doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Grade 1S Ithaca Flues

I moved three years ago and still haven't unpacked most of my books, including Walt's.

Can someone tell me where the 1S grade fits into the order?

It is a 30" Krupp barreled 12ga that is the twin of the Field Grade I gave to my son for his 21st birthday. The Field was my first double. I can't decide if I should keep this 1S or send it down the road.

Mike,
The Model 1 became the Field grade. The S has been argued and fought over for at least 10 years I know of. Bottom line, no one knows what it designates. One discussion (on this board) went 30 pages (IIRC) with no conclusion being reached- every one pretty much decided just to say it meant steel barrels and never bring it up again. Have you discovered those Pa. grouse yet? Should be lotsa rabbits, also. Have fun up there.

Cary

Cary,
Thank you.

Yes, a few PA grouse have flown for me & my setter. Lots of rabbits....in my yard!

Price lists from Walt's book (both 1912 and 1915) shows the 1 Special selling for $37.75, while the Field sold for $30. No indication, however, of the difference between the two. Maybe Walt knows the answer? It would seem something should show up to distinguish them, if you put a 1S next to a Field Grade.

Originally the entry-level Ithaca Quality No. 1 hammerless double was a twist barrel gun with a bit of engraving. Ithaca then added a lower priced twist barrel gun with just a roll-stamped logo on the sides of the frame as a No. 1P (for plain). Within a couple of years the engraved No. 1 was gone and the roll-stamped gun was the No. 1. As Ithaca moved into using steel barrels they introduced the No. 1 Special with, usually, Cockerill Steel barrels, but those with Krupp are certainly known. Still later Ithaca introduced an even lower priced gun known as the Field Grade with Smokeless Powder Steel barrels and a half-pistol grip stock. As the country was coming out of WW-I and Ithaca was phasing out their composite iron and steel barrels, they eliminated a lot of these very similar lowere grade guns. From the 1912/13 Ithaca pocket catalogue --

Krupp barrels.



Broken buttplate and hollow buttstock. This gun weighs 7lb 13oz. My sons similar Field Grade weighs 8lb 8oz with a solid buttstock.





All matching s/n's. Serial number is also stamped in buttstock under the top tang.



Stock color and finish evened out with a couple of coats of Tru-Oil and use of steel wool.

I have a Flues 20 gauge with smokeless powder steel barrels. It is just marked S 20 on the watertable, there is no number in front of the S.

Mike - Is that a 'LLH' on the right barrel just forward of the flats?

I forgot to mention, it also has the the three position safety.

Forward - OFF Safe - Auto Reset when opened

Middle - ON Safe

Rear - OFF Safe - NO Auto Reset

I can't remember, was this standard for Flues? Or Ithacas in general?

According to Walter's serial number chronology your 12-gauge would be a 1913 vintage gun. My 28-gauge No. 1 Special with 30-inch Cockerill Steel barrels is in the 261xxx serial number range, which when Walter looked it up, shipped May 25, 1915. It has a two-position safety, and just has a letter S above the 28 on the watertable.



Inconsistancy is the norm in the Ithaca markings!!