your views on the Ithaca Model 51 20ga

danlittle

What are the pros & cons on this 20ga shotgun.
I bought one on GB the other day & was wondering about what to look for as downfalls with this model.
Thank for your time
Dan

gumbydamnit

One downfall is, if you don't keep it really clean it has a tendency not to cycle the shells. Another is if something breaks it is a b*%^$ to get parts. A buddy of mine has a 20ga and 12ga which the 12 use to be mine and we both had problems unless it was kept very cleaned, but they shoot very well.....

duckhunter

When you are ready to sell let me know.

makindu

Their big brother, the Ithaca Model 51 12 gauges had a tendency to break their dual-action bar gas-operated slide assemblies due to improper tempering of that part during the manufacturing process. Not sure if it was a systematic problem within the 20 gauge line-up as well, though?? The 12's were notorious for having above mentioned part fail. And now they are impossible to find, even at Numrich. If you do find that spare part, expect to pay well in excess of $125 or more, and realize that it, too, could fail at any time. The Model 51 originally came with a LIFETIME GUARANTEE... some guarantee that was!!
Best of luck. They were a fun gun to shoot, though, had nice balance, and pointed quickly. Too bad Ithaca cut corners during the manufacturing process. That was one simple design, with a minimum of parts. They wanted part of the Remington 1100 auto-loader pie. Personally, I think you would be much better served with a 20ga 1100. They don't break, period. You might wear out a part after 20 years of shooting, but the part won't break prematurely.