doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com A Nitro kind of day ...

Knowing winter began today, I had to take advantage of yesterday's sunny and calm conditions - out here on the great plains "calm" means winds under 15 mph - and take the Nitro Special out for a little "exercise." As I loaded the trap and a bucket of birds into the back of the truck the NS made his pitch. Since he spends his days next to his cousin, the A grade, he wondered if it wouldn't be an even better idea for both of the Fall Creek Lefevers to get out for a little sunshine. I didn't need much convincing and soon they both were cased and we were on our way.

It turned out to indeed be a perfect Nitro day, easy to be grateful for simple pleasures as well as glorious blessings, and the A grade, in particular, was so "on" that he got to shoot 25 pairs. Everybody came back to town smiling.

As we head into this week that is a high time for most of us, but for others not so much, I'm hoping for all of you as well as your friends and family a Nitro kind of Christmas.

The Winter Solstice! Appreciate the reminder. Lovely Ithaca guns Randy!

I was a beautiful day here in Colorado yesterday and I was out shooting sporting clays with my new "shooting glasses". My shooting eye has taken a turn for the worse here this Fall and I'd hoped to remedy that situation with a trip to a gun-friendly eye-doctor (many thanks to Tom Bryant here) a few weeks ago. This "new" prescription seems to help but...I'm still not shooting very well. Even corrected to a marginal 20/20, my left eye isn't doing the job just yet (it still seems "dim" and slightly unfocused) and my right eye is always at the ready to pull things off-target. I know I've no right to complain (this could be so-much worse) but...dang, it sure takes the fun out of things. I'm nowhere near to giving up and will continue to work on it. Perhaps with time, right?



So nice here lately I get to do now what I should have been doing in October. It's not looking like a White Christmas is in the offering here this year.

Great Nitro article. Thank you. The A grade Lefevers are really a great gun-stylish, reliable and built tough. I have only one Lefever remaining-a .410 A grade, all options and choked S&S-one of 18 made in that configuration.
Seasons best to all!

Great post, FCF. I remembered today's significance on the calendar when I arose early this morning but I always think of it a little differently, as the shortest day of the year. Just the farmer in me I suspect, but I always remember that the daylight hours will now begin to lengthen a tiny bit each day until June 21, which will be the longest day of the year.

Merry CHRISTmas to all. Ya'll are a great bunch to "hang out" with.

nitro specials are a best buy...

only fault is that sometimes a firing pin will break if snapped on an empty chamber...

use of snap caps when dry firing eliminates this problem...

here is a nice 20...

a pair of snap caps included...

https://www.gunsinternational.com/g...-gauge.cfm?gun_id=102915370&cdn_bp=1

Some of the sub gauge Nitros are truly sweet handling old guns. This 1938 vintage 16, with 26” tubes choked Cyl and Mod, and with 2 3/4” chambers comes in at just a fraction over 6lbs. In an odd turn of events, it is my upland gun in those areas that are non toxic shot only-I have a few 10 round boxes of the old Heavi-Metal loading of 1oz of #6 shot, that disappointed a duck hunter, but, knock grouse out of the sky just fine, Ifn’ I do my part.
I’ll be out tomorrow, if I’m hunting grouse it will be the 16 Nitro on a northern trajectory from here, if I’m hunting pheasants it will be due south from here, and likely involve a 2 1/2” Darne 12 gauge that is a few decades longer in the tooth than the Nitro, but, effective on the big birds.
Everybody should try a Nitro.



The Darne. 6 1/2 pounds, a bruiser, as Darne 12s go:



Best,
Ted

Here's another nice Ithaca Nitro Special in .410 that I purchased in September of 1968 - 56 plus years ago.

I bought it from Pearson's Gun Shop in Auburn, NY. Walt would know where that is. Paid $150 plus sales tax. I think the gun was made in 1946 according to Walt's list. Serial number 356464.

It has factory 3 inch chambers, 26 inch barrels choked Mod and Full. It has accounted for many, many cottontail rabbits and a good number of grouse. I still have it.

And yes, Seasons Greetings to All.

Nicely said FCF. Happy holidays to all.

Loved the Nitro Special story, thanks. Here are a 410 and a 20 gauge that are pretty close to the condition they were when they first left the store.

Always nice to find a nice, clean one. More so than perhaps any other double, I still see Nitros that are devoid of any factory finish, and are still out there, used by guys who don’t care what they look like. Even at the little guns shows we have left to go to, since the leftists outlawed gun shows in Minneapolis and St. Paul proper, I still see really hard used examples offered up, that have been through several different owners who no longer need them, but, are clearly still usable in a field or a blind.
Mine isn’t as nice as Daryl’s guns, but, is nicer than ed’s



It will be out in the field, today.

Best,
Ted