Lefever Arms Co. of Syracuse, New York, was bought out by a shell corporation in early 1916, and all the assets and the rights to use the Lefever name in the manufacture of shotguns was moved to Ithaca. A short time later ownership of this corporation, Lefever Arms Co., Inc. was transferred to the owners of Ithaca Gun Co. -- George Livermore, Louis Smith, Claude Smith, Paul Livermore and Eunice Smith. Through 1919, this corporation, operating within the plant of Ithaca Gun Co. finished and sold off the remaining inventory of side-plate Lefever guns. In 1921, this corporation introduced the lower priced Lefever Nitro Special, still operating as a separate corporation. The Nitro Special was introduced in 12-, 16-, and 20-gauges. In 1926, a .410-bore version was added to the line. The Model 2 single barrel and the Model 3 SBT were added to the Lefever line in 1927, and the Model 4 double barrel vent rib trap gun in 1929. Also in 1929, the family formed another corporation, Western Arms Corp., to build an even lower priced double the Long Range Double. Lefever and Western continued to operate as separate corporations into 1933. By 1934, Lefever and Western guns are marked as being made by the Lefever or Western Branches of Ithaca Gun Co., Inc.
Ithaca built 16-gauge doubles were normally chambered for the 2 9/16 inch shells through 1933. The 1934 catalogues begin stating they are chambered for 2 3/4 inch shells. You gave the serial number as 2580x. I'm sure you meant 2580xx. Lefever Nitro Special serial numbers began at 100000.
The wood on that Lefever Nitro Special certainly isn't what it left Fall Creek Water Power Lot #6 with. A 1928 Lefever Nitro Special would look like this --
About 1931, the Lefever Nitro Specials got a capped pistol grip stock --
Very late in production they gave the Nitro Special a more nicely profiled receiver, like this 1937 gun --
