work Brian.