2378

RARE "AS FOUND" CONDITION D. M. LEFEVER & SONS

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:1,500.00 USD Estimated At:3,000.00 - 4,000.00 USD
RARE  AS FOUND  CONDITION D. M. LEFEVER & SONS
"6 C" GRADE EARLY TRIGGER PLATE CROSSBOLT SIDE BY SIDE SHOTGUN. Cal. 12 Ga., 2 5/8". S#1308. Early guns made by D. M. Lefever, after he left Lefever Arms Company, were built on a trigger plate style action. This did not work out as he expected & all later guns had a modified boxlock type action. This early gun has 28" Krupp steel bbls. w/ slightly raised, matted rib. "KRUPP": & "FLUID - STEEL" on tops. Breech ends have typical Lefever high grade ogee bolsters. There are no grade markings on bbl. flats, but grade designation is found in its usual place stamped in wood under grip cap. Casehardened action features knurled roll safety along w/ crossbolt & pivoting secondary bite engaging rib extension. Action also features Lefever's in frame ejector system, ball & socket hinge pin & wear compensating screw on right action fence. Gold plated dbl. triggers have checkered blades. Action is engraved w/ 70% coverage splashes of scroll w/in geometric borders surrounding very nicely detailed dog & hunting scenes in typical Lefever quality. Left side depicts a setter pointing unseen quarry behind stone wall while Bowler hat wearing hunter is in far background at right. A pointer points while has compatriot honors, on right side of action. A pointers head is on bottom of action & trigger plate is engraved "D. M. LEFEVER -" "SONS & CO." "PAT'D" "1902" "NOT" "CONNECTED" "WITH" "LEFEVER ARMS" "CO". Trigger guard w/ scroll & flying duck on bow, have S# on tang which extends to checkered hard rubber grip cap. Very nicely marbled & figured European walnut long pistol grip buttstock measures 14 3/8" over old leather covered pad, possibly original. Side panels are checkered, have elongated drop points & have incised chip carving at front edge, as often found on guns of this grade. Grip checkering is of point pattern w/ fancy crenellated back toward comb. Matching splinter forend w/ fancy hard rubber tip has knurled roll release & steel escutcheon. Bore diameters: left - .733, choke .013 (mod), right - .731, choke .004 (IC). Wall thickness: left - .038, right - .038. DAC: 1 7/8". DAH: 3 1/16". LOP: 14 3/8". WEIGHT: 7 lbs.10 oz. CONDITION: fine, mostly original, "as found". Bbls. retain 20-30% original blue w/ considerable scattered light pitting & a few areas of a bit deeper pitting. Cleaned overall, a long time ago. Action retains most of its original casehardening color, quite strong on trigger plate, top of action & where protected by bbls. Stocks retain most of what appears to be their original oil finish, quite dry on butt, shiny on forend from handling. Checkering is lightly worn & does not appear to have been recut. Triggers retain most of their gold plating w/ normal wear on finger blades. Casehardening on trigger guard is silver to gray w/ some light pitting on bow. Bores are near excellent, shiny w/ just a hint of old frosting in left bbl. Action is tight. Bbls. are on face. Ejectors are slightly out of time. The "6 C" grade w/ ejectors retailed for $150.00 in 1905. (19-5847/MGM9). CURIO. $3,000-4,000.