doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Ithaca Best Steel Barrels

I recently acquired a Grade 4 Ithaca super ten. On the bottom of the barrels is states "Best Fluid Steel". On the NID Mag. tens that I have their is no mention of the steel on the barrels. Does any one know what "best fluid steel" is for Ithaca Grade 4 Barrels???

I've wondered about that too. I've got three Grade 4E NIDs. The 20-gauge was shipped in 1933 and on the bottoms of the tubes says Best Fluid Steel and also had the big D with a three-lobed crown over it that was the mark of Didiere barrel works of St Etienne, France. My 12-gauge was shipped in 1936, and just has Best Fluid Steel on the bottoms of the tubes. My 16-gauge was shipped in 1941 and the bottoms of the tubes are unmarked.

Researcher:

Is the "Crown" over "D" similar to the mark as found here: http://www.littlegun.be/arme%20belge/artisans%20identifies%20d/a%20delcour%20dupont%20gb.htm by DELCOUR-DUPONT Jean. Did Ithaca source France for many tubes? Also there was some drama around 1933 w/ the case of a Magnum 10 tube bursting and causing injury which sourced J.J. Riga & S. Buckely as tube suppliers.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

Crown over 'D' was the mark of Jean-Baptiste Delcour-Dupont of Nessonvaux, and has been found on damascus Smith and Lefever guns. Delcour-Dupont became Canons Delcour S.A. and used the same mark. Jean-Baptiste was the father of Lucien Delcour and had been a manager for Pieper & Cie before opening his own shop specializing in Damascus barrels. Canons Delcour S.A. was the likely source of steel brls so marked on L.C. Smith, Fox, and Ithaca Lefever Nitro Special A-grades. Canons Delcour S.A. was registered in 1921, and remained in business until 1968.

Dave is correct that this was also the mark for Didiere barrel works, but the other US gunmakers all seemed to be getting their barrels from Belgium.

More infro here http://docs.google.com/View?docid=dfg2hmx7_28dvjzkhgf

My 3E Ithaca NID has the best fluid steel marks, made in 1926. I can also see the remnants of marks on both barrels that were wiped out during striking of the barrels. They look like 2 small v about 1/16" apart, also the top of a circle or oval.

Jim

Jim: like the top 1/2 of this?

Thanks All for the information on the Best fluid steel barrels. My barrels have the D with crown mark, the gun dates to 1929.

Still trying to get to the bottom of the 'Crown over D'
I've looked through every French maker listed on the Littlegun site, and didn't find any 'Crown over D', but lots of other 'Crown overs' which are a bit different from the Delcour-Dupont with more of a border outline


Could someone please post a pic of the Ithaca 'Crown over' mark, or one known to be from Didiere?

A quick and dirty photo from a NID 2E. The word 'skeet' on each barrel in an after market addition.

Thank you Walt; sure looks like the same 3 lobed 'Crown over D' as on the LC Smith. Can you confirm the source?