2039 WELL DONE SMALL GAUGE LEFEVER SHOTGUN OPTIMUS

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This item SOLD at 2023 May 13 @ 10:40UTC-4 : AST/EDT
Category Firearms & Military
Auction Currency USD
Start Price 3,500.00 USD
Estimated at 7,000.00 - 10,000.00 USD

UPGRADE. Cal. 20 Ga., 2 5/8". S# 59205. Small bore Optimus guns are exceedingly rare and generally speaking, ones only hope of finding an example is to buy or create an upgrade. This attractive small bore gun has 26" barrels with slightly raised matted rib holding one white bead. Tops of barrels are engraved "Lefever Arms Co." "Whitworth Fluid Steel". Gold bands are around breech ends and there are triangles of engraving in front of bands. High grade Lefever barrel ogees have been cut in. Bottoms of barrels are newly stamped with sheaf of wheat trademarks (some distortion noted in bores). Case hardened sideplate action with S# and "Optimus" on watertable features automatic safety "S" inlaid in gold, gold plated cocking indicators and triggers (finger blades checkered). Action is well filed with nicely shaped beads, rebated lockplates, shamrocks on fences and chevrons on top lever. Action and lockplates are engraved with near full coverage, nicely cut shaded scroll within geometric and line borders. This well done engraving surrounds flush gold inlaid dog scenes on lockplates with pointer on left and setter on right. Forward part of plates is gold inlaid with flying snipe on left and quail on right. Bottom of action has gold inlaid flying duck and a flying pigeon is in gold on top lever. Trigger guard bow is inlaid with a setter retrieving a bird. S# is on tang. Newly made straight grip buttstock of very nicely marbled European walnut measures 14 1/2" over checkered wood butt with horn heel and toe plates. Flush inlet clock hand horn drop points have white dot accents. The checkering is of Optimus pattern with scrolled ribbons and flourishes toward comb. Matching splinter forend has flush gold inlaid setters head on steel escutcheon along with a fancy horn forend tip. MEASUREMENTS: BBLS: Bore Diameter: L .622". R .621". Restriction: L .014" (mod). R .014" (mod). Wall thickness: L .016" (long area on bottom close to rib, mostly .026 plus). R .021". STOCK: DAH: 2 7/16". DAC: 1 1/2". CAST: neutral. LOP: 14 1/2". WEIGHT: 6 lb. 1 oz. CONDITION: exceptionally fine as refurbished retaining nearly all custom finishes on both wood and metal with only a few very minor handling marks. Bores are bright. There is evidence of major dent removal in right barrel 9" from breech end as well as aforementioned distortion from newly stamped trademarks in both barrels. Action is tight, mechanically good. (22-5603/MGM). CURIO. $7,000-10,000.