Ithaca Model 49

I think it’s a “sign of age” thing.  At some point in your life you remember the better parts of youth and get maudlin about them more than you should.  My first gun was an Ithaca Model 49.  Frankly it wasn’t much of a gun.  I have very fond memories of it though.  Up to a point.

Introduced in 1961, about 31,000 were sold the first year.  At just under $20 it was perfect for the market as it resembled a Winchester but wasn’t more than a kid could handle.  In spite of the “tubular magazine” the gun did not have a magazine - it’s a single shot.  Today we call it a “Martini Action” but I’ll regress that a bit as Martini was in violation of Peabody’s patent; so Peabody-Martini.  From 1961 to 1978 roughly 500,000 are said to have been made.  Dating them is difficult but can be done within reason.  This is a very early gun.  Made prior to mid-1962 anyway.  Which, given my age, means this isn’t the gun I had when I was a kid.  No, it’s not.  Just the same model.

Another sign of age.  Today I think that the rifle being single shot was a good thing.  The lever is worked down, a single round hand-fed into the chamber, the lever raised.  Then the hammer must be pulled back - it’s not an automatic action.

Cocked and ready to go. 

Given the hand-feeding it’ll take short, long, and long rifle.  When I had one as I kid I did in fact shoot all three of those flavors.  Mainly long rifle though.

I wasn’t enthused by it being a single shot.  Today I understand it probably helped with my marksmanship greatly.  All of that work to fire one round meant I made it count.  At the time I wanted to riddle the target.  This rifle, being an early one, has the front sight embedded in the barrel band.  Probably a good thing as the later ones were dove-tailed.  Poorly.  I know it was poorly done as mine fell out.  My father had a “gun smith” replace it (at my cost).  The “gun smith” did a miserable job.  Up until the time that blade fell out I really liked the gun.  After the new sight was installed, poorly, I couldn’t hit anything.  I lost interest in the gun and sold it to my brother.  I purchased a Marlin repeater.  That wasn’t much of a gun.  I eventually sold it.

In retrospect the Model 49 was a perfect starter gun.  Outside of the 1970s build quality ones anyway.  This one is better assembled than the one I had.  Mine was new but I remember the 1970s quality all to well.  Ithaca made a Model 49 repeater (a disaster) and accessories for the model 49 - scabbards in either tan or black.  I didn’t have a scabbard.  Which was fine as I didn’t have a horse.

The only feature they missed was the saddle ring.