doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Your opinion please

I had to see what all the fuss was about, so I looked at this gun on GunsInternational.com, and I can see your attraction to this gun. However, and you did ask for our "opinions please", this ain't your classic grouse and woodcock in close cover gun. Beyond the chokes that you feel would vaporize a bird, this gun has long 30" tubes, a fair amount of drop, and weighs 7lb. 14oz. I think most of the guys here feel you are considering taking a fairly high condition classic and altering it's original condition. It's true that once you plunk down your money, you can do as you please. But many of us prefer to preserve and conserve these to the greatest extent possible. I would feel the same about someone who would street-rod a high condition original Model A Ford. This includes "merely" opening the chokes which will leave you with a long barreled, heavy, open choked gun with a lot of drop. Still not a grouse gun. My opinion, and you did ask for our opinions, is to buy this one for ducks, and buy another original American classic that is already light and handy, and open choked in it's original configuration. Or buy one in poor condition that will never be very collectible, and chop, hone, restock, and refinish to your hearts content. You yourself said "preserving the gun is paramount". Well, that means leaving it as it left the factory... even the chokes. See, I can read and understand English. Now have a Bourbon and get a whiff of that cold Wisconsin air and come to your senses.

Mike, I think Keith hits the nail on the head.

tim

I DO NOT KNOW WHY THE PRICE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GUNBROKER AND PUGLISI?

Well it might be that it is listed on the sale area on Puglisi now with a decreased price.

Why carry a long barrel, heavy gun? It does make a fine duck gun as is but it will never be a great gun to carry or to shoot fast in heavy cover. Every pound over seven feels like ten by the end of the day to me.

wish to apologise for having difficulties with understanding american language.
is 3" chamber original to that early 20s "8lb" square box?
that no name rounded action french game shootin' piece is more than 2x the gun for about half the cost. a good buy if flats are punched 70mm. a nice game gun from the county that brought us shooting on the wing what could be better?

that seller seems to ask a lot of money for his guns. better deals are available elsewhere. ed1

Mike, I'm not questioning your decision on the Ithaca but I am in complete agreement about your prior decision on purchasing the Arietta!!! And a 28 gauge to boot....excellent choice!!

what is the story on chamber length of two ithacas they list? one is listed as 70mm and second as 76mm. these guns are proly not marked by manufacturer as to chamber length and when all? winchester 1897s and model 12 12ga guns are 70mm i suppose anything is possible. so, is it if they have it for sale it's original but when you sell to them it's "punched out". that seems to be the annoying mo.

If we're talking an Ithaca Flues (SN lower than 425,000), then I don't think any of them were factory 3". I'm sure Walt Snyder could clear that up if anyone wanted to ask him. Jager, there are definitely 3" Model 12's out there. But on those, it'd be pretty easy to tell if it's factory because the chamber length would be marked on the barrel.

the big one is marked 'FOR SUPER SPEED & SUPER-X 3IN', the 28 is marked MODEL 12-28GA with 2 7/8 CHAM. above and MOD. below ga designation, and 20ga 25" FULL has no chamber length stamped on the barrel. i gather the real ole' winchesters don't usually have chamber markings on them.
ole mod 1897s & mod 12s in 12ga are easy because i don't think anything shorter then 2&3/4 acually exists. i does not mean much but i have never seen short-chambered mod 12 12ga.
i like to add ole' '97 to my vault, but everything i see around here has zero blue and looks terribly worn. i am told that's becuase these were fav guns of ole' market and for the pot great depression era hunters.

I'm pretty sure you'd find short chambered Model 97 12's, because the standard 12ga length was 2 5/8" when they first came out. Model 12's . . . there are certainly short-chambered 20's and 16's; maybe there aren't any short-chambered 12's, but they appeared during the period when the transition was being made from 2 5/8 to 2 3/4. And I didn't mean that the chamber length would be marked on ALL Model 12's, just on those that are factory 3" (which would all be later guns). The Heavy Duck, for example--all of which were 3" guns--didn't come out until 1935.