doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Ithaca flues hard to open after firing.

I just purchased a Ithaca Flues 12 ga sxs, serial number 345XXX. I shot it today with low brass loads, after firing both barrels, gun was very difficult to open. Were my loads to high of a presure or is something else wrong? It was produced in 1921, and appears to be in good to excellent condition. I was shooting low brass winchester loads with 1 1/8 oz of shot. If these shells are not "low Pressure" shells, can someone tell me where to find the proper shells?

Thanks,
Scott

Look for Rio Trap 28(7200psi)or B&P 2000 1 oz. (6600psi). I suspect the opening problem is associated with the firing pins sticking in the primer indentations and probably getting away from those 10,000psi W-W loads will solve the problem.

Will changing to the lower psi loads eliminate the firing pins from sticking? Is there a remedy for stopping the firing pins from sticking to the primers after firing?

Thanks,
Scott

I've had problems over the years with many different old doubles having firing pins stick in Winchester primers. Quite often the problem goes away with Remington primers.

Doubtless the problem lies with 'sticky' firing pins and 'soft' primer heads. Try different shells. You should use low pressure shells in your new Flusie anyway. RST Shotshells and Polywad (Google'em)both market excellent shells meant for older guns like yours...Geo

A differing opinion...the weak point of the Flues design is a piece called the cocking hook, it lies under the lug on the barrels and is prone to wear and bending. When it wears or bends it throughs the timing fo the cocking off, the firing pins do not retract as soon as they should when the gun is opened.

This was discussed here a few weeks ago in this thread...

Flues thread.

Could be; look for drag marks across the face of the shell base. Try the low pressure shells before you go to tinkering, though...Geo

Hello Marine1403

Have you had the chamber length measured?
Are you shooting a 2 3/4 shell in a 2 1/2 chamber?

Please do so and then look here

http://www.rstshells.com/

Enjoy the day
Mike

Thanks to everyone who chimed in here. Obviously you all have extensive experience in old sxs's. I am new to them, but I already love the experience of owning and shoting a vintage shotgun! I will try your recommendations until my problem is solved! Thanks again for all your help!

Scott

Pressures shopuld be kept low for the Flues Action. Unless primer metal was actually flowing back into the firing pin hole though this has little to do with the hard opening. Shotgun pressures aren't normally high enough to cause this type of primer metal flow & the Flues has a non rebounding hammer anyway. Even those guns with rebounding hammers do not have an opening problem using full SAAMI Spec loads from this cause. The reason the primer can make a difference is those primers having harder metal do not dent as deeply, so the pin is cammed out easier by the sides of the indentation itself working against the radius of the pin tip even though the cocking hook hasn't caught up yet. The deeper its buried, the harder it is to cam it out.