Two Shotguns

Billy Gross · 10-04-2022, 01:12 PM

A neighbor of mine wants to sell two shotguns. I don't have pictures and plan to go over to look at them towards the end of the week. Can anyone give me some insight as to what to look for and possibly a value range.

12 Gauge Double Barrel Shotgun
The A.J. Aubrey
Made by Meriden Firearms
Serial 31662 S30 Barrel Model 18

16/20 Gauge (I don’t know which) Double Barrel Shotgun
28 inch barrel
Serial # 233582
Lefever Nitro Special
Manufactured 1927

Thankyou,
Billy Gross

charlie cleveland · 10-04-2022, 01:24 PM

both these guns are not nothing but good shooters mostly...only real value is them to have somekind of sentimental value to them... in average condition the Aubrey would be a 200 to 400 dollars...the lefver nitro would be between 400 to 800 dollars....theres a nice 20 bore in my friends gunshop now for 400 dollars...thia is my opinion good luck with the guns....charlie

Austin J Hawthorne Jr. · 10-04-2022, 04:28 PM

Billy,
I agree with Charlie regarding the Nitro Special, however, The A.J. Aubrey guns were made in several grades. The higher grades, if in very good condition, could be worth well over $1,500.00.
Regards,
Austin

Bill Murphy · 10-05-2022, 09:26 AM

Billy, where is the "18" marked? Is this a high grade gun? I can't remember the grading system for Meriden guns. I once had an outrageosly high grade Meriden in near mint condition. However, one of the barrels was blown and I didn't know what to do about it. I let it go.

Billy Gross · 10-05-2022, 11:26 AM

Thanx Charlie and Austin. Bill I will let you know after I see it. Billy

Mike of the Mountain · 10-05-2022, 02:27 PM

The Nitro Special is basically an Ithaca shotgun. Nothing wrong with it, strong gun, good shooter, but not a Lefever.

OH Osthaus · 10-05-2022, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Koneski

The Nitro Special is basically an Ithaca shotgun. Nothing wrong with it, strong gun, good shooter, but not a Lefever.

heathen

made by Ithaca as a bargain gun to get the bottom of the market just a couple years before the NID came out but not engineered like the Flues or NID - they also had another entry level as the Western Long Range

but yes - the nitro special is a very solidly built gun- I have had two over the years and never had an issue with the function of either one

Bill Murphy · 10-06-2022, 09:46 AM

Colonel George Busby wrote for years about his long lived Nitro Special and his 43 months spent in South America mainly shooting birds.