I've found it works both ways with vintage parts on the auction sites. If you know what you are looking at you can sometimes pick up hard to find parts for practically nothing if the seller has no idea what they have. On the other hand a lot of sellers know what parts they have and seem want a ton of money plus your first born for them.
While I was working for Brad we put together an Ithaca Classic Doubles 20 gauge kit gun. It was quite a bit of work but looking back I wish I would have picked one up for myself when Galazan was closing them out. As for shooting "modern" loads in a Flues I wouldn't be too worried. I have seen one cracked Flues receiver in person but have also seen pictures of cracked Fox receivers, cracked Parker hammer gun receivers, cracked Syracuse Arms receivers and of course a lot of cracked L. C. Smith stocks! I have also seen an Ithaca Lefever A grade 20ga skeet gun with the frame completely cracked in two pieces right behind the hinge pin. Saying the Flues can't digest modern loads is like saying damascus barrels are all dangerous. If you want a nice, affordable and light carrying upland gun the Flues is hard to beat imho.
Thanks to Brian Dudley I have a pair of hammers on the way and found most all of the other parts I needed online. Thanks for the help everyone.
C. Will
