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<  16ga. Guns  ~  Lefever E grade thumb push damascus 16 project
UncleDanFan
PostPosted: Sun Jun 30, 2019 8:23 am  Reply with quote
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Received this early Lefever thumb push 16 this week. I don't need really need another 16, but Lefever thumb push guns are fairly rare, and I've never seen a 16 for sale before. As an Uncle Dan fan, I just couldn't resist. This is an early E grade, 66xx serial #, mfg about 1885. Good barrels, no dents, ring like church bells, open chokes. Mechanically fine, even though it has this goofy re-stock job on it. Plenty of wood there to re-shape to correct profile however, so it will be beautiful when I'm done with it. Poorly done pistol grip too, so I'll convert to straight grip while i'm at it. Love the beautifully sculpted fences, concave rib, clam shell engraved forend, and best of all, I took it to the range yesterday with some paper RST's, and it shoots great! Will post more pics as it progresses. Not sure if I will restore the metal finishes, or just leave as is. Here's what it looks like now:








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double vision
PostPosted: Sun Jun 30, 2019 8:45 am  Reply with quote
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Mark, that is a neat gun. I'm looking forward to seeing the "after" picture!
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UncleDanFan
PostPosted: Sun Jun 30, 2019 8:56 am  Reply with quote
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Thanks Dave. I need another project like I need a hole in my head, but I think this one is worthy of my time.

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Beagleman
PostPosted: Sun Jun 30, 2019 4:14 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 04 Oct 2015
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First one l have seen. Fix the wood, leave the metal. Look forward to seeing results.

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16'er
PostPosted: Sun Jun 30, 2019 4:54 pm  Reply with quote
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Very cool!
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UncleDanFan
PostPosted: Sun Jun 30, 2019 5:54 pm  Reply with quote
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Beagleman wrote:
First one l have seen. Fix the wood, leave the metal. Look forward to seeing results.


Thanks. Appreciate the input.

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3birddogs
PostPosted: Tue Jul 02, 2019 7:30 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 07 Sep 2011
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Looking forward to seeing the restock, but would not re case color the frame, but I would redo the barrels---especially if they are damascus.
Nice find

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Savage16
PostPosted: Tue Jul 02, 2019 1:58 pm  Reply with quote
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Cool,very cool. Is that pin sticking out the left side a cocking indicator? I know your shooting was limited but did it seem like the thumb push might be a little quicker to get the gun open?

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Upland Carpenter
PostPosted: Tue Jul 02, 2019 2:49 pm  Reply with quote
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Way cool, Mark. No doubt you'll work some magic on that stock.

If it were mine, and I chose to refinish the barrels, I'd just do a complete resto. Given the contrast in patina between the sideplates (were the sideplates polished at some point?) and receiver, it would look incomplete to me if only the barrels were done. Regardless of the work you choose to do, that's a spankin' nifty 16ga Lefever.

Marc

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UncleDanFan
PostPosted: Tue Jul 02, 2019 6:19 pm  Reply with quote
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Savage16 wrote:
Cool,very cool. Is that pin sticking out the left side a cocking indicator? I know your shooting was limited but did it seem like the thumb push might be a little quicker to get the gun open?


Yes, those are cocking indicators. Most sideplate Lefevers H grade and above have them, although my special order GE 12, seen below at bottom, doesn't have them. This 12 is a lightly struck 6.4 lb gun (weighs less than this 16 E grade thumb push), with a one of a kind serrated wood butt, so I think whoever ordered it must have been trying to shave weight. This is my main pheasant gun, and I've probably shot a couple dozen pheasants with it. It had some garish case colors on it after it was initially re-case colored, so I toned them down with metal polish, and then added in my setter and pheasants with sepia paint (protected with several coats of satin finish) to make it look antique. Definitely more interesting to look at than plain side plates, like the heavier 7.5lb 12 above it. Also interesting to note the sharp interior angle of the sideplate on the thumb push. All the other Lefevers I've seen have rounded edges.

Haven't decided whether to go full resto or not. Valid points about re-doing the barrels. Once you refinish something though, even the wood, everything else tends to look out of whack. Once you get started, you may as well finish it.

Here are the two [factory straight grip] 12's I have for comparison:





Last edited by UncleDanFan on Tue Jul 02, 2019 6:24 pm; edited 1 time in total

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UncleDanFan
PostPosted: Tue Jul 02, 2019 6:21 pm  Reply with quote
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I forgot to mention, yes, the thumb push is extremely easy and fast to use. Not sure why they fell out of favor. I like it. Very Happy

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putz463
PostPosted: Wed Jul 03, 2019 2:47 am  Reply with quote
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Interesting gun, I'll bet you'll turn it into even more of a gem.

UncleDanFan wrote:
the thumb push is extremely easy and fast to use. Not sure why they fell out of favor.


The push lever is also probably a simpler more elegant mechanism then the side lever. Is it possible the push lever is easy enough for a branch to move while brush busting or inadvertently activate when the thumb overshoots the safety while tossing the gun up for a snap shot?

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UncleDanFan
PostPosted: Wed Jul 03, 2019 6:39 pm  Reply with quote
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putz463 wrote:
Interesting gun, I'll bet you'll turn it into even more of a gem.

UncleDanFan wrote:
the thumb push is extremely easy and fast to use. Not sure why they fell out of favor.


The push lever is also probably a simpler more elegant mechanism then the side lever. Is it possible the push lever is easy enough for a branch to move while brush busting or inadvertently activate when the thumb overshoots the safety while tossing the gun up for a snap shot?


It's possible, but not likely. I think the reason the thumb push went away is that a side lever moves the bolt horizontally, which engages the barrel lug more strongly and securely than simply pushing the bolt down and away from the lug via the thumb push. I think it's an evolution of the engineering. Just my opinion.

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WyoChukar
PostPosted: Thu Jul 04, 2019 3:08 pm  Reply with quote



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This should be a fun project. Have you noticed how much the engraving and engraving coverage varies on these E grade guns? I never have known why.

Thumb push release, why did it get replaced by the conventional (now) top lever? My guess is that people were concerned about bumping it during recoil or as mentioned, while thumbing for the safety. Another possibility was the likelihood that it channeled water inside the action causing rust and wood damage in rainy climates. Or perhaps people just need something that let them say "Hey, the lever's left of center. That gun must be worn out."

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UncleDanFan
PostPosted: Fri Jul 05, 2019 11:02 am  Reply with quote
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WyoChukar wrote:
This should be a fun project. Have you noticed how much the engraving and engraving coverage varies on these E grade guns? I never have known why.

Thumb push release, why did it get replaced by the conventional (now) top lever? My guess is that people were concerned about bumping it during recoil or as mentioned, while thumbing for the safety. Another possibility was the likelihood that it channeled water inside the action causing rust and wood damage in rainy climates. Or perhaps people just need something that let them say "Hey, the lever's left of center. That gun must be worn out."


Lol. Seriously. You're right about the engraving too. This is an very early E grade, 66xx serial #, which was I think, the bottom grade at that time, from A through E grade, so that would make sense why there isn't more engraving on it. I'm moving and building a new studio starting next week, so it will be a while before I have the time to finish this. Hopefully in time for bird season.

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