Lefever DS Grade
Lefever Arms Company · Shotgun · Discontinued · 1904
Also known as: Durston Special, Lefever DS, Lefever DSE Grade
Overview
The Lefever DS Grade, or Durston Special, is a hammerless boxlock side-by-side shotgun and the most economical grade in the Lefever Arms Company ladder. Built on the same internally adjustable Lefever compensating action as the higher grades, it was fitted with Duro black steel barrels, an imported walnut stock with a half pistol grip and rubber buttplate, double triggers and plain extractors. Introduced around 1904 in Syracuse, New York, the DS remained in the catalog after Ithaca Gun Company acquired Lefever, staying in production into the early 1940s as an affordable field and upland gun.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3200 g (112.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1181 mm (46.50") |
| Barrel Length | 762 mm (30.00") |
| Action Type | Break Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Double Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 2 rounds |
| Effective Range | 40 m (44 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | None |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Case Hardened |
Calibers
- 12 Gauge · primary — also known as 12GA, 12 Bore
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Break Action
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety, Cocking Indicators
- Features: Side By Side, Hammerless Boxlock, Compensating Action, Double Trigger, Extractors, Half Pistol Grip, Rubber Buttplate, Checkered Walnut Stock
Variants
- Lefever DSE Grade - Automatic Ejectors
Production
Production years: 1904-1942
Made by Lefever Arms Company in Syracuse and continued by Ithaca Gun Company after the 1916 acquisition; the DS/DSE were the budget grades of the line.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Daniel Myron Lefever
Discontinued: 1942
Notes
The 'DS' stands for Durston Special, the entry-level grade below the lettered (A through I) and Optimus grades. The DSE variant added automatic ejectors. Weight and length figures are typical-range values for a 12-gauge gun; Lefever barrels were almost always 26, 28, 30 or 32 inches and grade/order details varied. Also chambered in 16 and 20 gauge. Distinct from the earlier hand-fitted high-grade Lefever sidelocks catalogued as the general Lefever Hammerless Side-by-Side.
Background
Daniel Myron 'Dan' Lefever patented the first commercially successful American hammerless breech-loading shotgun in 1880, earning the title 'father of the American hammerless double.' The DS Grade brought his compensating action within reach of working sportsmen, trading the engraving and fine walnut of the Optimus and lettered grades for plain Duro steel barrels and a simple, hardwearing finish.