doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Question how strong an action is.

The shotgun: Ithaca=western arms (long range)
20 gauge, w/26" modified/full barrels. Both barrel bores are nice and clean. Blue on barrels turned to a nice brown, no major dings and such.
Action has lost case coloring, just bare metal but clean. Action is tight, release lever is to the right when closed. Action is a bit stiff to open but hammers cock and fire fine.
Extractors work like they should.
Stock has original finish, no cracks, just handling dings/dents from being carried more then shot.

I beleave this is a first year production model, serial number is three numbers(7xx)

OK, I know wordy intro!
My question is: Western arms sxs have a action made of "malleable iron". How strong are they?
My usual load is a one ounce dove/quail load, with 7 1/2 shot.
Thanks.

I've seen this come up before, and I'm pretty sure (damn sure, actually) you have not a thing to worry about.
Mallable iron is a good material to build a low cost guns action from. It case hardens well, and you have a dense, unhardened core after that is over, exactly what gun builders of the era were looking for.
I'd be far more worried about the old wood if you subjected it to heavy loads, rather than the action. I've seen a few with broken stocks.
I used a 12 gauge version of the same gun for a few seasons. A nice trip back in time, but, mine had a single trigger and was a bit heavy, so, it went down the road.
Enjoy.

Best,
Ted

Agree with Ted. Wouldn't worry about shooting 1 oz loads in a 20ga Western Long Range. The "malleable iron" action was a cost-saving measure (like uncheckered stock and forend). But those guns have stood the test of time. They're pretty much Lefever Nitro Specials with a few corners cut.

Larry, an uncheckered stock was upgrade option.

wb, with 26" inch barrels, how much does it weigh? Your shoulder might need to be malleable iron with a steady diet of 1 oz loads.

Mike

No!!!

Uh, Researcher- it was a joke.

Mike

Nobody would accuse a Western Arms, any gauge, of being svelt. A one ounce load in a 20 would be more than doable.

I've seen a few of these guns over the years that had been used extremely hard. I've also seen a few that were almost new, which, might be a testiment to how hard some poor depression era soul had to work to get one. Few are ever going to get any gunsmithing that is worth any money at all, they are really just tools.

I have a Nitro Special version in 16, 26" barrels also, and it isn't too heavy or too light. I feed it non-tox tungsten when I have to, enjoy taking it for a walk when I can. They were made to be used, and work well. You won't be invited to sit with the queen in her brake while carrying it, but, none of these guys who post here, with more expensive guns, will be invited, either.

If the gun in question is stiff, it might be a good idea to have it stripped, cleaned and lubed. Any lube it got back in the day is no longer lube, and the operation and use would benefit from some TLC. An average gunsmith should be able to take on this job, I did my own after I got it.

I have had a hard time wrapping my head around single triggers, of any type, and I'd be in no hurry to seek out a gun with ejectors, especially in this price range. But, the double trigger version should outlast all of us.

Good luck with your Ithaca.

Best,
Ted

Not bad at all. I use a slip on recoil pad to get a bit of extra stock length. I've mostly shot Estate dove/quail loads the past few years, I've gone through as many as 250 rounds and not had a problem.
*Could be I just got lucky and got a good fit??
I love to take it hunting but age(71)/arthritis makes hard to walk these days.

Ted Schefelbein, I did take it to a gunsmith about 6-8 years ago when I first got it from family member. It was strip, clean/oiled and check over then, also miked out the chokes for me, right was light mod, left/full.
It light gun to carry and a blast to shoot...even thought I shoot auto/pump mostly(in that order). I do like the feel of a nice double barrel(SXS).

Sorry to hear you don't get much hunting in, wb. If the gun is a bit stiff after it was stripped/cleaned, it might not even be broken in. My Nitro is that way, it spent most of it's life sitting around waiting to be used.
You could do a lot worse in a double than a Western Arms.


Best,
Ted

I know my Dad shot a "boatload " of Super-X ouncers through his with no ill effects on the gun.