First sxs

[Brassmonkey]

Western arms by way of ithica, double triggers :grin: auto safety :roll: And 16ga like my mossberg. Won't be running slugs through it though. I've got 80 new primed paper hulls that I scored for 15$ Months ago. Locks tight friend joked saying it's the rust making it seem tight, Rusty and dusty ignored and neglected just the way I like them. Lil oil and rubbing we'll be alright.

https://i.imgur.com/ZSEdJdM.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/d1eJA72.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/d1eJA72.jpg

[6pt-sika]

Hoppes #9 and 000 steel wool will clean it up very nicely and not hurt anything provided you don’t bear down to hard when scrubbing . I usually put a fair amount of Hoppes directly on the wool and scrub and regularly wiping with cloth or paper towel . FWIW I use Hoppes on the wood also but in this case applied with cloth rag or paper towel . After the wood dries well I usually put a couple coats of Minwax or Bowling Alley Wax on the wood and lightly buff it by hand . Good luck !

[missionary5155]

Looks like a good hunting double to me.

[pietro]

.

Nice grab - Western Arms doubles are Ithaca NID sleepers - all the quality/workmanship @ half the cost (then & now).

FYI, all Western Arms were made from 1929-1946, well after the ammo upgrades of 1926 that caused shotgun makers to either upgrade the strength of their guns or dis-continue them.

Ergo, your Western Arms double is safe to fire with modern 2-3/4" ammo - provided that it has no safety issues like having barrel/bore issues, and/or being off-face.

As you presumed, no rifled slugs.

.

[HWooldridge]

Dat gon look like it belong to some ol' Cajun down in de swamps...

Good score.

[sharps4590]

Well, if you like the double, it probably won't be your last. These days they seem to have a love/hate relationship for many. Put me in the love column.

What can I say about the 16? You already have one so you know it's the perfect shotgun gauge. Sad so many don't know that.....:-P

[stubshaft]

I love SXS's and adore the 16 gauge!

[No_1]

16 ga. is my favorite shotgun caliber although I have yet to acquire a SxS or O&U.

[grayscale]

Love my 1935 vintage L.C. Smith 16g . I've hunted ducks with it using Bismuth shot and it outperformed the 12g's loaded with 3.5 inch mag steel. I took it along to Namibia on my Leopard hunt and shot african doves with it, they're bigger than our doves and very tasty. One evening I shot Francolin and guinea fowl and my Ph said all you need now is a rabbit and the cook could bake a pie (like a deep casserole). So I said great, find me a rabbit. He did and the pie tasted a little odd but very good. This may make me the only guy ever to go on african safari to shoot a rabbit.

[6pt-sika]

.

As you presumed, no rifled slugs.

.

I wouldn't rule out slugs . I've cast the Lyman style sabot slugs in sizes for 10 down to 28 gauge and shot them thru full choke SxS barrels . You will however find out one side tends to shoot closer to POA . So far i've killed a number of deer with handloaded buckshot or slugs in various SxS guns . Again generally i'll have a slug in one barrel and buck in the other .

[6pt-sika]

Love my 1935 vintage L.C. Smith 16g . I've hunted ducks with it using Bismuth shot and it outperformed the 12g's loaded with 3.5 inch mag steel. I took it along to Namibia on my Leopard hunt and shot african doves with it, they're bigger than our doves and very tasty. One evening I shot Francolin and guinea fowl and my Ph said all you need now is a rabbit and the cook could bake a pie (like a deep casserole). So I said great, find me a rabbit. He did and the pie tasted a little odd but very good. This may make me the only guy ever to go on african safari to shoot a rabbit.

I've loaded bismuth for the 10-12-16-20 and 28 . And have been pondering loading some for the 8 in possible anticipation of going to the UK and waterfowling with the 8 legally . While I'm an aficianado of all the gauges at the moment im kinda eaten up with the idea of using my little circa 1906 Parker VH 28 on a couple ducks and possibly a goose or two . Have a good friend in MD that has a really nice Parker VHE 28 gauge 30" gun that bolwed over a double on Canada's with it on Marylands Eastern Shore two or three years ago , all be it the two were shot at approx 15 and 20 yards .

[Mk42gunner]

Two barrels, two triggers, and 16 gauge; what's not to like?

Robert

[kaiser]

I'm fan and user of 16ga doubles. I prefer SXS's to over and unders because of how they balance.

[Brassmonkey]

Thanks for the info fellas, ready to throw lead! Points good and seems to fit me.

https://i.imgur.com/x0zJUdJ.jpg

301677

301678

[RKJ]

That cleaned up real nice. I've got a Stevens 311 in 410 but it very seldom gets out. I need to remedy that.

[sharps4590]

Looks good to me!!! As Mk42 said, "what's not to like?"

I have a few 16's, all 2 1/2 in. chambered and all but one either a drilling or combination gun. My one exception is an Ithaca Flues I believe to be from 1913. That is simply a delightful double gun.

[Brassmonkey]

Friend was selling a 16 over 7.92 360r drilling I was in love with, but wasn't meant to be $$$$.

Combination guns are neat.

[2152hq]

The Ithaca 'Western Arms' brand SxS was made with a Malleable Iron frame.
Ithaca's 'Lefever Nitro' Special brand SxS made about the same time was a near identicle copy except for the locking bolt.
The Nitro Special used a Cast Steel frame and was considered a set up from the Western Arms SxS.

Stevens SxS's of the period used the Malleable Iron frames as did some of the other box locks produced at the time.

Good sturdy guns and inexpensive to produce. They were sold in great numbers and continue to be used today.
The Western Arms was sold as only one Model,,'The Long-Range Double' but with a few options.
1929 thru 1946

Here's their Ser# production by yr. (ser# given is last gun produced that year.)

Western Long-Range - (Made by Ithaca Gun Co.) 1929 16-Jan
Western Long-Range - (Made by Ithaca Gun Co.) 1930 24499
Western Long-Range - (Made by Ithaca Gun Co.) 1931 29999
Western Long-Range - (Made by Ithaca Gun Co.) 1932 30399
Western Long-Range - (Made by Ithaca Gun Co.) 1934 30849
Western Long-Range - (Made by Ithaca Gun Co.) 1935 34599
Western Long-Range - (Made by Ithaca Gun Co.) 1936 41699
Western Long-Range - (Made by Ithaca Gun Co.) 1937 47299
Western Long-Range - (Made by Ithaca Gun Co.) 1938 49299
Western Long-Range - (Made by Ithaca Gun Co.) 1939 52899
Western Long-Range - (Made by Ithaca Gun Co.) 1940 59199
Western Long-Range - (Made by Ithaca Gun Co.) 1941 64199
Western Long-Range - (Made by Ithaca Gun Co.) 1942 65099
Western Long-Range - (Made by Ithaca Gun Co.) 1946 65779

[toot]

I think that any and all DBL'S RULE! jmho.

[Paf]

Awhile back I myself picked up a 16 gauge double barrel shotgun. It is a Ithaca Lefever Nitro special. Not many marking on it and I was unsure if it was chambered for 2 3/4" shot shells (perhaps 2152hq could shed some light on this). I was able to buy some 2 1/2 inch hulls from BPI this last fall so I should be set for now.