Damascus Lefever on a cold morning

[Silvers]

Truth be told I like Syracuse Lefevers almost as much as Foxes.

I had a new to me G-Grade Lefever out today, a recent find. My clays shooting has been on the back burner over the past two weeks (deer season) and tomorrow starts our late split on the PA grouse season. My shooting buddies passed and I was solo today; 16-degrees when I got to the club. Not to worry, the cab is on the golf/shooting cart and a new propane heater made it pretty warm inside even on its low setting. It’s nice to get that respite between stations.

I’m including some pics of the G Lefever; she’s a 1908 gun, 12-gauge, 30-inch Damascus tubes that are choked I-Mod and Full. Shells were my standard reloads for clays shooting with composite barrels: Remington Gun Club cases, IMR “PB” single-base powder and 1-ounce of West Coast 7-1/2’s. I really like the wide, relatively flat top sighting rib on Lefevers. She did very well and as they say, is a keeper.

frank

[Stan Hillis]

Nice Lefever. I "discovered" Lefevers several years ago. I never knew guns of such beauty were ever built, as the Optimus Grade. I'd love to find a nice ejector 20 gauge graded Lefever to use for quail.

Your cart looks just like mine, about the same year. Club Cars with the Kawasaki engine are unbelievably long lasting and dependable. Mine is a '96 model, and is used on the farm almost daily, and for shooting sporting clays, and has been running constantly since I bought it in '99. I like the little heater deal on the bottle. How long will a bottle last if it's run constantly? I've seen them on larger gas grill sized tanks, but not on a little bottle like that.

You're a tough bird, Frank. I think nothing of duck hunting at 16 degrees, in fact I look forward to it because I know some places with current that are duck magnets when we have a couple of consecutive nights in the 'teens and all the calm water is iced over. But, sporting clays at 16? Let me think about it a while .........that's long enough. Nah!

SRH

[Silvers]

Stan, as I recall my Club Car is a 2004 model with a lift kit. I've owned it for about 10 years with zero problems except for replacement of a voltage regulator and the battery. IMO the Club Car with its Kawasaki engine is possibly the best buy on the used golf cart market. They're reliable as could be, and the aluminum frame is a big plus for anyone who intends to keep it for a while. No rusting. Also the traction on snow and in mud is way better than the Ez Go's owned by several friends. I joke with them that my Club Car had a posi rear. I know it doesn't but for some reason that CC will go almost anywhere.

I just bought that heater on Amazon for something like $38.00 including free Prime shipping. It comes with a floor mount base and another one (pictured) that fits into the pop can holder. The literature states it's good for 5 hours of continuous use on medium heat setting but I can't confirm that as yet. Advice: two of my shooting buds have similar small propane heaters made by a different company and with a tipover cutoff feature, and they're constantly shutting down while driving a SC course. Very frustrating and much cussing. The one pictured doesn't have that feature and had excellent reviews. I'll look up the part number if anyone wants it.

Back to Syracuse Lefevers, they're excellent guns with many innovative features but hard to find in good condition. Also the stock heading is SO MUCH BETTER than a certain competing American sidelock.

frank

[Stan Hillis]

Totally agree about the Club Cars. We have a huge used golf cart dealer here who is an old friend of mine. He is recognized as the #1 used gold cart distributor in the world, and has his own website. I knew he would give me good advice when I wanted to buy one. He told me absolutely to get a Club Car with the K engine. He builds them to order, and did mine. I, too, has a lift kit, and has a small "pickup bed" in the rear, racks in the front, and these gun scabbards which I fabricated the brackets/mounts for.

https://www.scabbard.com

I've been around sporting clays and shooting carts for about 20 years, and these are absolutely the finest gun holders for carts I've ever seen. They leave all the others in the dust, IMO. Mine have lasted almost 20 years and the covers are still sound. Excellent protection for nice guns while riding, with no bluing wear to the barrels like so many of the cheaper gun racks/holders. Hardly a major sporting tournament passes that somebody doesn't come up to me and ask where I got the scabbards.

Oh yeah, one other good thing about the Club Car over the others ............it turns in a much tighter radius.

SRH

[DarylC]

As usual Frank you have scored another nice Lefever. The stock looks pretty straight- what's the dimensions? The few Lefevers I've had the pleasure to shoot, including my H grade 20, have really shootable dimensions.

[SPE33]

The purpose of the sideplates on a gun of that timeframe was to carry the cocking indicators and allow access to the internal works. They are not really a true sidelock gun.

[Jeff S]

Frank, funny that you are talking about the Lefevers. I just scrolled through the Lefever section of GI last night. There were some nice looking guns, but they almost all had 30" barrels. I was hoping to stumble on a 26"

[Silvers]

SPE33, my reference to the "competing American sidelock" was regarding that maker's minimal recoil bearing surfaces and tendency to develop wood cracks, as compared to the sideplated Syracuse Lefever. Both makers competed in the marketplace during roughly the same timeframe.

Daryl, this G Grade has only 2-1/2" drop, LOP is 14-5/16". NIce.

Jeff, depending on who you ask you'll learn that original 26-inch Lefevers are anywhere from occasionally seen to very rare. If you find one that's supposed to be original its tubes MUST touch at the muzzles, and each choke must be tapered out to the muzzle (no parallel section).

frank

[Jeff S]

Frank, thanks for the very good tip. Jeff

[SPE33]

The DS grade is the most commenly found 26” gun made by Lefever.

[Jeff S]

The DS grade is the most commenly found 26” gun made by Lefever.

Thanks. I don't know anything about the various Lefever grades, but I noticed that there are a few of the DS grades on GI. All of the American made vintage doubles are nice, with their own style, but have you ever noticed how sleek and light the European shotguns are? I own two and they sure are a pleasure of hold. I'm considering switching my allegiance to the other side of the pond.

[Stan Hillis]

Might be fine if all your shotgunning needs call for a light shotgun. Mine don't. I have doubleguns that I shoot well that range all the way from 9 lbs. 7 oz. to 4 lbs. 14 oz. Not disputing you, Jeff, just pointing out that preferences really differ a lot concerning gun weight.

My light guns are all for walking-hunting ............quail, woodcock, etc. I find that there are no shortage of nice American made doubles that are plenty light enough for me.

Best, SRH

[Jeff S]

Stan, I agree. There are some really sleek, sexy American doubles out there. Trouble is, those never go up for sale. There are Foxes that people are willing to sell, and there are Foxes that guys will never part with. On any given day there are roughly 180 guns in the Fox section on GI. With pen and paper, make a list of the barrel lengths. I've done it and it's a pretty telling story. 28' and 30" are for sale all the time. Seldom do you see a 26" and if you do, it's expensive, and rightly so. Those are the guns that hunters cherish. Collectors like beautiful guns to fondle and show to there buddies. In that case, length and weight are immaterial. Case in point, on GI there is a gorgeous Fox C with engraving done by "Y". Simply beautiful, but at 7 lbs, 15 ounces it is most suited for the gun rack, not for walking the great out of doors. But, we all have our personal preferences.

[Jim Cloninger]

That C sounds like a good duck gun, Jeff. Jim

[Jeff S]

That C sounds like a good duck gun, Jeff. Jim

How true. I'm sure that in 1910, fully loaded with high brass lead ammo, it was a great duck slayer.