Mystery Ithaca

[Mark Ray]

Just picked up an unusual Ithaca flues 16 on GB. Straight stock with replacement, uncheckered wood, but with original looking long tang. (Tang same shape as my Ithaca 12 with a straight stock). The engraving looks grade 1, but rhe table is labeled S with 16 under it. Wonder if it might be a skeet model?

28” tubes, fluid....GB #26522880 if you want to see pics.....didnt pay much for it, and im a sucker for any small bore that is shootable...might make a good marsh snipe gun on rainy days!

Let me know if you know what an S grade means!

[Austin J Hawthorne Jr.]

I had a similar Ithaca Flues model years ago, and was told that the "S" indicated " Special " grade which I think is a grade 1 1/2.

[Mark Ray]

Thanks.....might send this gun out to get checkered in the ithaca style, flat i believe, the wood looks okay, and appropriate to grade.

[Patrick Lien]

Ithaca made a #1 and a #1 Special according to the 1915 catalog. The #1 Special was slightly less money than the #1 so I don't know why it was "Special".

PML

[Stephen Hodges]

I have a 1940 Ithaca Grade II NID 12 Gauge two barrel factory set, 26" Skeet/Skeet Barrels and 30" F/F trap barrels with the same "S" Stamped on it. I asked Walt what it meant and he did not know.

[Dave Noreen]

Originally the entry-level Ithaca Gun Co. Flues Model doubles used essentially the same receiver with the roll-stamped dog and company address on the sides for the Field Grade, No. 1, No. 1 Special and the No. 1 1/2. The Field Grade had SMOKELESS POWDER STEEL barrels and a half-pistol grip. The No. 1 had Twist Steel barrels and a capped pistol grip. The No. 1 Special had Cockerill Steel barrels and a capped pistol grip. The No. 1 1/2 had Damascus barrels and a capped pistol grip. At least by 1912 they added a bit of zig-zag border engraving to the No. 1 1/2 frame. In mid-1915 Ithaca introduced the bold floral engraving to the frame of the No. 1 ½ and added the option of Krupp Fluid Steel barrels. From then through the end of 1919 there were changes to these entry-level Ithaca doubles in virtually every Ithaca catalog as they phased out composite iron and steel barrels (Twist & Damascus). Briefly the No. 1 got the zig-zag border engraving with steel barrels and the No. 1 Special disappeared. It culminated in late 1919 with the combination of the No. 1 and No. 1 1/2 as the new No. 1.

Also in this December 1919 catalog the Field Grade got a capped pistol grip. For a number of years we find guns with either the Field Grade configuration or the No. 1 Special configuration with the S stamp on the watertable. Eventually the Field Grades were stamped with an F.

[John Campbell]

Great research!