Lefever CE-Grade Engraving

[Researcher]

Just noticed a CE-Grade Lefever up for sale that is within 11 digits of my CE-Grade Lefever. Quite a few subtle differences in the engraving.

[Jeff S]

Dave, you are fortunate to own such a beautiful gun. I believe that I handled that other one a few times and the engraving was amazing. I think I visited it 3 times.

[Researcher]

Jeff,

Pretty sure you were at Hausemann's the year I brought my CE-Grade Lefever there. I let it spend most of the event on the Lefever Arms Collector Association's tables. I was going to drop it off at Brad's on my way home and have the barrels redone, but the Lefever Arms Collector Association guys convinced me to leave it untouched.

Dave

[Jeff S]

Joseph Loy did beautiful work.

[SPE33]

High grade Lefevers are truly beautiful guns.

[Silvers]

Thanks Dave for posting both guns. Wonderfully executed engraving puts so many other period higher grade guns to shame. How do we know this is Loy's work? How did he sign, or are there certain characteristics peculiar to him?

frank

[Researcher]

The seller of the gun up for sale called it Joseph Loy engraving, probably based on the dogs. I normally associate Loy with early Ithacas and Remingtons. I normally think of members of the Glahn family with Lefever Arms Co.

[spyder]

I read on another forum that Loy added a stylized J L to his work.

[Researcher]

That theory evolved from the late Charles Semmer's book Remington Double Shotguns, with this DEO-Grade shown on pages 177 to 179.

[Silvers]

Darn, I don't see JL's signature on this E Grade Syracuse Lefever. The pointer looks pretty good though ….

Krupp barrels with the clamshell type f/e latch.

frank

[Jeff S]

Wow Frank, that is a good looking dog on your gun. I'm really starting to appreciate those early Lefevers.

[Foxnut]

To me the high grade Lefevers had some of the nicest, well executed engraving of that time period. Love the sleek lines and engraving of these guns!

[Mike of the Mountain]

I think those Lefevers have the nicest engraving of the American doubles. No flying turnips on those guns!!

[Jeff S]

The guns pictured on this string are absolutely beautiful. While I would love to own a gun like this, it's not likely that I'll buy one in the near future because, well, they're expensive. However, I noticed that on GI, in the lefever section (listing #101219088) there is a CE Lefever with very nice engraving. Just for my educational purposes, do you think this was engraved by Joseph Loy? Towards the "wrist" end of the side plate the is a simple design that looks somewhat similar to the JL initials that Dave highlighted in his pictures. I'm just trying to learn a little about this stuff (and I'm taking a break from doing a physical inventory). Also, I'm a little surprised that a 12 ga, with 28" damascus barrels only weighs 6 lbs. 5 oz. Is that possible? Jeff

[SPE33]

In an ad from the “American Sporting Goods Dealer” Circa 1902 there is a advertisement for the “New Lefever “ hammerless gun (Lefevers crossbolt model) which claims you can get a 12 gauge gun as light as 5 1/2 lbs!