Union Metallic Cartridge Co. had been offering factory loaded smokeless powder shotgun shells for 18 years when the Flues Model Ithaca was introduced and Winchester had been offering them for 15 years. While it certainly can't be proven, I'd bet that 90% of the Flues Model Ithaca shotguns have never seen a black powder shotgun shell. They were all made before non-corrosive primers though.