Problem- It appears that when I work the action, the shell stop is not depressing enough to allow a round to go from the magazine to the chamber. When I open the action, a round is supposed to exit the magazine, and rest on the lifet, and then into the chamber when it is closed. When I open the action, the round stays in the magazine. I can use my finger to depress the shell stop, so that the round exits the mag and rest on the lifter-so something is not depressing the lifter enough to get the round to exit the magazine.
I am thinking the shell stop might need replacing, or the shell stop spring. But now I am thinking maybe the part of the slide that engaeges the shell stop might be worn.
Anyone hever have this problem-anyone know the solution???
Thanks for any help.

Hello the camfire:
Look on the sides of the shell opening on the bottom of the receiver. On each side is a SMALL screw. If these get lose, you will experence the problems that you hae disribed.
Judge Sharpe

Thanks Judge Sharpe- The screw( a pin actually) is fine. The newer Ithacas use a pin for the shell stop, instead of a screw-either way, that does not appear to be the problem.

I must plead that I have lots of old guns. My Ithaca was made in the forties I think. I have had it since '53. I sometimes forget that we have new and improved models now. (why buy a new gun if the old one works better anyway) Good luck
Judge Sharpe

Cowboy,

Pull the magazine spring and follower, turn the weapon upside down and pull the slide all the way to the rear. Now move the slide slowly forward and backward about a half an inch back and forth and watch to see if the action bar cam is moving the shell stop in and out laterally. You will be able to see the spot on the bar that makes contact with the shell stop and perhaps that is where the problem is.

Rick0311- Thanks for the info. I assume I have to take the trigger out in order to see what you are refering to? The gun is right now assembled, I took it apart last night and put it back together again. Ill take the trigger off tonight and give it a try.
Note: I justt tried working the action, loaded with dummy rounds. Its working "sometimes", if that means anything.
The gun worked fine until this weekend. I had been shooting it regularly for the past month, using turkey loads, everything worked fine. Of course yesterday, the opening day of turkey season, it didnt. I didnt even realize there was a problem til I got out of the woods, and unloaded my gun-turns out there wasnt a round in the chamber. Nothing happend when I pumped the gun trying to empty the mag.
Boy Im glad I didnt have a shot at a bird yesterday. Could just imagine pulling the trigger, nothing happens, bird runs away, I look into the gun to see it aint loaded-the chamber anyways.

Cowboy,

You should be able to see that interaction between the shell stop and the action bar by just looking into the ejection port on the bottom of the receiver.

The shell stops only operate within the last half inch or so of rearward movement of the slide.

There might just be a bunch of gunk under the shell stop or on the action bar that prevents the shell stop from snapping back out of the way of the incoming round when the slide comes back. Try blasting in some aerosol cleaning solvent in that area and see if anything pops out.

Rick and Judge Sharpe- Thanks very much for your help.
JudgeSharpe- I think you were correct about the problem-the pin/screw.
I did as Rick suggested, checked to see where the slide was meeting the stop-it was depressing the shell stop, but not enough. I was thinking about filing the stop a tad, but checked the pin, pushed on it a little and noticed it moved ever so slightly. Put thetrigger back on, put the gun together, test fired twenty dummy rounds, didnt fail once.
I am not sure why it got out of place. Like I said I had been shooting up to a week ago and it was fine. The trigger housing is what holds the pin in place, and I dont see how the pin could have moved.
Anyway, thanks for all your help.

Cowboy,

Try putting a little tiny drop of locite on that pin to make sure it doesn’t pop out on you again.

By the way, the shell stop isn’t “depressed†by the action bar. The bar holds the spring out and it snaps back in out of the way when the slide reaches a certain point in its reward travel.

Cowboy:
I found out about the screw/ pin years ago on a Dove shoot It just works loose. If you check it once a year, it shold not gie you a problem.
Good Luck.
Rick: How is you boy? I hope that he is keeping safe. You and he have my prayers.
Judge Sharpe

quote:

Originally posted by JudgeSharpe:
Cowboy:
I found out about the screw/ pin years ago on a Dove shoot It just works loose. If you check it once a year, it shold not gie you a problem.
Good Luck.
Rick: How is you boy? I hope that he is keeping safe. You and he have my prayers.
Judge Sharpe

Judge,

Thank you so much for asking! He is doing as well as can be expected...I just spoke to him awhile ago on the phone and he and his guys seemed in real good spirits.

He has become really good friends with one of his Iraqi interpreters who is also an artist. The guy painted a beautiful portrait of my son to send to his mom for mothers day.

I will pass along your kind words, thoughts and prayers...it means more to the guys than you will ever know, and they frequently ask how people at home are viewing them...Thank you!