Lefever, Sons & Company with sons Charles F. Lefever left Lefever Arms Company to form D. However, he remained as superintendent until 1902. Lefever lost control of his company which by then was called Lefever Arms Company. He also patented the automatic ejector system which ejected the used shells when the breech was opened. This internalized the cocking mechanism so that the gun was automatically cocked when the breech was closed. Lefever patented the first truly automatic hammerless shotgun. Lefever patented his hammerless shotgun in 1880 he had left Nichols & Lefever and gone into business for himself. Louis Bench Show and Sportsman's Association for the best breech-loading shotgun in America.īy the time D. These guns were cocked with a cocking lever on the side of the breech. Lefever worked on the development of the hammerless shotgun. Lefever then joined with John Nichols and formed Nichols & Lefever. This partnership lasted a short two years.ĭ. Again they made breech-loading shotguns and rifles. Here he joined with Lorenzo Barber to form Barber & Lefever. This firm dissolved in late 1873 or early 1874. They also converted muzzle-loading guns to breech-loading. This firm made primarily breechloading double shotguns. Lefever moved to Auburn, New York where he joined with Francis Dangerfield to form Dangerfield & Lefever. They built long-range rifles which were used in the American Civil War.
In 1862 he joined with James Ellis to form Lefever & Ellis. His principal business was making muzzle-loading rifles. He opened his own gunshop in Canandaigua in 1857. He married Sarah Stead on June 10, 1857, in Canandaigua. Born in Hopewell, New York, Uncle Dan Lefever's gunmaking career began as an apprentice in Canandaigua, New York in the early 1850s.