I stumbled on a nice Ithaca flues
 

I was looking at a local shop and found a nice little 16 gauge Ithaca Flues. Grade 2 made in 1913, with a trap stock. The original rubber butt pad was crumbling so I changed it. It has an ivory front bead on the Krupp Fluid Steel 26" barrels. It appears to have the chambers lengthened to 2 3/4" as I have a brass 16 gauge 2 3/4" shell that slides in freely. Bores are nice and bright. Lockup is tight, too. I was wondering if I could fire low pressure shells in it that I load myself to 8000 to 8500 psi.

Nice gun! Ithaca used some very nice wood on its guns. What makes you say it has a trap stock? Just curious.

I'd sure get the barrel wall thickness checked. If you suspect the chambers lengthened, that would take metal away from points where pressures are the greatest. Always good to be careful. Those guns are among the lightest 16s made in America, and I'd treat it to very light loads (which take birds just fine).

Congratulations on your nice gun.

16ga 2 3/4 will still slide into a 2 9/16 chamber no problem.

Only way to know for sure, is to measure the chambers with correct tool.

2 3/4" is length of hull once fired if I am not mistaken..... So it's a matter of how much material that will constrict chamber and increase pressure...

As Gary said, I would definitely look into getting bores measured, etc.... RST 2.5's or similar is all I would shoot out of it no matter what anyway.

If the barrels looked good, Id shoot standard 1 oz loads thru it (1200fps or less), or light/low pressure reloads. No expert on Ithacas, but I always heard the frame was the weak point on Flues--still I wouldnt be too concerned with those loads

You may be saying that the Monte Carlo stock is a "Trap" stock. But it is a true Monte Carlo stock.





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No one can tell you over the internet what ammunition may or may not be suitable in a given gun.

It needs to be evaluated by a qualified smith with the proper tools for measuring barrel wall thickness, chambers, forcing cones, bores and chokes.

Ithaca Gun Co. was advertising some very light 16-gauges in 1913 --

Attachment 117223

In my opinion one wants to be pretty careful feeding these 110-year-old Flues Models with their reputation of cracked frames and thin barrels.

Attachment 117224

I'm sorry, your right about it being a monte carlo stock not a trap stock. My mistake! The brass 2 3/4 shell does give like a plastic one so I was thinking it would give a better indication (not chambering completely) than a plastic one. But a gunsmith will be required to check it. The low pressure (7900 to 8500 psi) shells would be the only ones I would want to try for sure!

A 1912 or so Flues 16 Gauge has been my primary upland gun for years. It was my Dads bird gun which he purchased used in the early 1930's for $25. It has 26" cyl/f barrels and weighs 5lb 13 oz. I only shoot 2.5" low pressure RST's and have never had an issue.

I have quitr a few Ithacas with examples of both models. In my opinion the NID models rank as maybe the best designed, strongest and longest lived doubles produced in the US. When I shoot an Ithaca it is generally a NID model. The Flues and older models are beautiful guns, well made and a delight to handle but are generally not particularly robust guns. I own mostly higher grades in the older guns and don't shoot them a lot due to respect for their value and vintage. The NID's are generally capable (condition dictating) of modern loads. However, I still restrict all of them to light loads for the simple fact that I see no real reason for anything else.

RST factories if available are great. So were Polywads' offerings. For a 16,check out the 16 Gauge Societies spreadsheet of reduced loads for that gauge. It is perhaps the world's single largest source of low pressure 16 ga loads. I have never found it necessary to shoot a load over 6000 psi in a 16 gauge. I am even happier at 5000-5500.

Update...chambers are measured at 2 3/4". The load was found in the Hercules 1992 powder/load catalog. Gotta love those old booklets that were published by the powder companies. Fiocchi hull, 19.5 grs of Unique, PG16 wad, 1 oz of lead 7.5's. 7900 lup, 1150 fps. This is the lowest pressure load I could find.