Lefever nitro special

[Muddly]

My local shop has a 12ga Nitro Special for $100. . Bores are fouled but no obvious pitting. Externally the barrels have about 80% blueing and 1 small dent on the bottom of the left barrel. The frame has a nice brown patina and although filthy, it hasn't gone off the face. The top lever rests at about 4 oclock.The firing pin apertures aren't eroded or peened. The forend is fine , but the butt has a crack on the lower right side and a chip missing on the top right. It also has double trigers and extractors. the checkering is very wide and flat topped.i was thinking of getting it as a clean up project so I can keep my hands off my other guns. but I've read that they're fine strong durable guns. Is $100 a good deal all things considered?

[spruce]

In my opinion that's a very good price if it's mechanically sound.
They were made by Ithaca (Ithaca bought the rights to the LeFever name) and are not the same as the original Lefevers.  They were very robust and durable and were made specifically to handle the "new" smokeless powders - hence the name "Nitro Special".
 
I used to have one in 16 gauge.  My only complaint was the stock dimensions didn't suit my style of shooting (too much drop) so I traded it off.  In retrospect I kind of wish I'd spent the money and had a different buttstock put on it.
 
By the way I think I paid about $250 for mine and that was 25 or so years ago.

[Muddly]

Thanks Spruce. I picked her up yesterday and she's in better shape than I thought! FINALLY a nice surprise. Her serial number 164xxx gives her a 1924 birthday. I agree , there's alot of drop to the stock , but  I  close my eyes, throw her up and I'm right down the rib! Never been much of a scattergunner, just wanted something to take for a walk once and awhile for squirrels and such. She seems to be choked ( checked with a gauge) imp cyl and extra full. I'd prefer imp cyl an modified though. Guess we'll see...

[spruce]

Congrats!  I'd say you got a really good buy on that one.
 
Somewhat unusual choke combination - may have been a special order???  Anyway, you can always have a gunsmith open up the choke a little if it patterns too tight.

[Muddly]

Haven't patterned her yet.The choke gauge was a nice fit on the IC tube, but it wouldn't come close to eating the full on the other. It's my impression the Ithaca LeFevers were the equivelent of entry level guns. I read the only options available on them was a single trigger. This is gonna be fun. I'd like her as an IC/MOD.

[darkgael]

Congrats on your buy. I bought one some years ago and paid a lot more than that.
I took it out with some for sporting clays with some members of my club. I did well enough that the other fellows wanted to shoot it - none had ever used a SXS.
Pete