LeFevre Double Barrel 12 Gauge

Have a G-Smith make sure its not a damascus barrel

Seek ye first a good smith. Find one that knows doubles, if possible.

Le Fever

If there are problems with the gun,I would be interested in the butt stock to restore a family hierloom.

When one of several companies Dan LeFevre started ended up owned by Ithaca, they brought out a boxlock action they named the LeFevre Nitro Special,even though Uncle Dan had nothing to do with it.

Be that as it may, the NS was a solid, well made no frills double that still has plenty of happy owners.

IIRC, they were intro'd in 1926 and have modern 2 3/4" chambers.

As with ALL old shotguns, a checkover by a good smith is mandatory.

HTH....

For the love of all that is holy, DON'T MELT IT DOWN! If you really don't want it, gift it to someone like me, who'd LOVE to have something like that hanging over the mantle.

Seriously, don't destroy it. It'd make a really nice display case, even if you wanted to deactivate it. I'd imagine that removing the firing pins would render it inoperable to most criminals, if you're really worried about it.

I've got a 1927 16 guage Nitro Special, it shoots perfectly.

It's probably unsafe to shoot,I'll give you a fine rem/russian in trade for it.Please don't think I'm serious,if solid,EVEN IF TWIST BARRELS,It should be a nice upland gun.
FOR THOSE WHO I'VE JUST UPSET,If it is a twist bl gun,should pass ring test[tone],solvent test[not leak],and gunsmith inspected;then use prudent BLACK POWDER LOADS ONLY.I use 75gr ffg and 1oz shot in Elsie 12 w/stub twist bls,plastic hulls w/crimp cut off,fiber wads[plastic melts],and use free plastic hulls 1-2 loadings,you will find burn holes in them after loading twice.
No non-toxic shot,and black does warm up the bls so it's not a hard use dove/trap gun;you do want to pass it down.
I dream of finding a pinfire in good shape someday,that's not in museum,I can afford when found.

The gun is probably safe to shoot if it wasn't heavily neglected. Have a gunsmith check it out.

There are options regarding ammunition. It is probably okay to shoot most modern lead ammunition, but not steel. Likewise, there is lower pressure ammunition available for older guns.

Again, have a gunsmith check it out. Shooting old guns can be fun, as it provides a link to the past.

Destroying it would be a shame. Finding a good home and buyer for it should be easy. Post it on the forum want-ads, or one of the auction sites. If the condition isn't too bad, someone will give you a few hundred dollars for it. That's not chump change. They'll probably give it a good home.

I'm not sure I understand the notion that an old gun is somehow not safe or requires special ammo. The Nitro takes modern ammo, what about it's age changes that? Metal fatigue? My 16 guage was owned by my father in law who gave it meticulous care, it wasn't an heirloom to him, (or me), it was just his shotgun. It is tight and the bore is perfect, it didn't occur to me to worry about shooting it with the same ammo my FIL used.

I'm not saying don't take it to a gunsmith, I'm just trying to understand how/when a good gun becomes something to worry about.

Nitro

I have one of the 12 ga. Nitro Specials. Mine has mirror bright bores, no dings. They ring like a chime when off the gun and tapped. Lock up is bank vault tight. I have used it for Sporting Clays and for Trap.
It was effective enough at the Sporting Clays range that one fellow, shooting a pump gun, wanted to borrow it.
Have it checked. A picture would be nice.
Pete

I have a 1939 16ga. my grandfather gave me. It has killed many a pheasant. Ane yes, they are worth something. Mine is priceless since it came from my beloved grandfather.