Lefever Arms Company
| Gun Manufacturing, later ventured into transmissions and jackshafts | |
| Industry | Gun industry, automotive industry |
| Genre | Guns, transmissions |
| Fate | Gun business merged into Ithaca Gun Company in 1916 Transmission business merged into Durston Gear Company in 1916 |
| Founded | 1883 |
| Founder | Daniel Lefever |
| Headquarters | Syracuse, New York, United States |
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Area served
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United States |
| Products | Guns, automotive parts |
The Lefever Arms Company (1883–1916) was a manufacturer of guns in Syracuse, New York founded by Daniel Lefever, an American gun maker, popularly known as "Uncle Dan Lefever". He is best known as the inventor of the hammerless shotgun, introduced in 1878. The company was in the business of gun manufacture until 1916, when they were merged with Ithaca Gun Company in Ithaca, New York who continued with the Lefever gun production until 1921.
By 1912, the company ventured into the manufacture of transmissions and jackshafts for motor wagons. This subsidiary was merged with the Durston Gear Company in 1916.
The Lefever Arms Company was founded in 1883 and manufactured guns in Syracuse, New York for over 30 years until 1916. Daniel Lefever was in the gun manufacturing business since the early 1850s and started his first company in 1857. He later founded several companies over the years in Auburn, New York, Canandaigua, New York and Syracuse.
Lefever patented the first truly automatic hammerless shotgun in 1883. This internalized the cocking mechanism so that the gun was automatically cocked when the breech was opened. He also patented the automatic ejector system which ejected the used shells when the breech was opened.
The Durston and Howlett families were principal investors in Lefever Arms Company, incorporated in June 1884 in Syracuse to manufacture the Lefever Automatic Hammerless.
In 1886, Lefever lost control of his company; he remained as superintendent until 1901, when he left to start D. M. Lefever & Sons, with his three sons, Charles, Frank, and George.
Lefever had several failed business partnerships over a course of 50 years with the likes of James Ellis, Francis Dangerfield, Lorenzo Barber, John A. Nichols, the Durstons, the Howletts and in the end, three out of five of his sons.
In 1879, John A. Nichols announced his new business was successor to Nichols & Lefever, maker of fine sporting guns.
During 1896, Lefever produced the Ejector, and an advertisement stated the company was prepared to, "accept orders for all grades of our hammerless guns fitted with ejectors."
By December 1916, the Lefever Arms Company was located at 200 Maltbie Street in Syracuse.
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Wikipedia