Flues Ejector

[ArtS]

I have had a problem running me crazy for several weeks. I bought a 16 gauge Flues, very nice gun, that had a cocking hook problem (I thought). Hard to find but I found one. I had tried 12 gauge and it didn't fit right. I actually bought a second one (Grade 4) this past week that I knew had some work to do but nice and really priced very well. It was listed as having a broken ejector. Turned out it was the extractor part of the system and it wasn't broken, just the shell plate lose on the shaft. I kept comparing the Ithacas I own and ended up tearing down several of them to compare. I compared three 12 gauge and two 16 gauge guns in grades 3 and 4, all with ejectors. I finally realized that there is a totally different design of the guns between the earlier guns and the later guns. The early guns have extractors/ejectors that have a single hole mounting system under the rib versus two holes under the barrels. The early ejectors have a single semicircular shaft each, the later ones are a round shaft for each with a small guide pin to align it. The forend iron on the early ones is very thin at the back vs the thicker version on the later. The later frames are much narrower than the earlier ones, as are the forends. There is also seems to be a mounting length difference of the pin in the frame because the barrels are very close to interchangeable in the two different types, but won't even start to interchange between the two. The same is true of the forends.

Maybe I haven't paid attention, but I don't remember ever hearing this. There appears to have been a major revision at some point of the entire gun, even though it is the same model. The result is that finding parts that can be fitted is a crapshoot. Ones that interchange close enough to work couldn't be fitted by any means to the same gun of a later date.

I am going to review the book to see if there is a mention, but wondered if anyone could enlighten me. I find the old Flues interesting, with the engraved guns being nice yet pretty affordable, but this makes buying one needing work a little more of a crap shoot.

Thanks.

[James L. Martin]

All I recall is that later flues were beefed up to stop frame cracking, what was done I had no clue. I had a 16ga 30 " one that felt great, just too much drop for me.

[ArtS]

I was aware of that but I thought they just rounded the frame joint and it was a minimum change. This change is dramatic when viewed sid by side, and some of the changes seem counter to that such as reducing parts of the frame itself. The ejector mounting holes change may have improved the barrel block strength, but it isn't apparent that would increase the frame strength.