Old Ithaca Double - what do I have?

jaughtman · February 21, 2011, 08:16 PM

Yeah, I know - "An old Ithaca Double", silly! Really, other than that, anyone know much about this gun or just the model in general? My dad bought it off an old country grocery store owner back in the 70's and it looked really OLD even then. Tell me what you think about it.

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J

pabuckslayer08 · February 21, 2011, 09:15 PM

Check your numbers to this, should give you a date. 1892?

jaughtman · February 21, 2011, 10:38 PM

According to the Ithaca website, it could be from the late 1800's or around 1910 depending on if it is a "Flues" model or a "Crass" model - can anyone out there tell me if it is one or the other?

J

bravo124 · February 22, 2011, 07:09 AM

According to the site, 185400 to 214399 were made in 1925. Your serial number 201465 seems to fall in that range. I have one that my grandfather owned and the numbers are slightly higher putting it in the 1926 year. Hope this helps. Also looks to be a New Ithaca Double Lefever Nitro Special. When I called Ithaca, that's what they told me.

94bluerat · February 22, 2011, 07:57 AM

I have a few old doubles as well, including an Ithica.

This website was very helpful.

http://www.doublegunshop.com/dgsnos.htm

darkgael · February 22, 2011, 08:30 AM

Great old guns. I have two Ithaca Flues (334XXX and 354XXX) and an old Lefever (501XX). I hunt with the Lefever regularly and use it for Sporting Clays.
Pete

jaughtman · February 22, 2011, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Also looks to be a New Ithaca Double Lefever Nitro Special. When I called Ithaca, that's what they told me.

I thought about that, but nowhere on the gun does it have the Lefever name - just Ithaca Gun Company and the common "dog pointing birds" engraving that is prevalent on old Ithaca's. Wouldn't it have the Lefever name if it were so? That is why I was assuming it was an older Crass of Flues model. Regardless, it was out in the field just a few months ago knocking down doves!

J

Slopemeno · February 22, 2011, 02:38 PM

I have a Lefever Nitro Special and it was manufactured by Ithaca, from what I can tell. That gun looks very, very similar.

bravo124 · February 22, 2011, 04:39 PM

You're probably right jaughtman. It would say the Lefever Nitro Special on it. You can email [email protected] he is an expert on Ithaca doubles. He wrote a couple of books on them. Tell him what you have and he will certainly clear things up for you.

PetahW · February 22, 2011, 05:59 PM

The Ithaca SxS in the OP is a Flues Model, made in about the 3rd quarter of 1910.

Please refrain from shooting modern ammo in it, as the steels are not up to it, and can fail w/o warning.

After having a gunsmith measure the chambers with the proper measuring tool, in case they are the older/short chambers (long/unfired shells will chamber in a short chamber) - special, low-powered ammo made for those type guns is commercially available from the likes of RST, PolyWad, etc.

Modern "low brass" ammo & "field" loads do not equate with "low powered".

.

tandom · February 22, 2011, 08:38 PM

my brother had one like that and he looked up the serial number, i don't remember the exact number but it was in the 20 thousands and a collector told him it was one of the earliest models that would safely use modern ammo, i think it was made around 1926. i think the blue book has the exact serial number when they were safe for modern ammo. also the collector told my brother you can't tell if these shotguns can use todays ammo just by looking at them, its because of the hardness of the steel.

darkgael · February 22, 2011, 09:17 PM

RST Falcon lite - works well in my Lefever and an old Parker.

Pete

southpaw02 · February 23, 2011, 06:49 PM

You could check here also. www.diamondgunsmithing.com This is the site for Les Hovencamp. He was the head gunsmith at Ithaca before they left Ithaca NY.

jaughtman · February 23, 2011, 10:54 PM

Quote:

The Ithaca SxS in the OP is a Flues Model, made in about the 3rd quarter of 1910.

Thanks! What gives it away as a Flues?

J

PetahW · February 24, 2011, 10:43 AM

The Ithaca SN tells the tale, as to year & model.

The Flues Model was made from 1908 to 1926, starting at SN 175000 in 1908 to SN 398365 in 1926 - after which the NID Models were started.

The 1910 Ithaca Flues Model production's SN's went from 192500 to 205399 - almost 13,000 shotguns that year.

.

February 21, 2011, 08:16 PM	#1
jaughtman Senior Member Join Date: March 2, 2010 Location: Alabama Posts: 868	Old Ithaca Double - what do I have? Yeah, I know - "An old Ithaca Double", silly! Really, other than that, anyone know much about this gun or just the model in general? My dad bought it off an old country grocery store owner back in the 70's and it looked really OLD even then. Tell me what you think about it. [IMG][/IMG] [IMG][/IMG] [IMG][/IMG] [IMG][/IMG] J

February 21, 2011, 10:38 PM	#3
jaughtman Senior Member Join Date: March 2, 2010 Location: Alabama Posts: 868	Yikes.... According to the Ithaca website, it could be from the late 1800's or around 1910 depending on if it is a "Flues" model or a "Crass" model - can anyone out there tell me if it is one or the other? J

February 22, 2011, 07:57 AM	#5
94bluerat Senior Member Join Date: May 30, 2007 Location: South of Canada Posts: 204	I have a few old doubles as well, including an Ithica. This website was very helpful. http://www.doublegunshop.com/dgsnos.htm __________________ "Got a shotgun, a rifle and a four wheel drive" - HW Jr. Rifleman BSA Eagle Scout

February 22, 2011, 08:30 AM	#6
darkgael Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2006 Location: Homes in Brooklyn, NY and in Pennsylvania. Posts: 5,473	Old Great old guns. I have two Ithaca Flues (334XXX and 354XXX) and an old Lefever (501XX). I hunt with the Lefever regularly and use it for Sporting Clays. Pete __________________ “Auto racing, bull fighting, and mountain climbing are the only real sports ... all others are games.” Ernest Hemingway ... NRA Life Member

February 22, 2011, 08:38 PM	#11
tandom Member Join Date: June 21, 2008 Location: PA Posts: 77	ithaca sxs my brother had one like that and he looked up the serial number, i don't remember the exact number but it was in the 20 thousands and a collector told him it was one of the earliest models that would safely use modern ammo, i think it was made around 1926. i think the blue book has the exact serial number when they were safe for modern ammo. also the collector told my brother you can't tell if these shotguns can use todays ammo just by looking at them, its because of the hardness of the steel.

February 21, 2011, 09:15 PM	#2
pabuckslayer08 Senior Member Join Date: December 18, 2010 Location: South Central Pa Posts: 692	Check your numbers to this, should give you a date. 1892?

February 22, 2011, 07:09 AM	#4
bravo124 Senior Member Join Date: September 9, 2009 Posts: 120	According to the site, 185400 to 214399 were made in 1925. Your serial number 201465 seems to fall in that range. I have one that my grandfather owned and the numbers are slightly higher putting it in the 1926 year. Hope this helps. Also looks to be a New Ithaca Double Lefever Nitro Special. When I called Ithaca, that's what they told me.

February 22, 2011, 02:38 PM	#8
Slopemeno Senior Member Join Date: January 19, 2007 Posts: 2,663	I have a Lefever Nitro Special and it was manufactured by Ithaca, from what I can tell. That gun looks very, very similar.

February 22, 2011, 04:39 PM	#9
bravo124 Senior Member Join Date: September 9, 2009 Posts: 120	You're probably right jaughtman. It would say the Lefever Nitro Special on it. You can email [email protected] he is an expert on Ithaca doubles. He wrote a couple of books on them. Tell him what you have and he will certainly clear things up for you.

February 22, 2011, 05:59 PM	#10
PetahW Senior Member Join Date: September 19, 2008 Posts: 4,678	The Ithaca SxS in the OP is a Flues Model, made in about the 3rd quarter of 1910. Please refrain from shooting modern ammo in it, as the steels are not up to it, and can fail w/o warning. After having a gunsmith measure the chambers with the proper measuring tool, in case they are the older/short chambers (long/unfired shells will chamber in a short chamber) - special, low-powered ammo made for those type guns is commercially available from the likes of RST, PolyWad, etc. Modern "low brass" ammo & "field" loads do not equate with "low powered". .

February 22, 2011, 09:17 PM	#12
darkgael Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2006 Location: Homes in Brooklyn, NY and in Pennsylvania. Posts: 5,473	Low power RST Falcon lite - works well in my Lefever and an old Parker. Pete __________________ “Auto racing, bull fighting, and mountain climbing are the only real sports ... all others are games.” Ernest Hemingway ... NRA Life Member

February 23, 2011, 06:49 PM	#13
southpaw02 Junior Member Join Date: November 28, 2009 Location: S.E. Va. CSA Posts: 14	You could check here also. www.diamondgunsmithing.com This is the site for Les Hovencamp. He was the head gunsmith at Ithaca before they left Ithaca NY.

February 24, 2011, 10:43 AM	#15
PetahW Senior Member Join Date: September 19, 2008 Posts: 4,678	The Ithaca SN tells the tale, as to year & model. The Flues Model was made from 1908 to 1926, starting at SN 175000 in 1908 to SN 398365 in 1926 - after which the NID Models were started. The 1910 Ithaca Flues Model production's SN's went from 192500 to 205399 - almost 13,000 shotguns that year. . Last edited by PetahW; February 24, 2011 at 10:49 AM.