I have two old Lefever 12 ga one is a F grade the other is a G. I really like them. They are real easy to take apart to clean and have alot of nice features for adjusting for wear. there is a bolt at the hinge that can be tighted to take up wear in the action and there is a screw in the piece where the forend attaches to keep the forend tight. Very well thought out. And as others have pointed out they are extremely well checkered and engraved with nice wood

The barrels are the "Key here
 

-- My criteria in looking at a older side-by jibes with what others have said- besides the obvious of good mechanics, and for me, double triggers are a must (also 12 gauge)-- uncut barrels free of dents, pitts, etc. Lotsa con men try tricks re: selling doubles to the "unwary" they run a swab with baby powder through the barrels to cover up small pitts, when you hold them to the light they will shine like a Xmas tree in December. If you want to sell them or offer one of your guns on trade to them, they'll "ring the barrels" by holding them by the extractor face-this gives a false reading and good barrels with good solder will sometimes "clunk" instead of 'chime"--when suspended like that-- The stock has to fit me, and the trigger pulls must be crisp- chokes and chamber lengths come later. Russ, for what it is worth- my "gut' tells me you did the right thing by passing this C grade- good or even great wood and checkering can't overcome mechanical problems on any gun.:bigbye:

The feel of the two guns, the Parker and the Lefever are indeed different. The Lefever is light and slender and to me it's CG is farther forward. It floats to your shoulder and swings well. The Parker IMO is heavier, and has a center of gravity that is farther toward the butt. So when you throw it to your shoulder it goes easily because of momentum, but it's muzzle does not take off as readily. As for quality? I really don't know. I've seen several beautiful Optimus Lefever guns and they are wonderful with fine engraving and light barrels. The Parkers that I have hefted are heavier, but beautiful guns.

I don't know which is a better gun. After hunting season this year I'll have a better idea.

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/a...shotgun002.jpg

Here is my "I" graded lefever made in 1901. It is a plain jane gun, no engraving except for the company name. I've read that they are not "true" sidelocks, not sure what that means, but she is a pretty and very light gun.

Here's another picture of my Lefever. Cost me $600, another pawn shop find.


http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/a...shotgun006.jpg

This is a Kearcher gun.

Uncle Dan- great designer, not so good at business
 

You are 100% right about the sidelock ?? re: Your fine LeFevers-- the absence of the various pins (as you can see from looking at the lockplates of an LC Smith, Purdey, etc-- are the "give-away". The lads on the LeFever site can help you more than I can, but IMO- the first series LeFevers as are yours are sideplated boxlock doubles- as the tumblers (hammers) mainsprings, sears and axles are NOT attached to the inside of the plates- Very nice work by Mr. Kearcher- he has an excellent reputation indeed.

OT perhaps- but I find it a bit interesting that the two longest in production American doubles- regardless of type- were under the aegis of solid businessmen- Charles Parker and Lyman Smith- they both hired first rate designers ( C.A. King for Parker- Wm. Baker for Smith- also Ithaca) and the two other really fine American doubles- LeFever and AH fox- were developed by men, who- if I have my history in proper perspective- were NOT good businessmen- Dan LeFever and Ansley Fox--

I can see I'm going to have to look you up and do a "pawn shop recon' together- the $600 is a bargain-- I only owned one sideplated leFever-a 20 bore DS- best grouse gun I have ever shot- like a fool I let a hunting partner talk me out of it- we live LEARN (SOMETIMES)!!!:bigbye::bigbye:

The pawn shop probably paid Kearcher 6 or 800 bucks to refurbish the gun. When I bough it, it had been on the rack for a year. They dumped it for, was they told me, less than they paid Kearcher. It was indeed a steal. Keith is a big fan of the Optimus gun. He does a lot of work on Parkers too, but there are more of them to work on.

Steve: The Lefever is really a box lock with side plates. Below about SN# 25,000 I think it is, the sears are attatched to the side plates. The hammers etc. are all mounted in the frame. The cocking indcators are mounted in the sideplates and work off a tapered section on the hammers that push them out when the hammers are cocked. After that range of serial numbers the sears are mounted in the frame also which means they are a box lock with side plates for access to the lockwork only. Your DS is a later gun and would be of this configuration. The DS and I were the lowest grade made under the Lefever patents and were the same gun. The I grade was a branded name gun for Shoverling and Daly and some other "hardware store " private brands. All in all they are still a Lefever and you can expect to see almost any combination of features that may or may not be cataloged. Love it to death!!!! Lee:bigbye: