Greetings All!

A little question for all you PAFOA folks....

I inherited an Ithaca double barreled shotgun from my grandfather. It is a side by side, damascus steel barreled, engraved model - serial #27184, which puts it's manufacture date at 1895. He took great care with the working order of his firearms, though not necessarily their cosmetics. That is to say the bores are like mirrors, but the wood is quite darkened, there are a few scratches in the stock otherwise OK.

Value is fairly irrelevant, I've never been offered more than it is worth -sentimentally- to me. The big question is: can this shotgun be used? Do they make low pressure or black powder shells for these old beauties? Or should I just live with this gun as nothing more than a period piece or mantel garnish?

I am very aware that using a modern shell would quite possibly blow the damascus, wrapped barrel into millions of slivers of shrapnel and would NEVER attempt such a thing.

Tom