Help- The Waverly Arms Company double barrel shotgun

[Mistress244]

It's a double barrel shotgun with two triggers. I'm almost 100% positive it's a 12 gauge. Serial number 232. Looks to be in decent shape especially for it being made between 1905-1907. Looks like nothing is missing and it's all original. I googled it. Found out some about the history of the company. Google didn't offer much. I have not found out if this is a shootable gun. If it's a gun that Any one would be interested in buying, or how much it would be worth. I know not many were made but don't know how many or how rare they are today. It's certainly an interesting gun, the looks and mystery of it. If anyone knows anything that can help me I'd greatly appreciate your help.

 

[Bill Bates]

Waverley bought up left over LeFever parts at LeFever's closing and produced guns for a couple of years. They should be a decent gun mechanically but are not all that collectable.

Without the gun in hand there is no way I could say if it is shootable. The barrels and ribs would need to be inspected closely and the action checked. Take it to a competent gunsmith that knows double guns for an evaluation of soundness.

The gun looks to be in pretty rough condition working on wall hanger status. You might find some will to pay a couple of hundred for just that purpose. If it is sound and shootable it still won't bring much more than that in the condition showing in the photos.

 

[2152hq]

Wether they actually produced shotguns from left over Lefever parts/old forgings ect I think is still speculation.
It's one theory and the one most often cited. It's the one that pops up on a search right off.
That they used the structure once occupied by Lefever in Defiance,Oh does not seem to be in doubt. Wether it was stuffed with left behind Lefever parts or machinery is unkn.

What is known is that Dan Lefevers son, Frank, was employed at Waverly for a time. That may account for some of the similarities in the overall looks and some of the design features.
But this Waverly looks like a true side lock gun,,a guess based only on the pic of the lock of course. The (original)Lefever was a side plated/box lock,,an entirely different design.
The only thing attached to the side plates on the Lefever is a small cocking indicator button and thin flat spring to power it.


The Lefever & Family Members & Business Associates and their many attempts at gun making are a tangle of companys and efforts with many branches all over the East.
I think The Waverly deffinetly has influence from Frank Lefever but the gun shown here itself was not copy of the original Dan Lefever gun designs. JMO of course. They may have used some salvageable parts both forgings & wood and some design ideas,,who wouldn't.
Certainly interesting and has it's place in that entanglement of Lefever history. There are not many of these around. Production was most likely very low.

One research note I found states that a Waverly Arms SxS was located that was a complete copy of the DM Lefever box lock cross bolt SxS gun.
The DM Lefever (Danial M Lefever) box lock cross bolt SxS was made approx 1901-1906 in Syracuse NY, Defiance,O and Bowling Green Ky. (These guys got around!)

The Lefever Arms Co, his old company now out of his ownership was still making the sideplated boxlock most people are familiar with. They continued on till 1916 when Ithaca bought them out.

So it would seem by this one and only 'copy' of the DML box lock by Waverly that perhaps there is more to the Waverly story than is yet known. Or maybe just a 'one-of'.

Son Frank Lefever went from Waverly Firearms then on to the Three Bbl Gun Co in W.Virginia as a Plant Sup't.
DM Lefever died after a move of his operation once again from Bowling Green back to Syracuse NY in 1906. Never got production of the box lock gun back on track in Syracuse.
The Waverly Gun Co seems to have gone quietly into the night around 1906/07.