doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com ITHACA "Western Field" SxS ?

More info...

12 gauge SxS, box lock, non-ejector. (3 cross pins in receiver)

left barrel marked "WESTERN ARMS - BRANCH ITHACA GUN CO. INC.
- ITHACA, N.Y."

right barrel marked "LONG RANGE GUN"

Pointing dog on both right and left side of receiver.

Serial # 469xx

1. Does anyone know when it was manufactured ???

2. Does it "correspond" to any other regular Ithaca model ???

THANKS.

. gold40

According to the serial number chronology in the second edition of Walter Snyder's book, a Western Arms, Long Range Double with a serial number in the 469xx would be of 1937 vintage. The gun described above would be the gun that Ithaca sold. Western Arms Corp. was established in 1929, and the Long Range Double introduced. Perfect timing to add a lower priced gun to their line for The Great Depression.



For some reason, just like their Lefever Arms Corp., these were separate corporations that operated within the factory of Ithaca Gun Co. By 1937. Ithaca Gun Co. was incorporated and Lefever Arms and Western Arms became branches of Ithaca Gun Co., Inc.



Early on Western Arms Corp. made a "trade branded" version of their Long Range Double marked Western Field or Western Field DeLuxe for Montgomery Ward. They had rudimentary checkering on the grip and forearm and the DeLuxe had ejectors.

Thanks for the information.

My gun is as pictured above. No checkering. No ejectors.

There are a few small "rust speckle spots" on the barrel exterior, but it has most of the original blue. Bores are as shiny as new.

I plan to refinish the stock and remove the various scratches and dents. Then, I'll take this oldie bird hunting.

gold40

I think the Ithaca NID and guns such as yours, which were produced when Parker, Fox, L.C. Smith were feeling the economic effects of the Great Depression are the real bargains in the "shooter" grade doubles available in today's used gun market. You have a fine field gun, no "extras" but as an old time trap shooter once said to a beginner with a engraved SBT in his hands: "Nice gun, sonny, but all that chicken scratching on the receiver don't break the targets for you?" Maybe some before and after fotos??Enjoy--

Quite similar to the Lefever Nitro Special, but with even more corners cut. (No checkering, for example.) Solid guns. And very easy to modify from PG to straight if you wish.

My recently purchased WESTERN ARMS - ITHACA cleaned up reasonably well. I took Larry Brown's sugggestion of converting it to an English grip.





Still shows some case color and decent blue for a shotgun made in 1937.

Monkey Ward sold a semi-auto 12 Gauge Remington 878 as a "Western Field.

Looks nice, Jerry. I did have mine checkered as well.

Montgomery Ward also sold this gun, the Western Field New Model. This one is my "truck gun" and rides with me every day on the farm. It is a 32" barreled 12 gauge (Full and Full). Solid, heavy gun. It's normal left barrel load is 3 3/4 - 1 1/4 - 4s, Remington Nitro Express. Bad news for crows/armadillos/other varmints. The left barrel usually has a 3 1/4 - 1 1/8 - 7 1/2 load in it (snakes, whatever).



It rides right by my right leg, nestled between my seat and the center seat ...... loaded, but opened slightly and covered with a towel to keep out the dust. It is faster to remove the towel and close it than it is to open it and load it with two shells. Speed matters with a truck gun.



SRH

Armadillos . . . Stan, you could have killed one over point in TX had you been with me a few years ago. Somewhere I have a photo of my shorthair locked up on an armadillo. My TX host said the worst thing about that was his TX quail dog backing the point.