doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Ithaca Minier Questions

Did Ithaca Miniers come with silver receivers or only case colored receivers? I saw online a Ithaca factory brochure that seemed to show models with a silver receiver. Thanks For any Info on this. I have people telling me they only came with case colored receivers. Thanks Rick

This gun has been reblued and stock refinished years ago as from your other post you said it was restored. I would almost be certain that on your gun the case colors have worn off. Often the barrels will get reblued but nothing gets done to the action because that is a whole different process that most don't know how to do properly. Do you know how the barrels were reblued? A SxS should have the barrels slow rust blued, not hot tanked. If it was cold blue that was done, that is not really a restoration.

To the poster rdm. I just noticed you have posted this on 3 forums that I know of. On the one forum you posted pics. From the pics I can tell you that the restoration was not done by a professional. The damascus barrels have been covered over with it looks like hot bluing--not a good thing. You can see color changes where the caustic bluing reacted with the iron in the damascus. It is also not good for the ribs on a SXS. The action has been polished leaving it a "polished in the white". There is no checkering on the stock or forearm. You have posted pics of this on another forum. Now instead of getting folks here to guess what your gun is, why don't you post the pics so everyone can plainly see what has been done? Then accept the answers you are getting as you have been told by different people on at least 3 forums. And no I didn't reply to your other posts on the other forums.

assuming this is the gun that was pictured on the Trapshooters site. It has some value as a shooter but that is minimal for a gun this old that has been this abused.
The barrels have been blued, probably in a way that will eventually cause the ribs to let go, but even if properly blued, they should never have been blued. The gun should have been browned.
The action has been polished which was popular to do in the 50's & 60's but isnt a restoration, it is a change from its original state.
The wood looks too glossy as well and doesnt have the checkering.
What was done to that gun is sort of like sanding down and painting an antique chair. It was something of value once but now its just porch furniture.

I never pretended that this was a proper restoration-even I knew that looking at the gun.I got it for nothing and all I am trying to do is to get information about it since I know very little about Ithaca side by sides.I cannot tell exactly how the barrels were reblued-but I don't think they were cold blued. Receiver is polished but the Ithaca Engraving is still very clear.Will use as a wall hanger if it has no value. Thanks Rick

Rick,

Welcome to the forum.

The gut reaction you are getting is because of blueing done to the barrels. Cold or hot does not matter. This has long been considered a "hack" job to hide the damascus. Once that is spotted the, whole "restoration" is suspect. Usually the chambers have been tampered with as well, which often makes the gun unsafe.

Some years ago, during one of my grouse outings, I stopped at a Gander Mtn store on the way. They had a lovely LC Smith. I asked to handle the gun. It became very obvious to me what had been done. The damascus had been blued. The "case colors" had been painted on. The whole gun was covered with a thick coat of varnish. I pointed this out to the sales staff. At first they could not believe it. They brought the gun to one of their smith's who confirmed what I had told them. They immediately took the gun in back and told me it was no longer for sale.

A reputable dealer can tell when a gun was "fixed" beyond repair.

With out having hands on, it sounds like wall hanger is good use for it. Which is too bad.

Hopefully Walt will chime in about how the receivers were finished.

Pete