Hello all, nice place you folks have here! I've been reading here for quite awhile but thought I should join as my interest in shotgunning has increased lately.

Last week I was fortunate to find a good deal ($350) on an Ithaca Fleus 1-1/2, 1915 vintage. It's a 12 gauge, the muzzles miked 0.700" and 0.714", bores are bright and smooth and the chamber depth is 3". The receiver is white and the barrel set is devoid of 99% of it's bluing. Mechanically the gun is sound, it locks up tight and even when open there is absolutely no "play" in the action pivot. I had my gunsmith strip it and clean it and he pronounced it good to go, but said not to use anything more than 2-1/2 or 2-3/4 dram equivalent loads in it. The barrel set is stamped "Krupp Liquid Steel" on the top at the breech end, so no worries about Damascus steel.

OK! I'm ready to take it turkey hunting when the season opens on the 15th but after thet it's deer season until Xmas, so this gun won't see any action after it slays Thanksgiving dinner. I'd like to grt the barrels re-blued this winter, I just need to know which process to look for so the barrels don't become un-soldered. (NO, I'm not going to do the work myself, there are several good 'smiths in the area.) Your advice is appreciated.

Have them rust blued.

Why not leave as-is? You can always buy a new gun if you want the new look.

Well, since I plan to use this gun primarily for hunting I was thinking that bluing would offer some protection to the steel. Yes? No?

Good question. I’ve gotten rain on guns with very little original blue left with no rusting but I’m OCD when it comes to gun maintenance. I might have just been lucky.

I'd reblue them because I don't like the look of tired guns.

Same here. Have them rust blued.

I think you have to have them slow rust blued. Hot dip blueing may overheat the solder used to assemble the bbls leaving you with nothing useful.