Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns Ithaca Mfg. dates & product codes

Anyone know of a Ithaca web site or info person? Just picked up a pre- SKB double & would like to get a handle on approximate age (Serial # 177xxx [ Serial number is not stamped on outside of receiver or on the barrels so possibly might be be pre wwII ] ) & what 2ND means.

Thanks ,

I may be wrong but seems I read one time that 2nd acutally means it was a factory second and were sold to Ithaca employees. From what I remember there was nothing wrong with them other than minor cosmetics. If what I say is true, I think you have a very good shotgun. Thanks...Bill.

Thanks for another piece to the puzzle. Exactly what the "cosmetic" problem originally was is hard to tell, the "case color" is almost worn off the receiver, the stock & forearm have a few character marks, & the barrel bluing is in pretty good shape. The best I can find out so far is that Ithaca made a "flues" (sp?) version of their hammerless double from 1908 (ser# 175000) to 1926 (ser# just shy of 400,000).
Guess I will have to try sage hen hunting this year. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I picked up an older Ithica pump 'couple yrs. ago and wondered same thing -what was yr. of mfg. I contacted Ithica Co. with the serial # and they responded quickly. Was mfg'd in 1947 (same year as my Savage 99). Give them a shout.

ask your question at www.shotgunworld.com in the Ilove my ithaca forum. Walter synder posts and answers questions there along with a gun smith who worked for ithaca for 25 yrs.

177xxx is a 1908 Flues model, the first year they were made. Probably a light gun, the early ones were, but there have been instances of the frame cracking at the junction of the watertable and standing breech when fired with modern ammo.

Check the gun at this spot to make sure there's no evidence of a crack. The gun should be chambered for 2.5" shells. Use low pressure loads and you should be OK assuming a qualified gunsmith checks it out.

As I said, early guns were light in weight so the handle well and carry well, you just need to feed them the right stuff. I have a Flues 20ga. that weighs 5-10 w/ 28" tubes, very nice beater.