Rescued some family guns! (part 2)

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On a side note can anyone tell me about these proof marks and perhaps the date of manufacture based on the serial number?

Ithaca-3.jpg
 
That sure looks like an ordinance stamp. To echo highorder, why?

ETA: Oh yeah, nice find! Way to save family history.
 
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The Savage 99 in .30-30 caliber is a dandy! I have the 2 my Pop had from years ago, a .300 and a .250, both still very good shooters! Nice shotgun, glad your rescued it!
 
Those ARE WW2 martial markings (i.e., the flaming bomb, the RLB inspector's mark, and the P proof mark). Those marks are exactly like those found on some of the other double barrel shotguns acquired by the Military during WW2 such as the L.C. Smith shotguns.

Does anyone know if Ithaca used the same serial number sequence for their double barrel (Lefever) shotguns, including those made under the Western Arms name, as their repeater shotguns such as the Model 37? The reason I ask is because there is a double barrel shotgun with the same serial number (64677) listed in the Ithaca WW2 shipping records. Could this possibly be nwilliams gun?
 
Well, I actually misread the serial number on your gun. I'm still searching the Ithaca shipping records to see if it was part of the WW2 shipments.

What I can tell you now is that the shipping records do indicate the shipment of Western Arms double barrel shotguns to the Military, and I have found some with serial numbers very close to your shotgun.

With the martial markings, there is no doubt that your shotgun was a Military shotgun.
 
OK, found your gun in the shipping records. It was shipped to Raritan Arsenal on August 7, 1942, and is described as follows: L.R. 12/30".
 
Being a military gun, it has some great history behind it.


Why would the military procure double barrel shotguns? Surely not for combat?
 
Vanguard7, my information comes from the WW2 Ithaca shipping records. I have copies of them. There are hundreds of Ithaca and Western Arms double barrel shotguns in these shipping records, and the serial numbers of many are in the same range as the original poster's shotgun. That, and the fact that the gun is martially marked, confirms it is a WW2 manufactured shotgun, not post War.

Can you tell me where you got your information that it is a 1946 made shotgun?
 
No offense taken, Vanguard7.

I looked at the serials on the Ithaca website, and they apparently used the numbers from Walter Snyder's books. Snyder's info confirms that the subject shotgun was made in 1942. Below is a link to the serials on the Ithaca website. It is in pdf file format. Look under the category for the "Western Arms Model Long Range Double Guns" on page 3 of the pdf file.

Here's the link: http://ithacagun.com/pdfs/serialnumbers.pdf
 
OK this has me very curious now.

I did notice the ordnance stamp and P proof mark but didn't think much of it at the time. Now I'm curious and wish I knew more about the history of this gun.

Is there any reason why the military would be interested in a SxS such as this? It certainly doesn't strike me as the most practical combat weapon.

Thanks for all the info so far!
 
FYI a great number of commercial grade shotguns were purchased by both the Army Air Forces and the Navy. A great number of Remington Model 11's but others as well. It was thought to be a good introduction to developing a feel for leading targets. A fair number found their way into recreational services and some were released to post war sales.
 
Tom D said:
No offense taken, Vanguard7.

I looked at the serials on the Ithaca website, and they apparently used the numbers from Walter Snyder's books. Snyder's info confirms that the subject shotgun was made in 1942. Below is a link to the serials on the Ithaca website. It is in pdf file format. Look under the category for the "Western Arms Model Long Range Double Guns" on page 3 of the pdf file.

Here's the link: http://ithacagun.com/pdfs/serialnumbers.pdf
Click to expand...
ok tom you got me on this one...lol i am 46 years old and i guess my sight is worse that i thought, you are right it is 1942, and yes i cannot read..lol..thanks for your glasses...lol..
Ron
 
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