Ithaca model 49 saddle gun, funny

[tkaction]

My first gun, like a lot of middle agers here, was an Ithaca model 49 saddle gun. Well, I am the lucky 1, as I found 1 for $65 at a gun show here in upstate PA. It seem to work OK but was well worn. I took it to the range and was supprised at how well it shot and then decided maybe I'll
fix the ejector and clean it up a little.
Armed with great info from this site and some diagrams,
I learned that they can be tricky to disaasemble. I went to the study(bathroom) to look the little thing over and noticed that the bolt assembly pin would slide right out of the receiver. I pushed it out and lifted the bolt out and thought to myself, WOW, those guys are nuts, this is the easiest takedown I have ever had. Here is the list of parts inside: bolt , firing pin ah.... ah... ejector rod ah....
Thats it 3 parts! Jeezes that was easy. Mine must be a special model because the parts list says the regular guns should have a dozen parts or more. Boy am I lucky to have found this!
All jokes aside I am leaving the bolt locking spring and rod out of the reassemby as it is much easier to clean just by removing the bolt and ,obviously, it does not effect performance.
Vote on Tuesday,
Tim

 

[ImARugerFan]

Ok, so I was looking at these guns on gunbroker, and they piqued my interest... but am I correct in that they are a single shot rifle with a faux magazine tube stuck on there for looks?

 

[ArmedBear]

AFAIK Ithaca made this single shot, as well as a break-action single shot shotgun that looked like a lever gun (I have one of those, the 66 SuperSingle), and a .22 repeating lever gun.

Actually, I think they imported the repeater from Germany, but I'm not sure.

Also AFAIK, the design was sold to the modern Henry Repeating Arms Co. and is still made and sold, with some tweaks, as Henry .22 lever guns.

 

[bonza]

I believe Armed Bear is correct. What was sold here in the U.S.A. as the Ithaca lever action repeater was sold overseas under the German manufacturer's label of Erma-Werke. They also made the .22 version of the M1 Carbine.
To answer the other question, the Ithaca Model 49 is a single shot, very similar operation to a Martini, & the 'magazine tube' under the barrel is just cosmetic.

 

[cracked butt]

The model 49 was my first rifle

 

[Drail]

I have one bought in 1981 and it is the most accurate .22 I have ever shot. Don't know why but I can't miss with that sucker.

 

[journeyman]

I was my first firearm too. I wish I had it back. I had a lot of fun with it.

 

[Shawnee]

I think it was also made in .22 magnum, That would be a fun gun !

 

[tkaction]

The one I got has the walnut stock and forearm and is very accurate. I have since fixed the ejector and now you could hurt someone with the ejected shell. The receiver is a zink alloy, US made, and the falling block(tilt) is well made and steel. I kind of like it.

 

[Birdhunter1]

I've got on in a .22 magnum, it is a nice shooter.

 

[az_imuth]

I picked one of these up a while back that appeared to be unfired. It is an early model with the walnut stock and the square blade rear sight. It is a very fun little rifle and a great piece for teaching younger shooters.

 

[mgregg85]

That sounds a lot like this little single shot .22LR "revolver" that savage made.

I guess its a pretty good imitation of a SAA style revolver. It was called the Savage 101.

 

[Molasses]

and a .22 repeating lever gun.

Actually, I think they imported the repeater from Germany, but I'm not sure.

Actually they did both. The Ermawerke import (I believe they sold that as the Model 72) was a completely different critter than the Model 49R. That thing used the receiver of the single-shot Model 49, pretty much just opened up right down the middle and with some screws and pins stuck in there to provide bearing surfaces and pivot points for the moving parts. Had one for awhile back when I was trying to put together a collection of the different lever action .22s; came as a surprise when I first saw it standing in the dealer's rack and realized the "fake" mag tube on regular Model 49s...wasn't fake on this one.

 

[guernseyrifleman]

M49 Ithaca

While it was not my first gun I was very excited when I first read about the M49 Ithaca, this was I believe 1961. I took the bus (15 cents) from Bayside to Flushing NY and went into Empire Sporting Goods and bought one for it seems $19.25. A 500 round brick of Eley CB caps cost $5 and this being NYC I had to spend another dollar on a soft case. At that time the age limit to buy rifles and shotguns was 16 and there was no paperwork I can remember. Bayside was not completely built up then and if one was discreet he could do a lot of shooting with CB caps and standard velocity shorts which make almost no noise in a rifle.
I got very good with that little Ithaca and probably fired over 5000 rounds through it before I graduated HS and went into the Army.

 

[35 Whelen]

I've owned a M49 since I was abot 5 or 6 years old...that be around 40 years now. Make sure you're intimate with disassembly and reassembly because mine (and I assume all of them) is/are HELL on hammers and to a lesser degree firing pins. I replaced lots of both until I finally realized breakage of both was due to the extremely heavy hammer spring. Ever notice how much force it takes to draw the hammer back? The hammer hits so hard that it eventually inertia (?) will snap the spur of the hammer.
35W

 

[tkaction]

actually my hammer spring is quite easy to cock.

 

[drbobinc57]

Ithaca 49

I picked up one of the early models (49-single s) like the one w/ pics here for free from a "non-gun" person! It had been in his family for years. He "just didn't want any guns in his house!") I love the "rolling block" type action on the gun, and the groove on the top makes sliding in another shell easy w/ gloves, or nearly "hand free."

As mentioned by others, the thing is deadly accurate w/ anything I've tried, particularly w/ short HP's on squirrels and cats (roving, nearly feral tomcats usually) in an urban area where a single shot from something w/ an even moderate report, brings the local cops out "searching" for the "gunman" within minutes.

It is a perfect firearm for urban dwellers who need a "silent" method of "pest" control. Even though they sold for next to nothing back in the early '60's, I would not sell it.
Just my two cent's worth-
thanks
drbobinc57

 

[alsaqr]

I have an early version with the steel receiver. Later models had the Zamac receiver.

 

[az_imuth]

alsaqr-
Are you referring to a steel receiver on the M72, or the M49? I'm not familiar with the M72, but I have never heard of Ithaca using steel receivers on the M49.

Anyone else have information on the steel receivers?

 

[diget]

easy to get the falling block pin out?
wow you are a lucky one i haven't been able to get the thing to budge, that and the fore stock have been killing me. any one got any advise on how to get these thing out and off?