doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com ITHACA "Western Field" SxS ?

Looking for info on a hammerless Ithaca SxS labeled WESTERN FIELD. Perhaps sold by a chain store -- Montgomery Ward ? Appears to be a low cost BLNE. Two triggers. 28" steel IC & M barrels. No photo - yet.

gold40

Should be easy to figure out once you post a photo.

Steve

That was the economy grade gun meant to compete with guns like the Stevens double. Very basic, slightly clunky in style but a decent gun for the money. They were made by Western Arms a division of Ithaca as I recall. They even made for Monkey Wards. The Western Field was their, MW, private label name. Other makers both domestic and foreign made guns for them under that name.

If you want one, in .410, Cabelas has one they are asking four grand for. Yeah I know. Four grand for a gun not worth more than a few hundred but that's Cabelas for you. Worse they miss named it Luck Race instead of Long Range. So far it has been to two stores and still not sold. Go figure a four hundred dollar gun listed for four grand not flying off the shelf.

Yes on it being Montgomery Ward. Western Field was a trade name used on guns sold by Wards. Western Arms Corp. was a company owned by Ithaca Gun Company. A picture and ser# will tell the story. Best bet is Lefever, Nitro Special but could be Western Arms, Long Range Gun. All mfg by Ithaca.

I have a Western Field Deluxe, 16 ga., with ejectors and nice checkering. It is a Nitro Special.

If in decent condition (good?), very worn finish, no rust, no stock splits or cracks, action reasonably tight, lever in center, semi-shiny bores, no barrel dents...is it likely worth $300?

gold40

These guns were essentially the same as the Lefever Nitro Special and Western Arms Long Range Guns.

Gauge? Jerry, if it's a 12, I'd say that's a fair price. 16 or 20, even better price.

Cabela's- what a deal. Almost as good as the Cabela's here in Western MI-- They have a Ideal grade 20 FW- you can buy for $2500. 28" barrels cut- cyl. in both barrels, no half moon witness notches in top of bottom rib, as was done at the factory- my guess is- 30" choked barrels, cut off and this missed the eagle eyes of their gun buyers- Safety slide moves with some resistance, forearm release latch is jammed, rust spots on barrels and sidelocks- at least no cracks in the stock jaws near the locks. even if it were an FWE ejector Ideal grade 20, still compromised with the cut down barrels. What kind of training do they offer their gun buyers anyway??

Didn't the Western Fields have their receivers made differently than the Nitro Specials? I seem to remember something called "malleable iron"?

Ithaca's Nitro Special had a frame of drop forged steel as I recall. Their Western Arms had one of malleable iron.
Western Field was Montgomery Wards private Brand name. It could I presume be either a NS or WA gun.