Chopperlumps

Lefever

American Firearms Best Bet

I’ve been collecting and hunting with American made shotguns for quite a while now.  It would be safe to say that I own my fair share of some fine specimens from each of the major American shotgun manufacturers and in doing so I’ve had the chance to study each in detail.

The following is a list of many of America’s most collected shotguns which you can put in any order you like, since as is natural, we all have our opinions.  Parker, A.H. Fox, L.C. Smith, Winchester, Lefever, Ithaca, Remington, Baker, and as of late Connecticut Shotgun Mfg.  As long as I’m listing we should even toss in Browning as it is considered an American classic regardless of where it was made.  No doubt that Parker holds the medal for becoming the most collected, highest priced, and readily available gun of the group.  After that it’s a crap shoot but what amazes me is that Lefever doesn’t stand as the top dog on the list in every respect.  Why?

Ask yourself when the last time you laid your eyes on a 90% mint Lefever at a gun show? Ask again if you have ever had the pleasure of seeing an Uncle Dan box lock variation, or the near impossible to find Lefever drilling or double rifle.  That’s right!  A double rifle and drilling made by an American gun manufacturer.  You know the one, Lefever, as in Daniel Myron Lefever the inventor of the hammerless shotgun.   To find a Lefever of any grade in excellent condition is exceptionally difficult and I am not talking about the gun known as the “Nitro Special”.  A majority of the best condition Lefevers belong in private collections and scarcely are they sold much less make their way into the public’s eye. Also consider that Lefever side lock guns numbered in the thousands and not tens of thousands.  The Lefever cross bolt model is even scarcer having only been manufactured over a period of four years with numbers under two thousand!  Compare these numbers with the huge production figures from the other top American shotgun makers and you see right there why Lefevers are relatively hard to find.

Few will argue that the three rarest American shotguns were made by Lefever.  The first is the “Thousand Dollar” grade, a side lock gun.  Only one is known to have ever been made, and it was named as such because it indeed costs $1000 dollars in 1896!  The other two are both cross bolt guns made by Dan Lefever and Sons.  These two guns are aptly named “Uncle Dan” grades.  The Uncle Dan grade was the highest grade available and only two have ever surfaced in the past 100 years.  I would quickly put these guns in front of the Parker Invincibles, Fox F grade, Ithaca Sousa grade, L.C. Smith Deluxe and so on.  Pick up my dear friend Bob Elliott’s book, “Lefever, Guns of Lasting Fame”, and compare the details of fit, finish, engraving, and so on to other makers.  I assure you that it will give great insight to these guns.

No doubt what so ever that Lefever guns are the most undervalued American shotgun today!  Our friends at Blue Book of Gun Values do try hard to keep up the pricing but let’s take a look at something.  The Thousand Dollar grade last sold for over $200,000 USD and the Uncle Dan Grades sold for near the same amount!  Take a look at the price of an Optimus Grade compared to it’s across board rival the Parker A1 Special.  Many A1 Specials are being sold at over $100,000 USD while the Optimus Grade hits the top at $85,000.  I assure you, owning many A1 Specials, that the Optimus is by far the finer gun.  What about comparing a Fox Sterlingworth with it’s across board equal the Lefever DS grade.  A Very Good to Excellent Sterlingworth currently can run as high as $4,000 USD while the Lefever DS in the same condition will costs half that.  Again, my favorite dove gun is a Sterlingworth but compared to the DS it pales. 

Lefever pricing is without a doubt the most outdated of all American shotguns and currently these guns are going for a fraction of their true value.  You will be hard pressed to ever find an equal gun in grade to the make of a Lefever and they shoot like a dream.  Scarcity alone makes these guns unique but even found with a quality refinish they are not to be passed up.  I have seen many a well used Lefever put back to original by some very competent gunsmiths but beware and do your homework before letting just anyone touch your gun.  Also, be cautious as Lefever guns have been faked, upgraded etc. by hacks wanting to pass them off as high grade original.  As a matter of fact it was not too long ago that a fake Thousand Dollar grade came onto the market while trying to be passed off as the original.  If not for the REAL Thousand Dollar grades owner checking this then the fake may have robbed some poor soul of their money. 

I’m partial to American Shotguns in general, each one has its own great qualities but my humble opinion is that Lefever is the finest made American shotgun in history.  Do your homework, check The Lefever Forum on the internet for advice and get a hold of Robert Elliott’s book for the most detailed information ever put together on this Master Gunmaker.