Here’s the best advice I ever got about collecting shotguns: Buy the most original condition you can afford. People always want good, original guns — especially American guns — and a nice, unmessed-with SxS or O/U always holds its value. Also, because so many people insist upon “refinishing” their doubles, good, original shotguns get scarcer every day.
So if I were still crazy about American doubles, I would take a long like at the two you see here. They’re as classic as you can get, and both appear to be nearly all original. Both feature fair prices, too, and the Lefever looks like it could be a deal.
A. H. FOX, PHIL., B GRADE 12 GAUGE, 30″ KRUPP FLUID STEEL BARRELS: F&M, 2 9/16″ CHAMBERS, EXCELLENT BLUE, MIRROR BORES. GAME SCENE ENGRAVED WITH BIRDS AND SCROLLWORK, TRACE OF CASE COLOR. ROUND KNOB PISTOL GRIP STOCK, SPLINTER FOREARM. NICELY FIGURED ENGLISH WALNUT, FINE CHECKERING, ATTRACTIVE WOOD WITH NICE FINISH. SOLID LEATHER FACED PAD, 1 5/8″ X 2 3/4″ X 14, WEIGHS 7 1/4 POUNDS. MADE IN 1910. NICE ALL ORIGINAL EARLY FOX. Price: $2,350
LEFEVER, SYRACUSE, EE GRADE, 12 GAUGE, 28″ DAMASCUS BARRELS: IC & MODIFIED, 2 1/2″ CHAMBER, MIRROR BRIGHT BORES, NO DINGS OR DENTS, GRAY FINISH. AUTOMATIC EJECTORS, GAME SCENE ENGRAVING, SETTER IN A CIRCLE ON THE RIGHT, POINTER IN A CIRCLE ON LEFT, FINE SCROLL WORK AND BORDERS, DUCK IN FLIGHT ON THE TRIGGER GUARD, NO CASE COLOR. PISTOL GRIP STOCK, SPLINTER FOREARM, FINE CHECKERING. NICELY FIGURED ENGLISH WALNUT WITH BOLD BLACK STREAKS. VERY SHOOTABLE DIMENSIONS 1 1/2″ X 2 1/4″ X 14 1/4″ SOLID PAD. MADE IN 1907, 7 1/2 POUNDS. EXCELLENT MECHANICALLY, GREAT CANDIDATE TO REFINISH. Price: $1,800
