I thought my Fox fetish would keep me preoccupied but I've found a 20ga Ithaca Flues (1 1/2) that is awfully tempting. I've heard about these lightweights having trouble with frame cracking but that it was limited to a certain production era/set of serial numbers. Unfortunately, I do not have the serial# of the gun I'm looking at. Are there any physical characteristics that would help identify production era? Is this really a concern with the appropriate loads?

The gun in question is just under 6lbs with 26" bbls. I've seen some as light as 5lbs 4ozs with 28" bbls. Thanks.

My first double as a very young teenager was a 20 ga. Flues that weighed in at about 5 1/2 pounds. It had in excess of 3" drop in the stock. Not knowing any better, I shot 1 oz. loads in it exclusively. Never had any problems, except my shoulder and cheek. I have owned 3 more since then that I shot 3/4 and 7/8 oz. loads in. Never a problem with these either, but I wish I had my first one back. I have seen a couple of photos of Flues' that had cracked frames, but God only knows what was shot in them to crack them. I've never seen a cracked frame in person, either my own or anyone elses. I would not hesitate to shoot appropriate loads in any Flues in good condition.

The No. 1 1/2 was dropped from the line in 1919, so the gun in question was likely made in the first ten years of Flues production. Most No. 1 1/2 guns had Damascus barrels, with the the 1 1/2 only getting steel barrels the last couple of years it was offered. Early on the No. 1 1/2 had the dog and legend roll-stamped on the sides of the frame with some zig-zag border engraving, then in mid-1915 it got the bold floral engraving. After Ithaca phased out composite barrels the Nos. 1, 1 Special and 1 1/2 were combined in 1919 as the new No. 1 with the bold floral engaving and steel barrels. Throughout this time frame the regular chambering for the Ithaca 20-gauge doubles was 2 1/2 inch. Every cracked frame Flues I've handled has been pre 1920 and a light weight 20- or 28-gauge. IMHO these early very light weight Flues smallbores are a poor choice for a gun to be shot on a regular basis.

It would be a part-time grouse and woodcock gun so the volume of shooting would be relatively low. This one has steel barrels and the floral engraving so it sounds like a later production gun but still pre-1920.

Researcher, what do the frames look like on the post 1920 No.1s? I'm a newbie to Ithacas and generally view them as the early "boat" style frame and the later NID frame.

Greg Tag may be along to post his views on Flues frame failures. I think in at least a couple cases, the shells in question were of the el cheapo, "promotional" variety commonly sold for $4/box or less at places like Wal-Mart. They're "light" in that they're only 7/8 oz, but velocity (and pressure) aren't light, because they need to make dirty autoloaders function properly.

I passed on a Flues 20 at a gun show last weekend, and it's still haunting me a bit. Unusually nice condition, Field Grade, but an ejector gun. 28" barrels. And, fairly unusual for a Flues, it had shootable stock dimensions. Still had the factory 2 1/2" chambers. I reload 20's, so I could've worked up light 3/4 or 7/8 oz reloads and probably had myself a pretty nice occasional grouse and woodcock gun--but I also have some 28's, which kept me from digging into my pocket for the green.