doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Question about a Nitro Special

I've come across one in 16ga at a very good price. I don't need it, but I am tempted.

My question is whether or not it's been restocked, although I'm not sure I really care. The pistol grip is almost not there, rounded and backward-sweeping like the ones I've seen on some early Hunter Arms guns. The stock cheeks are checkered to match. The length of pull may be a bit short over a relatively modern pad but I haven't yet measured.

Anyway, anyone seen one like this, or know if the stock might be original? Thanks...

There are some Fulton ads at the beginning of the PictureTrail that show the early guns with the Hunter Arms Half Grip
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=17126039
The Fulton Special had checkered cheeks, but to my knowledge was only offered with a full pistol grip. The Hunter Special (introduced in 1937) did not have checkered cheeks, and had a full pistol grip.

This post is another reason to wish Roy Eckrose a speedy recovery. He probably knows more about the Nitro Specials than anybody.

Check the Summer 2007 DGJ for article on Lefever Nitro Specials by Bruce Foster. Has a photo of the open semi-pistol grip on page 148. I've never seen a Nitro Special with checkering on the stock cheeks.

I have a 16ga and really love it. If the price is right I wouldn't let the stock bother me if it fits you.

Jeff

I have a few Fultons. One of them, marked "The Fulton Special" on the rt bbl top has less of a pistol grip than others. It also has Border engraving and a woodcock on the left cheek and a quail on the right.Top of the frame and lever are engraved as well.Its a 16...well used. I have never seen another so engraved. Good guns. I have one being restocked out now...also a 16.

Correction, meant frame not cheeks..sorry....cheeks are checkered tho..

LD: check the PictureTrail link above
Phil: looks like I answered a question you didn't ask-sorry

I think Fultons and Nitros are two different critters from different companies. To my thinking a restocking with good wood and checkering will add value to all but 95% condition or better Nitros.

Last Dollar; Your Fulton Special sounds like all the ones I have owned, Quail on one side, woodcock on the other with heavy Scrollwork on the bottom, The hunter Special has no engraving. These are the most gun for the money in todays market.. As for the Nitro Special, the early ones had a rounded half pistol grip, Later ones a capped pistol grip. The one in Question is either a restock or has the checkered side panel added to the original stock.. MDC

Is this what you are talking about?





These are original stocks. I believe that at first Ithaca was using a more traditional pistol grip, but soon went to this to save money. Hopefully, some one with more Nitro knowledge will chime in.

Pete

Nitro cheeks were not checkered. Pistol grip profile depends on age. Earlier ones as shown, 1930ish and after are more conventional.

Thanks all. Pete, that's definitely the grip, but the cheeks are more pointed and are checkered. If it's still there today I'll take a look to see if I can tell if it's decorative or covering a pin. What do you think about $300?

I just grabbed some images off of Gunbroker... Walt is the expert on all things Ithaca. Trust his word.

If the barrels are tight and not pitted, a nice sxs hunter. For $300 how can you go wrong?

Pete

Went back for another look. Stock is interesting; appears to be original and the checkering on the cheeks definitley matches the grip and forearm. I looked at the DGJ aricle by Bruce Foster and the pistol grip style is pictured there; checkering appears the same too; kind of an elongated diamond pattern.

The downside: the receiver appears to have been blued and maybe the barrels reblued too, and there appears to have been some buffing done; the barrel stamping is rather faint and the flying geese are faint in areas. The trigger plate and the forend iron are not blued; no case colors showing. Trigger plate screw has definitely been buggered a bit.

The lockup is tight, bores look good, lever is right, overall condition of the gun is decent. Would probably make someone a good shooter. I'd probably hang on to it for a while, but since I've got too many other guns to shoot as it is I'm only interested if I could make a few buck on it after the new wears off, so with the bluing and at $300 (pretty firm, I think) I'll probably pass.

I think you're wise to pass, too many decent ones around for a little more money. Blued frames, aagh..MDC

Fin2Feather,
do you have the gun's sn? I am looking for an early example, e.g. as close to 100000 as possible.

Walt,

I don't, but I will get it for you tomorrow.

I think the gun's number is 255xxx; I forgot to write it down !

Walter, The earliest I have is a 20 ga, ser # 192,4XX. Probly not near early enough for what you need?
It and two 410's I have are 1925-26 models, and have the stocks as shown. My 12 and 16 ga's are 1928 models and both have pistol grip stocks.

Walt- I have 159695. 16ga with round knob. Is that early enough?

Cary

Hello Cary and h d hawg'r,
Thank you. The very earliest Nitros had a different barrel marking. I am trying to find just what it was. Is you gun marked differently from a later one you may have?
Any chance of a photo? You can certainly e-mail me at wsnyder@pinehurst.net if you want. I don't want to bore the 'other' folks with Ithaca research.

Walt- Right barrel "Lefever Nitro Special", left barrel " "Lefever Arms Co Ithaca, NY." Barrels are Belgian, LLH.
I'd never noticed but there's a "2" on the water table, left side.

The forend loop is stamped "PT" with a "4" on top of the lug itself.

Not a collectable, the butt stock was cut many years ago for my Great Aunt and it's been hot blued twice (including the frame) but the barrels still ring. Don't know how many thousands of rounds but I've had it since I was 14 (48 years ago) and my brother shot it during my eight years in Viet Nam. Never had a shell shorter than 2 3/4" in it.

It's in Roy's data bank.

Cary

LLH is Laurent Lochet-Habran:
http://damascus-barrels.com/Belgian_Trade_Marks.html
http://www.littlegun.be/arme%20belge/art...aurent%20gb.htm

Pete

Walt, I have 5 Nitro Specials, so here goes.
Top of right bbl on all 5, LEFEVER NITRO SPECIAL.
Top of left bbl on all 5, LEFEVER ARMS CO. ITHACA N.Y.

12 ga # 2645XX, a crown over D on bottom of both bbls. BP on fore end lug.
16 ga # 2673XX, LLH on bottom of both bbls. BP on fore end lug.
20 ga # 1924XX, LLH on bottom of both bbls. PT on fore end lug.
410 # 2054XX, SB&Co.1 (best I can make it out) on bottom of left bbl. PT on fore end lug.
410 # 2322XX, SB&Co.1 (again, best guess) on bottom of right bbl. Bottom of left bbl has about 6 places where letters or numbers were, but have been stamped over or peened out, or something! I've near went crosseyed trying to make it out, even used a magnifying glass. I used it on the "SB&Co.1" stamps too, and that's the best I can come up with on them. Bottom 1/2 or 2/3 of the letters is plain, but the top kinda fades out. The small "o" in Co is underlined, and I reckon the "1" could be an I, but there is nothing after that.
Is any of this what you're looking for? Hope it helps.

The crown D is most likely Delcour-Dupont:


http://damascus-barrels.com/Belgian_Trade_Marks.html
http://www.littlegun.be/arme%20belge/artisans%20identifies%20d/a%20delcour%20dupont%20gb.htm

Pete

What would the chamber length be on a 16ga Nitro with a 255xxx serial number?

If its a 12ga., I believe they were all 23/4". 16s might have been shorter to begin with...Geo

Re: Researcher's remark--I for one am NOT bored by online Ithaca research; consider it a positive feature of the forum. Sort of like "found money"--no tax, spend it or toss it into a fountain!

Go for it, Walt.

Pete

hd: the SB&Co. is likely Sanderson Bros. Steel Co.
This is a LC hammer gun with ROYAL STEEL stamped over the SB&Co. and 'C' for Crucible (which bought both Sanderson and Halcomb)