Ithaca xl900 12ga
- Thread starter JTucker
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the spank
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The way I read all these comments about how durable and long lasting they are tells me that those guns are seeing more closet time or carry time by owners who put a box or two of ammo a year through them. Add it up, even at two boxes per year shooting ducks which is probably a high average for the average guy that hunts(not the avid waterfowler) it is going to take 25 years to put 1500 rds through one and after that amount of time that person who hasn’t kept track of actual numbers of rounds thinks he’s put thousands of rounds down the pipe as in the fellow who suggested he had over a million through his XL900 in his lifetime. I’ve shot trap with many people that shot upwards of 10,000 registered targets per year(practice not included) and at that rate it would take them 100 years to reach 1,000,000 targets. Few if any of us on here will have shot 1,000,000 rounds in our lives and especially through an XL 900. I had a hunting partner with one, his was bought a few years before mine and died out about 3 years after mine. He put about a two flats a year of heavy duck loads through it. It didn’t make 10 seasons before it was replaced. It was so worn internally he could not keep it running reliably. They were very lightly bullt with a lot of lightweight cast and alloy parts. They were truly made for the weekender who shoots under 50 rounds a season. As a footnote as much as I am not a big Remington fan my buddy replaced his around the mid 80’s with an 870 Wingmaster with Rem Choke barrel and it’s still going strong 30+ years and thousands of heavy waterfowl loads later.
madtrapper143
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A million cartridges based on 8.00 per 25 (.32 cents each) equals 320,000 dollars. Now even with old prices and current prices this seems to be an accurate cost estimate. I think I did the math right. Not many duck hunters have spent that much money despite best claims they have shot 1 million rounds. Target shooters are a different matter. I wish I could have shot a million cartridges in my time, man that would have been a great skill builder with a shotgun. There must be a few who have shot that many. Anyone her? Spank? 3 Macs?
Darryl
Darryl
Spank maybe
When there was three guys shooting here I would say total yes combined the house may have been close or hit it over all the years but not with one gun or one shooter. Have a few guns with over 100K through them however like both super x1 ( skeet and trap) and my tc870 to name a couple, 1100 12ga skeet would be there also but some two shooters
The heaviest years there was 100 bags of shot and 6 -8 of the 12 pounders of 700x being bought a year which is a lot of 12ga rounds
So 100bags x25pounds x16 oz divided by 1 1/8 is about 35,000 rounds
Nope I am wrong. That only went on for maybe 10 years and then the numbers dropped when the boys moved etc so even with three shooters total no way we hit it
LOL still have a few of those old cans of 700x unopened kicking around
Collector items now Cheers
I forgot about adding in factory ammo and hunting ammo per year but now after my little math and this added still no way would we have hit 1 million or close to it. 1/2 million for sure
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I have never heard anyone boasting a million rounds. The XL900 Field was obviously a light weight model designed for field use. It was not designed as a trap gun but as mentioned there was a trap model listed as a pound heavier. Maybe it was heavier built internally, but I have never even held the trap or skeet model. It also wasn't a true duck gun as the sides were shiny and the 12, 2 3/4 inch had 2 open ports designed for cycling normal loads.
Comparing autos from that era will always end up with some differing opinion. Most of us shot and learned what we had. If a certain shotgun happened to fit us very well it was easy to love. A couple of bad experiences generally from misuse or poor maintenance and a gun was just as easily hated. This was especially true if we shot it poorly.
Coincidentally I have my late father's Browning that he bought in retirement in the 80s. It was fired extremely little but does show some wear. I have replaced the extractor twice although it would have fired less than 2 flats of duck loads. My son shoots an 1187 from that era as well for the last five years or so. It is a yearly ritual replacing a part or two. The extractor and mag shell stop are just poorly made and designed as was that o ring idea. He has an O/U field gun so this is used for duck and goose only, maybe a flat or two a year. Both of these guns would no doubt go many thousands of rounds with regular maintenance as they are steel and weigh 2 pounds more than my XL. In 40 years and literally thousands of rounds through my XL I have only replaced the plunger from the rear spring assembly. It was cracked but still functioning when I had the piece made in a local machine shop for $20. The vast majority of rounds through this gun were heavy field and light magnum duck loads.
Anyway, the OP asked for a fair price of a good condition XL900. What something routinely sells for is the fair price and is market controlled. Basically it is worth what someone will pay for it. For example, I wouldn't pay $1000 for a Citori or BSS unless it was to flip. I don't like the weight, fit, feel or balance. That in no way changes their value or fair price.
Comparing autos from that era will always end up with some differing opinion. Most of us shot and learned what we had. If a certain shotgun happened to fit us very well it was easy to love. A couple of bad experiences generally from misuse or poor maintenance and a gun was just as easily hated. This was especially true if we shot it poorly.
Coincidentally I have my late father's Browning that he bought in retirement in the 80s. It was fired extremely little but does show some wear. I have replaced the extractor twice although it would have fired less than 2 flats of duck loads. My son shoots an 1187 from that era as well for the last five years or so. It is a yearly ritual replacing a part or two. The extractor and mag shell stop are just poorly made and designed as was that o ring idea. He has an O/U field gun so this is used for duck and goose only, maybe a flat or two a year. Both of these guns would no doubt go many thousands of rounds with regular maintenance as they are steel and weigh 2 pounds more than my XL. In 40 years and literally thousands of rounds through my XL I have only replaced the plunger from the rear spring assembly. It was cracked but still functioning when I had the piece made in a local machine shop for $20. The vast majority of rounds through this gun were heavy field and light magnum duck loads.
Anyway, the OP asked for a fair price of a good condition XL900. What something routinely sells for is the fair price and is market controlled. Basically it is worth what someone will pay for it. For example, I wouldn't pay $1000 for a Citori or BSS unless it was to flip. I don't like the weight, fit, feel or balance. That in no way changes their value or fair price.
madtrapper143
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Steep Rock Lake NWO
It is probably more accurate to say there are more guns that have shot a million rounds than shooters who have shot a million rounds. Thinking of vintage Winchester models 12 Trap guns that have seen 3 to 4 owners over their life span. I have read that Model 12s can go a million rounds before any major work is required. Light target loads single loaded vs. heavy duck loads pumped through the guns excepted.
Darryl
Darryl
the spank
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
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- Planet Earth Wearing My Tinfoil Hat
I have nowhere near a million rounds fired. My best guess is 100,000+ on the trap field of which a little under 25% are registered targets. Maybe another 35-40,000 at skeet, a couple thousand sporting clays/5-stand and maybe another 25,000 at hunting waterfowl and upland? Of the guns I have owned many had more rounds through them than I put through them but my 101 is the one gun I own that has seen the most rounds by me personally and if I had to take a conservative stab at it I’d say its seen about 50,000 rounds probably 1/3 of which were heavy field loads and the remainder target loads on the clays ranges. Of the auto’s I’ve owned the 1100 Tournament trap saw the most action. It already had by the previous owners estimate 80,000 down the pipe when I acquired it from him and I probably put 20,000 through it by the time I sold it four years later. I am guessing it’s still out there somewhere? Seems to take alot to kill an 1100, mostly neglect. They all have their place but there is a reason those that have stood the test of time are still out there, some even being produced yet today. As for a value on the XL900 in question? In top shape I wouldn’t spend more than $250 but thats my opionion not necessarily a true value, only what I’d be willing to spend if I actually wanted one.
Oh for dawgs sake, It's a figure of speech like my old 63 valiant slant 6 I put a million miles on one summer and never changed the oil. An exaggeration. Nobody could possibly believe those numbers. NOBODY
Only sharing what you posted and no where did you state it was a figure of speech until now
Does't matter there are others out there saying the same. Just yours came up first on a search and sadly yes some here would believe it
Kind of reminded me of this
Remington Model 870
Think of it as a Winchester Model 12 that is easy to manufacture. The Model 870 made its debut in 1950 as one of the first of Remington's "new generation" of guns that did away with the complex machining of the past. And it may be sacrilege to say so, but the plebian 870 is probably as good a gun as the aristocratic Model 12. It pumps just as fast, points as well, is just as reliable, and is unbelievably long-lived. The late shotgunning great Rudy Etchen put 4 million rounds through his 870 with just some minor parts replacement to keep it going. The 870 is still with us, made in every configuration known to man, and it will probably be around for many years more.
Cheers
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I bought an Ithaca XL900 about 10 years ago.
It came with 3 separate barrels and in half decent shape overall.
From target loads to slugs, it has cycled everything flawlessly.
I am not an avid shooter and have other guns to carry for hunting as well, but this gun is something that I will keep for as long as possible!
Just my 2 cents.
It came with 3 separate barrels and in half decent shape overall.
From target loads to slugs, it has cycled everything flawlessly.
I am not an avid shooter and have other guns to carry for hunting as well, but this gun is something that I will keep for as long as possible!
Just my 2 cents.
