Another rookie question....

It seems that a lot of these side by sides have had the barrels cut.

What were the lengths offered by the factory? Just 30", or did they offer shorter lengths? I get worried when I see listed Flues with 26" barrels.

ps-where can I get a copy of Snyder's book? Amazon has them for $175

I have a few Flues guns with 28" bbls. I'm also not sure about 26" and also should own a copy of Walter Snyders' book by now. Some clues to cut barrels are close examination for a square clean cut, barrels touching at the muzzles, i.e. no gap or solder between the barrels, and measurement of chokes. Loose ribs or evidence of repaired solder of rib joints near the muzzle could be due to damage during a shortening job. The choke of Flues guns was stamped under the barrels. A 2 and 4 would indicate full and modified. Most U.S makers did not mark barrels for choke, so merely measuring some constriction wouldn't mean part of the choked section wasn't cut off. Often odd lengths such as 27 5/8" would indicate cut barrels. Typically, they were in even number lengths. A 27" could have been a special order gun, but I imagine most collectors would want proof, provenance, or original factory hang tag before they would consider buying.

Flues model came in the usual barrel lengths. Some special 12 gauge light weights were even made in 24 inch barrels.

And, during the Flues period, catalogued barrel lengths for 28-gauges were 24- and 26-inches, but they made other lengths as well. I have a No. 1 Special 28-gauge with barrels a bit over 30-inches. In my experience, Ithaca barrels up to the mid-NID period often are a bit long, like 30 3/16 or 28 1/8.

Thanks all.

If anyone comes across a good shooter but rough around the edges (~$500), I'm trying to pick up a new field gun to try out this year and the Flues fit me really well with the 3"+ Drop at Heel.

Trying to assess a gun over the internet through pictures is tough, so I'm trying to do my research and make sure I dont buy a dud which is a real possibility in the price range I'm looking at.

I suspect if the gun works well for me I'll be upgrading to a nicer Grade in the future, just starting out rough & ready