doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Ithaca Flues Help

My fist post so please be kind...
When my grandfather passed away, he left me a wonderful, old Ithaca double. I finally got around to taking it down, giving it a good cleaning, and running some numbers. Based on the serial numbers i found, (and the wonderful reference guide you folks have come up with) i'm convinced the gun is a 1922 Flues 12ga. (dog on the side, smokless powder barrels great color, excellent stock (i can post pictures)
I don't want to bug you guys, but i have a few quick questions
1) how can you tell the "grade" of the gun? (i think it's field grade..is there a stamp someplace to identify ?)
2) the barrels are 26 1/4 " long (that's not a typo) seems kinda short to me, was that a stock option?
3) barrels are choked 2 and 4 (mod and full) was that a typical setup ?
any help would be awesome

The grade should be stamped above the gauge near the front of the left watertable. A Field Grade of that vintage should be stamped F or possibly S in that location. A Field Grade would have barrels roll-stamped "Smokeless Powder Steel" on top.

Posting pictures would surely help. With the 2 and 4 choke markings, and the slightly odd barrel length there is a good chance the barrels may have been cut from 28- or 30-inch.

thank you ..i will look for the stamping where you mentioned and post a few photos when i get home tonight. as for the barrel, i suppose it could be cut, but the ribs connecting the barrels sure look clean all the way to the end !!! odd

...as a side note, how can you tell the length of the shell these guns were chambered for ?? the 12ga part is easy, but the length of the old shells were often different than todays shells (along with much lower psi's) and i notice no markings for shell/chamber length....

Short of going to a gunsmith, what I have done to measure chamber length is take a dowel rod almost the size of the chamber. Wrap tape around it so it is snug, not super tight and insert it into the chamber until it stops when it hits the forcing cone. Mark the dowel at the face of the chamber and remove the rod and measure it. You can also cut an old credit card or the likes to the proper width of the chamber and insert it and measure it.

You absolutely do not want to shoot off the shelf ammo in the old Flues except maybe Winchester Extra Lite as they only have about 8000 psi.

Best is www.rstshells.com, www.polywad.com or www.neweraammunition.com

Chamber depth is considered to be the distance between the breech end of the barrels and the joint between the chamber body itself and the forcing cone, which reduces down to bore diameter. This is loosely based on the length of the "Fired" shell. Today, theoretically when the crimp opens on the shell being fired the end would land at the junction of the chamber and cone. Prior to WW-II many companies had the practice of holding the chamber about 1/8 inch shorter than the shell for which it was intended. Fly in the ointment is nominal measurements often differ from actual ones in both chambers and shells. A very good method I have found of measuring chambers without much outlay of cash, and is quite accurate enough for virtually any situation, is a common 6" flexible machinist's scale which you likely have. Hold the barrels with muzzles toward a light source, not necessarily a concentrated one a window is great, while looking into the breech and the cone will be thrown in a shadow. May have to move the barrels around a little until it is distinct. While still looking into the chamber simply slide the scale in until you observe the end coming flush with the shadow line & mark position of breech end with your thumb. Remove and read the scale. I usually repeat this a few times to insure I am getting a consistent reading, but you will be amazed how accurate this can be done. While I own a Galazan chamber gauge, I use this more often than not. The chamber body itself has a taper of about .005" per inch. Sometimes chambers were cut with slightly worn reamers giving a slight undersize chamber. If the chamber is a bit undersize a gauge made to "industry" standards will not go in to the true depth of the chamber. A.H. Fox Gun Co. shotguns are known for having tight chambers. The machinist�s scale method can be more accurate.

i have some good images of the gun but i do not have my own website to link you to them...they can be emailed but not linked to this thread....
after furthur review....serial number 356544..makes it a Flues 1922...12 Ga for sure...Field grade (found the S stamp above the 12)...the barrel still has me scratching my head..26 1/4 inches long..with sight bead still attatched to the business end...right choked 2 (mod) left choked 4 (full) chambered 3 1/4" (measured multiple times...thanks to Researcher)..could this have been an original setup ??

If you are getting 3 1/4" chamber length reading, I think you are not measuring accurately. I have a 20 gauge Flues that has had the chamber lengthened to 2 3/4". I would try the dowel rod or credit card method to see what reading you get with either of those. My Flues is choked 1 and 4 if I remember correctly. Also, I have a Beretta 409 that has 25" barrels that I am told were cut off as Beretta didn't offer a 25" barrel. It has the bead on the end and it is hard to tell it has been cut.

and as a side note....(you guys are gunna think i snapped !!) i found my grandfathers old hunting vest.....filled with old, paper Western Super-x, 2 1/4", #5 12Ga shells !!!....too funny... I WISH I HAD THE BOX FOR THEM.....