Timber Frame Tools

Having had a love of old tools for many years it is probably no surprise that I also like old firearms.  I am not a hunter, I am not opposed to hunting, it just doesn’t suit me.  I am also not a prepper, survivalist, or delta force wanna be.  I am just an older guy that likes walking a clays course with friends and family and trying to rid the world of mini UFOs.  My shotgun of choice is a side-by-side shotgun made in the 1920’s by Ithaca Gun Company.  A 16ga Lefever Nitro Special made in 1927. More specifically a Lefever Nitro Special – Model 1.  It was my Dad’s, given to him by his grandfather when he was in his low teens (approx 1943).  It is unclear to me if this gun was my great grandfathers and handed down to my Dad, or if it was obtained as a gift for my Dad directly.  That history is gone, along with my Dad.

Anyway, I have grown a bit obsessed with this model gun, and have researched a bunch and bought several more.  So I share what I have learned here, both for my son, and anyone else that may want to know about these Lefever branded Ithaca Guns.

Lefever Arms Co Inc was Ithaca Gun Co

In 1916, the Ithaca Gun Co purchased the Lefever name and formed the Lefever Arms Co Inc of Ithaca NY.  It used the name to represent guns that were more “common” than the fancier Ithaca branded guns.  I have seen it noted in many sources that the Lefever Nitro Special was a “hardware store gun”. This was not really the case.  The Lefever Nitro Special was at least one step above that.  They were ordered direct from the manufacturer but could also be purchased from hardware store catalogs.  The earliest advertisements I have found list them for sale for $29.

This is the original add for the Lefever Nitro Special. It is the long form of the add that includes the reference to the US Navy. A shorter (farther down this page) does not reference the Navy. “All other grades discontinued” is reference to the true Lefever models that Ithaca inherited when they bought the company. The Nitro Special was the new offering from the company.

These were not intended for the fancy people with lots of money.  These were meant for working and some saw service in the US Navy.  They had only understated engraving/stamping on each side of the receiver of a goose taking flight through some reeds.  They were solidly built with a very simple yet reliable design. They came in 12, 16, 20 and .410 bore. The stocks were walnut with hand cut flat-top checkering on both the pistol grip and the splinter forend. Most have double triggers, though some of the later years were available with single triggers.  They have an automatic safety that engages when you activate the release lever. The internal hammers get cocked as the action is opened.  Extractors lift the shells for you to grab and remove.  They made ~ 240,000 of these and they are fairly easy to find in fully working condition.  A testament to their solid build.

I  own four of these Ithaca Lefever Nitro Specials

1. (not pictured) A 20ga with 26″ barrels made in 1926
2. (top) My Dad’s 16ga with 28″ barrels made in 1927
3. (middle) My son’s 20 ga with 28″ barrels made in 1929
4. (bottom) A 12ga with 30″ barrels made in 1930

Notes: Each of these three have pure Tung oil finishes. The Kick-eez recoil pads are not original. The top gun made in 1927 has the half pistol grip style knob. The others made in 1929 and 1930 have the full pistol grip with plastic cap. On the bottom two guns, the inlet ahead of the comb is not original.

Why I personally love the Ithaca Lefever Nitro Special

1. Sentimental reason: It was my Dad’s
2. Sentimental reason: I lived and taught school in Ithaca NY for many years.  It is a fantastic town.
3. Simple action: The forend release is simple, reliable and stout.  It does not have the leaf spring complication that many others of that period have.  It uses a direct spring and tooth.  Not many points of failure.
4. Simple action: The lever latch release is a simple button that gets pressed when the action closes, or you can press it with your finger if you have removed the barrels.

Notice the simplicity of the design. No extra parts. Most of the forces are in straight lines and not odd angles that lead to stress and breakages. The cocking cam was the brainchild of designer Frank Knickerbocker.

1. Solidly built: My three Lefever Nitro Specials all fire modern 2-3/4″  shells without a problem. Chambers are stout.  (no steel shot or magnums please)
2. Solidly built: There are a ton of these guns available that are ~100 years old at the time of this writing and every one I have seen, all seem to lock up tight.  I rarely encounter any that show signs of re-soldering the barrels to the rib or modifications to the lug or action.

The reference at the top for “numbered over 100,000 is reference to the Lefever Nitro Special since it was the first Lefever branded gun to have a number over 100,000.

Lefever Nitro Special is Simply Strong

I have observed that the Lefever Nitro Special is stronger and more reliable than similar guns of the time and I think that is largely due to their simplicity.  As an example, I am comparing a Lefever Nitro Special made in 1929 with a Stevens Model 5100 (5100 action) made in the mid 1940’s.  Both are 20ga.  Both guns were affordable and meant for hunters and farmers.  Neither were beauty queens.

Both guns are plain with only simple engraving. The Lefever has a goose flying through reeds, while the Stevens has a dog in the field. The Lefever stock has hand checkering which is a bit nicer than the Stevens, though in fairness, it is possible that the Stevens was sanded away. The Ithaca gun has a longer receiver block. Finish on both of these stocks are not original, they both have my favorite stock finish, Tung oil,

Looking at the muzzles, the difference in quality is clear. The Lefever Nitro Special has a much cleaner rib attachment joining the barrels together. The Stevens is a bit rougher with more crude soldering. The Lefever barrels are much more consistent in the thickness of the barrel. The Stevens’ barrels waver visibly on thickness, thicker in some areas, thinner in others.

Comparing the breech, both are quite similar. They have a similar locking system, though I think Ithaca’s rounded lug is stronger than the straight walled, flat bottomed Stevens. Notice that the Lefever has recesses in the extractor to keep it from hitting the firing pins.

The Lefever Nitro Special has chamber walls that are 12 thousandths of an inch thicker.

The Stevens is a little thinner, but I am not sure if the 12 thousandths of an inch difference is noteworthy.

The Stevens barrel connection (top) has more parts than the Ithaca (bottom). They both have a very similar extractor rod, but only the Stevens has another rod for cocking the gun. Also notice the lug on the front that the forearm attaches to. It has a very positive notch for the catch to stay in. The rounded trunion of the Ithaca is probably more solid than the rectangular block on the Stevens.

The lever and locking wedge are almost identical. The Lefever Nitro Special has a button to release the latch, to lock the barrels in place while the Stevens has a release that is hidden and needs to be pressed with a screwdriver. The Stevens has a cocking “ramp” in the trench to the rear. The cocking “cams” at the front of the Lefever, known as the Knickerbocker cams, after designer Frank Knickerbocker, are pretty unique to Ithaca. The design of the Lefever is simpler and easier to clean, or close the latch if the gun is disassembled. I do note that the Stevens is a bit more stout but that may be the result of it sharing the same frame as the 12ga version.

The design of the latch on the Stevens uses a tiny thin spring to make the larger spring stay out. The arrangement is clunky and seems more prone to breaking. The Lefever, on the other hand has a simple wedge on then end of a coil spring. It is less prone to error and potential breaking.

The knuckle on the forearm is meant to let your gun swing open and closed. The Stevens has a middle piece that pivots. It is the only piece that keeps the knuckle from sliding sideways. The Lefever achieves this by the slots not allowing any side to side movement. There is less complexity and more reliability with the Lefever.

I think one of the reasons there are so many of these guns around still in working condition after 100 years or more is that they are of a simple design that is very durable.  It is funny to see in the old advertising where Ithaca touted its durability with phrases like

• Whoever saw a broken Lefever?
• The first lock was snapped over 77,000 times.  (meaning opening and closing)
• Was fired over 10,000 times without a break.  (This number seems low by todays standard where clay competitors fire more than 10x that amount.  But in the 1920’s through 40’s 10,000 rounds was a lot more than the average person would fire in their lifetime.
• Coil springs, no flat springs to break or render.
• Non-breakable coil springs.
• Proof tested with extremely heavy load.
• and of course this very cringe worthy advertisement
  

  This ad addresses the durability of the Ithaca Lefever, but also illustrates that it was appealing to a working class of people.

Lefever Nitro Special Advertising

In its advertising, Ithaca Gun Co used phrases like “Whoever saw a broken Lefever?”  and “A Lefever lasts a lifetime.”  Frank Knickerbocker designed the cam cocking mechanism  and it has withstood the test of time. It was apparently used on the New Ithaca Double (NID) and the Western Arms branded guns too.  Western Arms was another brand of Ithaca that was more the level of what most consider the “hardware store gun”.  I have seen it noted, that the receivers of the Western Arms versions were a softer steel that tended to deform with repeated firings, while the Lefever was harder steel.  I could not always tell the date on these, so I ordered these advertisements by price, assuming the price always goes up.

Likely an listing from a store catalog,

This ad is the shorter version of the one I showed earlier in the article. It is essentially the same, but lacks the reference to the US Navy using them.

This ad is likely during or after 1929 when they switched from the half pistol grip to the full pistol grip with the black plastic cap.

Lefever Nitro Special chokes

These guns were made before the invention of screw-in chokes.  Ithaca Gun Co marked the choke on all the  Lefever Nitro Specials on the flats of the barrel.  All three of mine are marked 4 on the left barrel (front trigger), and 2 on the right barrel (rear trigger).  The  number basically represents the numerator for the 4ths of choke applied.

• 4 = full
• 3 = improved modified
• 2 = modified
• 1 = improved cylinder
• 0 = cylinder
• S = skeet

In looking at the used market, nearly ever one I look at is the pattern of Full on the left and Modified on the right.  I have seen commented by knowledgeable people, that these chokes are tighter than modern chokes of the same name.  I have no actual measurements to base that on.

Lefever Nitro Special production dates

The NID – New Ithaca Double

I have not done a full study of the true Ithaca model called the NID (New Ithaca Double)  At some point the NID started using the same Knickerbocker cam based action as the Lefever Nitro Special.  I think this is a testament to the strength and reliability of the action.  Especially when you consider that the NID was offered in a 10 gauge and 10ga magnum options

Ithaca Gunc Co’s 10 ga magnum NID. Massive shells and it uses a similar action (button latch release, two cocking cams). Interesting to note that the forearm latch and knuckle was different.