Nice Flues, I have a 1914 in 20 ga.

 

Very nice gun, in great shape. I like the Flues, one of the best American guns, light and fast, handles beautifully. But it does have a weak point, it wont tolerate heavy loads. Best to just shoot reduced power shells in it..

 

Will it tolerate modern standard game loads? Will it tolerate modern practice loads? I know the NID that replaced the Flues was supposedly strengthened.

 

I would also post this over on www.doublegunshop.com/BBS There are several people over there who are Ithaca collectors and experts, including one who (literally) "wrote the book on Ithaca shotguns." There has been considerable discussion about what ammo is appropriate for a Fluesie. And your pix will be appreciated. Nice gun!

 

Not sure because post WWI Flues were strengthened and I've never found out exactly when and how much.

http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=226906&p=1896062&hilit=Flues#p1896062

http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=213517&p=1790982&hilit=Flues#p1790982

http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=200522&p=1656058&hilit=Flues#p1656058

The 1924 one I owned had frame sidewalls measuring nearly twice the thickness of early ones. Anyway, I'd use the low recoil shells but first have a gunsmith use a chamber guage to measure yours, check that its 2 3/4 inch. A guage is needed because 2 3/4 in. shells will easily fit in a 2 1/2 inch chamber thanks to the space needed for crimp unfolding.

Zero is cylinder barrel, 1 is IC, 2 is modified, 3 is IM, 4 is full choke

 

I was looking into buying a 1923 Flues. Comparing to a Stevens 311, which is more tank-like, but I appreciate the strength.

 

Cylinder and modified chokes are an excellent combination for upland hunting. I have my uncle's 16 ga. NID made in 1930 (NID is Ithaca's modifications to make their double guns much stronger than previous models for the new hotter smokeless loads that came out post-WWI). It has cylinder and (very) full chokes, so a wide difference between the two barrels' chokes was apparently more common then than now. Cylinder bore barrels were also popular for shooting round balls that country people called "punkin balls" for deer hunting before the "rifled"Foster deer slug became the norm. They were still factory loaded up to about WWII. They work pretty well in an unchoked gun (ask any redcoat!).

 

Take it easy on the Flues models especially the small bore frame guns. The earliest of the smaller bore guns have especially thin side walls and breech fences to lighten them up. The coil mainspring cut is right under the breech on each side upwards at a slight angle and further weakens the frame. The later ones are not quite so slim as the earlier ones and have a bit more steel left in them,,a plus for sure. The barrel wall thickness near the breech is heavier too on the later ones.
Every once in a while another Flues with a cracked receiver comes to light. They crack generally from the junction of the flat and breech juncture downward on the side walls, but a couple I've seen the crack went towards the lower rear corner of the frame.

They were proofed with the smokeless rounds of the day,,but those rounds were in no way near what the proof and even service rounds in use today are running. Smokeless and BlackPowder loadings were both in common use during the Flues mfg life.
Short chambers are still common in the Flues (2 1/2 in 20ga and 2 9/16 in 16ga) though alot of them have been altered over the years. The workmanship of the alterations on some would have been better left undone. Sometimes mearly lengthening the forcing cones is a better option depending on the barrel wall thickness. ,,and sometimes you're just better off leaving it alone & using what the gun was chambered for originaly.

Take it easy on them and they'll last another 90 years.

The NID model was put into production to take the Flues model's place. Their first totally smokless proofed SxS and alot stronger mechanically than the earlier Flues.

 

2 in one ounce loads eley's i think is a good safe load<><dk

 

Thanks for the Info.