doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Lightest pumpgun ever made?

That is the way Remington Arms Co., Inc. listed them in the catalogues. The L is for the lightweight version of the Model 31 with the Aeromet receiver and A "Standard" Grade is the grade of the gun. Could also be a Model 31LB "Special" Grade, a Model 31LD "Tournament" Grade, Model 31LE "Expert" Grade or Model 31LF "Premier" Grade. In reality, I've never seen a factory engraved Model 31L but they did catalogue them?

Teddy the Ithaca 37 Ultra Featherweight predates the Kings Ferry guns by a number of years. I purchased mine at the Fort Riley Rod and Gun Club for about $145.00 in about 1979. They all were 20 gauge and came with two options either Improved Cylinder or Modified chokes. Mine had the Modified choke. All had fixed choke 25 inch barrels with vent ribs and a Sid Bell designed pheasant on the grip cap and the stock and forend were definitely mahogany. I wasn't into weighing guns at the time but I know it was the lightest repeating shotgun I had ever picked up and was wonderful for quail and pheasant over my Brittany.

OK, so the lightest guns usually have the aluminum frames? So we're talking the Ithaca Ultra English 20-bore guns as being the absolute bottom at the weight scale (~5lbs), then the Model 31Ls (~5lbs4), then maybe the steel-framed Model 17 (6lbs)? From past conversations here, we also know that the Stevens Model 200 is in the 6lbs range as well. Is there any real handicap in having an aluminum frame verses a steel one? I can see where use at a trap or skeet range would be somewhat foolish, but out on a grouse trail?

Functionally no. The M-16 and it's variations all have aluminum frames. However, I did have a hunting buddy that owned a Franchi Falconet 20 gauge that did develop indentations in the standing breech after being fired a gazillion times. The new steel and titanium breech faces have cured that problem.

Thing about the Ithaca is they are the last of the great pumps still being built the old way in Ohio.

The particular model I was thinking of is called the English Ultra. Looks like that may have been pretty much a standard Ultra but with a straight grip. Produced in the mid-80's, then reintroduced around 2000. Advertised weight: 4 3/4# in 20ga.

My go-to grouse gun, model 17, is 5lbs 14oz but it's not all original as it has a polychoke (25" total barrel length) and the grip was fasioned to a semipistol/POW and the stock extended (had been cut for a kid) and hollowed out. I would think most from the factory were 5 3/4-6 1/2 with the heavier guns being ones with 30" solid rib barrels or dense walnut.

The downside with the Ithaca Ultrafeatherlights was the aluminum trigger gaurd, which with heavy use developed some issues to my understanding. Latter Ultrafeatherlights used steel trigger units and were a little heavier. (based on my sometimes faulty memory)

The Denver Gun Collector Association show starts this coming Thursday, so I'll have lots of fun things to look for. I've seen a few Ithaca Ultras on-line, but none for anything that I would consider reasonable. Always fun to have something to be on the hunt for.

Heck with those old ones Lloyd buy a new one!!
Why, because of those two words that keep appearing over the horizon, steel rated.

watch out fur dem luminum framed pump gons. de sum times cracks win da idiots run de magnum shells tru um...