Ithaca model 300 will not load

rich s · November 28, 2012, 07:25 PM

My neighbor has unrealistic high hopes that I will find the reason why his model 300 20 ga shotgun will not load. I will try.
The shells will not release from the tubular magazine. I can make them release by pushing the latch on the inside of the receiver but I can see no linkage that will engage that latch. There is an upper and lower piece to the latch, Which one is pushed and how?

PetahW · November 28, 2012, 08:54 PM

Presuming it's the long-recoil Model 300, and not a Model 300XL gas-operated gun, IIRC the feed mechanism is operated by the recoiling barrel - releasing a shell from the magazine while the barrel's recoiling backwards and puching the bolt back.

Then, as the recoil spring returns the barrel forward, and the bolt is latch in the far "back" postition (momentarily), the barrel is withdrawn OFF the fired shell (which is held by the bolt), extracting it.

Then, as the barrel travels a bit forward, it's ejector tosses the empty out of the action, leaving the bolt to go forward, camming up the shell lifter in order for the bolt to pick up the shell just released from the mag, and chamber it.

Or, it's just magic................

Why, with long recoil guns, the chamber's loaded first, the bolt closed on the loaded chamber, then the magazine filled (or not).

.

rich s · November 29, 2012, 06:21 PM

Thanks Petah W for your reply.
Only now do I see how it is the barrel that holds the cam that unlatches the the next shell for loading. A little fiddling with the bottom latch and it works. Indeed a miracle. What a terrible ordeal to unload the magazine, but that is my neighbors problem. My part is finished........thanks to you.
I know John Browning designed the Ithaca Model 37 - I wonder if he had a hand in this...............oh well, not everyone's perfect.
Thanks Again

Rich

PetahW · November 29, 2012, 07:21 PM

Your welcome, and AFAIK John Browning did indeed invent the long recoil shotgun system that everyone & his brother's copied today, some 110 years later.

.

November 28, 2012, 07:25 PM	#1
rich s Junior Member Join Date: September 16, 2012 Posts: 11	Ithaca model 300 will not load My neighbor has unrealistic high hopes that I will find the reason why his model 300 20 ga shotgun will not load. I will try. The shells will not release from the tubular magazine. I can make them release by pushing the latch on the inside of the receiver but I can see no linkage that will engage that latch. There is an upper and lower piece to the latch, Which one is pushed and how?

November 29, 2012, 06:21 PM	#3
rich s Junior Member Join Date: September 16, 2012 Posts: 11	Ithaca model 300 will not load Thanks Petah W for your reply. Only now do I see how it is the barrel that holds the cam that unlatches the the next shell for loading. A little fiddling with the bottom latch and it works. Indeed a miracle. What a terrible ordeal to unload the magazine, but that is my neighbors problem. My part is finished........thanks to you. I know John Browning designed the Ithaca Model 37 - I wonder if he had a hand in this...............oh well, not everyone's perfect. Thanks Again Rich

November 28, 2012, 08:54 PM	#2
PetahW Senior Member Join Date: September 19, 2008 Posts: 4,678	Presuming it's the long-recoil Model 300, and not a Model 300XL gas-operated gun, IIRC the feed mechanism is operated by the recoiling barrel - releasing a shell from the magazine while the barrel's recoiling backwards and puching the bolt back. Then, as the recoil spring returns the barrel forward, and the bolt is latch in the far "back" postition (momentarily), the barrel is withdrawn OFF the fired shell (which is held by the bolt), extracting it. Then, as the barrel travels a bit forward, it's ejector tosses the empty out of the action, leaving the bolt to go forward, camming up the shell lifter in order for the bolt to pick up the shell just released from the mag, and chamber it. Or, it's just magic................ Why, with long recoil guns, the chamber's loaded first, the bolt closed on the loaded chamber, then the magazine filled (or not). .

November 29, 2012, 07:21 PM	#4
PetahW Senior Member Join Date: September 19, 2008 Posts: 4,678	Your welcome, and AFAIK John Browning did indeed invent the long recoil shotgun system that everyone & his brother's copied today, some 110 years later. .