Flues 28

[Steiner]

I recently aquired what I believe to be a grade 1 flues 28 gauge. Lovely little gun. Barrels appear recently reblued (maybe not professionally) I'm looking for clarification on the markings or a potential reference site. #369437 on the appropriate places I think. Also an 8 and S stamped on barrel lugs, an L near the serial number, 4 on each flat, L above 28 on water table and same way on forend metal with serial number. ( If I wasn't incompetent I'd add the pics I took)

[Reggie B]

4= full choke. So factory chokes were full and full.

[Researcher]

I suspect what you are calling L is actually a 1. The way they were struck I can see that they do look like Ls.

I saved pictures of the gun when it was being offered.

369437 01 No. 1, 28-gauge.jpg

369437 02.jpg

[Steiner]

This group is a unbelievable source of information. Those pics are before the reblue. I’d rather have it that way.

[Larry the Gun Guy]

It does appear to be a grade 1 Flues model (1908-1926) produced in 1920; 315400-343335. Page 352 shows boring for guns and says that before September of 1931 28 gauges were 2-1/2" and after they were 2-3/4". The S may indicate Special which could include special stock length, special stock drop or special boring. This was an additional $7.75 option available.

[Steiner]

Thanks. 369,000 + so 1923 I think.

[Researcher]

The "standard" 28-gauge shell was a 2 1/2-inch shell with a load of 1 3/4 drams of bulk smokeless powder or 14 grains of dense smokeless powder such as Infallible or Ballistite pushing 5/8 ounce of shot. A slightly hotter load of 2 drams of bulk smokeless powder or 16 grains of dense smokeless powder pushing the same 5/8 ounce of shot was put up in a 2 7/8-inch shell.

28-gauge Bulk Smokeless Powder Loads 1915-16.jpeg

28-gauge Dense Smokeless Powder Loads 1915-16 Infallible or Ballistite.jpg

NITRO CLUB 28-ga 1 3-4 dram, 5-8 ounce.jpg

NITRO CLUB 28-Gauge 2 7-8 inch #7 1-2.jpg

In his 1910 book, Chas. Askins writes of hand loading 2 1/8 drams of bulk smokeless powder and 3/4 ounce of shot in the 2 7/8-inch hull for his 6 3/4 pound, 30-inch barrels, Parker Bros. 28-gauge. My 1915 vintage Ithaca Flues No. 1 Special 28-gauge with 30-inch barrels has 2 7/8-inch chambers. Whether it left Ithaca with them or was lengthened later who knows.

Our North American ammunition companies finally got around to applying progressive burning smokeless powder to the 28-gauge in 1931/2 when the 3/4-ounce high velocity loads came out put up in the 2 7/8-inch case.

Super-X 28-gauge #6.jpg

HIGH VELOCITY 28-gauge #6.jpg

NITRO EXPRESS 28-gauge #7 1-2.jpg

The only Flues era Ithaca Gun Co. catalog I have that gives chamber lengths is the last one in 1925, and it states 2 1/2-inch for the 28-gauge. With the introduction of the NID in 1926, Ithaca added the .410-bore to the offerings and dropped the 28-gauge though they did continue to make some. The 28-gauge returned to the Ithaca Gun Co. catalogs in the first 1932 catalog. From the April 1932 issue of Field & Stream --

NID 28-ga Field & Stream April 1932.jpg

Just before we got into WW-II, our ammunition companies began offering 28-gauge 3/4-ounce Skeet Loads put up in a 2 3/4-inch shell.

Xpert 28-gauge, SKEET LOAD, 2 3-4 inch, 3, Aug 2019.jpg

The regular 28-gaauge Skeet Load had been the "standard" 2 1/2-inch load --

Xpert 28-gauge, Skeet Red Dot load.jpg

By 1950 our North American ammunition companies standardized the 28-gauge in a 2 3/4-inch shell.

[Steiner]

Thanks for the great info. I had assumed 2.5 inch chambers but was looking for confirmation. I may have them lengthened for convenience. 2.5 inch 28's are scarce right now to say the least.

[Researcher]

I don't have a 1923 Ithaca catalog, but listings were pretty similar from the time the No. 1 and No. 1 1/2 were combined late 1919/1920.

No. 1, 1919-1920 Pocket Catalog.jpeg

1924 Ithaca catalog --

1924 Catalog, No. 1.jpeg

In the 1925 Ithaca catalog they also offer the option of a selective single trigger as well as --

1925 Catalog No. 1.jpg