Lefever G Ideal Grade
Lefever Arms Company · Shotgun · Discontinued · 1885
Also known as: Lefever Ideal Grade, Lefever G Grade, Lefever Arms G Grade
Overview
The Lefever G Grade, also catalogued as the Ideal Grade, is a hammerless boxlock side-by-side shotgun and a mid-tier grade in the Lefever Arms Company's lettered ladder. Built on Daniel Lefever's internally adjustable compensating action, the G Grade paired restrained line engraving on a case-hardened, sideplated frame with a checkered walnut stock, full pistol grip and rubber butt plate. Early guns wore Damascus-pattern barrels while later production offered black Royal steel; most were bored 26 to 32 inches with double triggers, extractors and an automatic safety. Made in Syracuse, New York from the mid-1880s until Ithaca Gun Company absorbed Lefever after 1915.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3300 g (116.4 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 | Damascus |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| 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, Automatic Safety, Cocking Indicators
- Features: Side By Side, Hammerless Boxlock, Sideplates, Compensating Action, Double Trigger, Extractors, Line Engraving, Full Pistol Grip, Rubber Buttplate, Checkered Walnut Stock, Matted Rib
Production
Production years: 1885-1919
Produced by the Lefever Arms Company of Syracuse, New York; the lettered grades were discontinued after Ithaca Gun Company acquired Lefever in 1915-1916.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Daniel Myron Lefever
Discontinued: 1919
Notes
The 'G' is one rung of Lefever's alphabetical grading (Optimus and Thousand Dollar at the top, down through A, AA, B, C, D, E, F, G, H and I), with the G marketed under the name 'Ideal.' Weight and length figures are typical-range values for a 12-gauge gun; barrel lengths, chokes and barrel material varied by order and production year. Also offered in 10, 16 and 20 gauge.
Background
Daniel Myron 'Dan' Lefever patented the first commercially successful American hammerless breech-loading shotgun in 1880, earning the nickname 'father of the American hammerless double.' The G, or Ideal, Grade brought his self-compensating action and sideplated good looks to sportsmen who wanted a well-finished gun without the elaborate scroll and game-scene engraving reserved for the costlier lettered and Optimus grades.