doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Ithaca sxs sweet 16

Larry,
No sense promoting something you can't get, here, anymore. I think, from conversations with Geoffroy, and a few other natives, that horse has left the barn.


John Amber was a huge fan, as was Roger Barlow. I think Don Zutz would have been a bigger fan if he could have found one that fit (he loved my first 20 gauge, a 29" barreled, straight stocked gun with a long LOP) but, he was sort of an "off the shelf" guy when it came to guns, from what I can remember. If he had any custom hunting guns, he didn't say anything about them, that I can remember.
I only met him, once. I think he had a BT-99 along that day, but, I'm not positive. We talked after shooting.

I will ask Steve about that, but, it seems like urban legend, to me. Bodio's father flew pigeons, and Steve was interested in all birds, and birds of prey, from a very early age. "Aloft" came out in the early 1980s, it would seem to me he was well involved in Falconry prior to the Boyce story becoming well known.

Best,
Ted

Larry,
Scratch that-"A Rage for Falcons" was the book that came out in the early 1980s, not "Aloft".
I'll still make a note to ask him.

Best,
Ted

So I had a chance to work on her a little... got her cleaned up and put together:




Once I had her together, I put her up for sale, and found a buyer for $200. Got my money back and a few...

But since it was my only double gun, and since I don't want to have to retire from this lovely forum, I feel obligated to replace her... hence my next question!

I found one (quite randomly... there are very few ithaca sxs down here that I've seen) that looks to be right about the same model and is 16! Had the same birddog engraving on the side, same forearm. But this one seems newer, if only because the blueing is nearly perfect. Looks like 90-95% gun, which amazed me given its age (I'll have to check serial # next time I'm there). It didn't have much/any filigree work that I noticed, but it DID have gold triggers. Could this be a 'field grade' or 'A grade' or some other such sub-model? Anyways... they are asking $700. I don't exactly HAVE $700... but I am wondering what something like this (assuming a particular 'grade' of lefever) might be worth... particularly to a cheapie like me who pretty much only buys firearms at a discount!

Your insights are appreciated!

If you're set on a Nitro Special then I would keep looking.
There is lots of them out there for less. That amount would get you a good field grade LC Smith, NID, Fox or others.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=518032141

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=517904107

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=517768051

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=518957589

As introduced --





Some time between 1927 and 1931 they went to the capped full pistol grip for the Nitro Special --



as on Ted's gun.

By 1940 the Lefever catalogues were showing the new style frame profile --



which appears to me that Ithaca began using up frame forgings that had originally been intended for the short-lived A-Grade.

Wish I could find one for that advertised price!

So if this gold-triggered, 95% ithaca sxs isn't worth 700... would 500 be a reasonable offer? This shop has been known to work with me on such things... and it is a 16 too...

Ed,
It is really hard to tell much about the gun you are looking at, from your discription. It could be a few things, including a refinished Nitro.

Pictures will help, dramatically.

Good luck, anyway, and good work getting out of the first gun.

Best,
Ted

So I checked her out again today and decided to go for it. It is a 1929 nitro special and the blueing is superb. Really in excellent shape and locks up tight. Not an 'A' grade, but did have the gold triggers... and I do like that it is a 16. Here are some pics...













What is better is that though the tag said $700 (which I wasn't willing to pay), I asked the owner if he could give me a deal on it, and he told me that, since it had been sitting on the shelf for a while, he'd let me have it for $500 out the door! I think I did alright on this one!

Good morning fasteddy, you were correct in not paying full price. As far as any collector's value goes it's been inappropriately tarted up with a "funeral gun" hot blued finish and gold plated triggers. I only hope that the barrels weren't hot blued or you might have future rib separation issues.

I had a .410 NS that was given the same treatment (except thankfully they left the barrels alone). I bought a small bottle of Testors gold paint at Hobby Lobby and filled in the engraving so that it looked like gold inlay and it didn't look bad.

Steve

I wondered about the barrel blueing also. Does anyone know if the Nitros had brazed barrels? I'm guessing a hot blue wouldn't be an issue if the barrels were brazed.

Steve, 'Po folk got 'Po ways-when I was just a kid, a friend and I did the same thing to his Remington 1100, with gold Testors model airplane paint. We thought it was spiffy.
A lot of things that were spiffy when I was 15 don't seem that way anymore!

Best,
Ted