doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Need collective advice on a Flues model of 1908

Thank you in advance for assisting a novice. I am long on knowledge of rifles and totally lacking on shotguns. I am helping a friend liquidate an estate of guns she inherited from her father. I know how to get the M1903s to their next owners, but there is an Ithaca Flues shotgun for which I need some confirmation and advice.

From my reading these forums and other online sources here is what I can figure out: It is a model from 1908 (SN 1814xx), 12 gauge in Special grade. 4/2 barrels.

Here are my open questions.

1. The stock was repaired with a bolt/nut put through it between the safety tang and the triggers. It doesn't appear cracked just somehow came apart there and was stiffened up with the bolt. Not ideal, of course. I'm not sure what that does to the safety and value of the gun. Certainly not showroom gorgeous.

2. The barrels have a curious mark that looks like the numbers 14 and the letter B rotated 90 degrees and below the numbers. There is also a faint marking that looks like L135. From reading the 3 digits might be a manufacturer's mark, but I could not find anything specific to that, and Snyder's book is not on my bookshelf (a collector's item unto itself it seems).

3. I suspect the shell length is 2 3/4", since that is what seats nicely in it. I am going to advise buyers to have a gunsmith size professionally so they know for sure since no records were kept and no markings were made. Any further advice on that?

And lastly, how do I value this? As I said with the Springfields I know how to price them, but this is uncharted territory for me. It seems functional and sound, but it is 109 years old and had that repair so it definitely needs a professional checking. Does the very early serial # range make it more valuable? Or is this a parts gun.

Thanks again in advance for the advice, I know questions like this come up not infrequently. I'm happy to reciprocate with Mauser or 1903 knowledge(!)

RT

Impossible to value without pictures.

Field grade Flues with a split stock is not going to bring in that much money. A few hundred dollars at most. Ithaca made a lot of them and they are easy enough to find in good condition. The 1 and 4 are the chokes if they are on the underside of the barrels, one on each side.

Thank you for the quick feedback. I added a link to photos served up on an external server so you can see the various bits.

I would consider a Flues in that condition as a parts gun.

Dennis

Note that shotshell lengths are measured from the "Fired" shell. The loaded but unfired shell will be shorter than chamber length due to the crimp. Thus adding an 1/8" to the shell length does not prohibit it entering the chamber as it does for instance a .357 Mag vs .38 Special. The only way to tell the chamber length for certain is by measurement.
The 2 & 4 are the chokes, Modified & Full. Weird thing is the 2 (mod) is stamped on the left barrel while the 4 (full) is on the right. This is the reverse of the normal order of the more open choke being in the right barrel. Can't say if the Stamper was just having a bad day & reversed the stamps or if this gun was ordered with the choke order reversed.
If the barrels are in good condition, the stock could likely be made better looking by some "Glass Work" to get rid of the ugly bolt & nut. In this case it could make a Rainy Day shooter, but will never be a truly valuable gun as said.

In that condition most people will ignore it no matter what the price unless someone wants it for parts.

There are HUNDREDS of Flues model Ithaca's available at any one time.
One thing I didn't see was the barrel length.

If you could get $200.00 for it, I'd take it.
Great condition F&S model 12's only run $300-400.00 these days.
It takes too much work to add $100.00 value to an old Flues model.

If that one has 32" barrels, and will shoot an 1 1/4 load without binding at the knuckle, I'd consider it, as I have about a half dozen stocks ready for fitting, with modern dimensions.

Play it safe- this is a parts gun only- the stock bolted at the "jaws" is an accident waiting to happen-- Emil Flues's designs for Ithaca were developed in the black powder to smokeless powder transition era-The Only Ithaca double I would own, shoot or trust to hold up to modern ammo (exception for steel shot loads of course) is the NID- made from about 1926 to 1948-- Nice thing about Ithacas is their consistent choke numerical code, found stamped on the barrel flats area- 0- skeet or open choke, 1--imp. cyl., 2--modified. 3--improved modified (or light full) and finally- 4-- full choke. Best way to describe choke as marked in an Ithaca is to relate the right and left barrels to the triggers, assuming you have a 2 triggered gun in hand. The front trigger orients to the right hand barrel, and the rear trigger to the left handed barrel. 30" Mod. right ( no. 2) and Full (left no. 4) would be std. for the Field grade Flues 12 bore you have-from the fotos.

A "ball park" way to date YOM on a Flues: In about 1915, Ithaca added a set screw to the splinter forearm to reinforce the fastening of same to the barrel loop- on extractor guns--I agree with another respondent herein, if you get a cash offer of $200 for this Flues, "as is"-- take the money and walk.

If someone will actually offer $200.00 for that Flues, grab the money, run, and don't look back, lest they come to their senses. In addition to the crudely repaired buttstock, the length of pull looks to be no more than 13", if that. Good for parts, or maybe a project for someone practicing stock making or repair.