Those of us who were knocking around guns in the 1970s will well remember the Ithaca M-51 Autoloader. But there was a M-51 well before the autoloader. Harry Howland mentions in his personal notes that an over-under shot gun design was started in 1938. War issues, etc. delayed the work until 1951 when the one and only tool room over/under was completed and named "M-51." The gun was sold with the museum collection in 1976. It bopped around a bit then went under ground. It surfaced again during Eric Neill's time as Ithaca Gun President and was sent to a shop to determine if a single trigger could be fitted. As Ithaca Acquisition went into bankruptcy, the gun was lost again. It recently re-surfaced and has returned to the fold. It won't be lost again. The new Ithaca Gun Company is about to release their new Phoenix over/under (I had the opportunity to shoot it and it is great!) but I thought some of the Ithaca fans would like to see a few photos of the first Ithaca over/under gun, the M-51.
Some technical details: Twenty eight inch extractor barrels, no rib. Choke top IC, bottom, cylinder via the brass Galazan drop in guage. Modern dimensions on the stock. I will probably test shoot the gun but it will remain a 'museum' item.
Last edited by Walter C. Snyder; 01/25/10 09:30 PM.
