Lefever Nitro Express

[Wayne Johnson]

(Title should be Nitro Special...It pays to proofread)

I don't know where a Lefever Nitro Special fits into the discussion of "fine doubles but I looked at one today at the LGS.

It's a 16 ga, with 28" barrels. The gun shop guy checked and said it had 2 3/4" chambers. I didn't check the chokes. Twin triggers and extractors. The wood looked pretty decent, and it seemed to lock up tight. After a quick wipedown with an oiley rag that seemed to remove an inch of dust, and maybe fine rust, the metal looked a lot better. The stock may have been cut, there is a really nicely installed recoil pad, a "White Line" I believe was the brand name. The S/N is 2580X which a website I found indicates a manufacture date of 1928 (They were made by Ithaca? Didn't know that.) I gather the Nitro Special was the low price line?

It was tagged less than $200.00 so I put it on layaway while I do some research. I figure if I got through with it, the worst thing that I'll have will be a lamp pole. And I can cancel the layaway if I want.

I took a couple of pictures with my cell phone. They're not very good I'm afraid.

[Andy Kelley]

Wayne , what is the LGS? At that price you will not lose money and 16ga. is a great caliber ? A superb rainey day gun! Andy

[edgarspencer]

The Nitro Special finished up life as an Ithica product, and was a pretty hardy working gun. They will, like everything else, eventually go up in value. I sold a .410 last month at the Baltimore show for a bit over $1200, but I've seen them fetching high teens regularly. Sixteens bring more than twelves, and the price you were quoted may even be lower than most twelves.

[Wayne Johnson]

It's Greentops in Richmond, Va., Andy.

I figured for the money it would be hard to lose anything. As one of my buddies who works there said I couldn't buy a fake double to hang over a fireplace for that.

[Phil Yearout]

Certainly worth $200 I'd think. Not sure if the wood is original?

[Wayne Johnson]

I don't know if it's original or not. May well not be. I'm new at this double gun stuff as you can probably tell. I was just looking over the rack and saw this one and noticed the price. I figured if it locked up tight, and it does, the safety holds firm, and the bores are shiney, there isn't much way to take much of a beating for $200.00. Even if the stock isn't original, it's not bad looking at all.

[OH Osthaus]

the Lefever Nitro Special started life as an Ithaca product as well

solid, durable "modern" (for its time) design - no relation to the other real Lefevers - Ithaca Gun owned the name and could put it on anything they wanted to (as Savage did with the Fox Model B).

I have owned two through the years and never had any trouble with either of them. One was a long barreled 12 - full and fuller - best goose killer I ever owned. I sold it off because I could not shoot steel through it, with the non-tox choices now - I hope someone is still dragging that one through the swamps.

may be a tad heavy but if it fits you, you can have fun in the uplands, it it doesn't - that is one you should not feel bad adjusting it until it does

[wayne goerres]

You cant go wrong with a 200.00 dollar shooter. Work with bit a little and you will be happy with it. All that realy matters is that it functions properly and it kills game.

[Harold Pickens]

I've not seen one with a beavertail forend like that, all I've seen had splinter forends, I have had 2, a 12 and 16 and ended up selling them both--should have kept the 16.--why do I do that?
I knew an old Wv. grouse huntr that used a 20, and loved his Eng setters. He gave me his hand made strap vest that will outlast me.
My advice--Buy the damn gun!!!

[Wayne Johnson]

I had wondered about the foreend myself. I didn't know what they came with, but the color seems lighter than the buttstock and a beavertail seems kind of upscale for what apparently would have been a fairly inexpensive gun.