doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Ithaca NID "star model" 20 gauge?

Anybody know much about these? Good, bad, indifferent? Chamber length?

Local auction has one of these coming up. Simply described as "20 gauge Ithaca double barrel," but judging from the pictures, it looks like an NID with those asterisk-looking engravings that seem to date it 1929 - 1934. Can't tell from the pictures if it's been restored or not, but it looks pretty clean. Double triggers. Probably too much drop, but you never know...

PS. Besides that, it looks to be a plain field grade. I should’ve said that.

Early on the NID Field Grade didn't have the stars --



Sometime during 1927, the boys & girls in the factory began putting the stars on the Field Grade NID, but the folks in the office didn't add the stars to the catalog pictures until 1929.



In 1935, Ithaca dropped the cocking indicators, reprofiled the stocks and changed to the zig-zag border engraving.



Some of the post-WW-II Field Grades didn't get engraved at all --



NID 20-gauges were made for 2 3/4-inch shells from the get-go, but they only marked chamber lengths on the very late guns.

Thank you for the detailed post, Researcher. It seems these have a reputation of being well-made for a basic field grade double—would you agree?

What Dewey said:

https://vicknairgunsmithing.blogspot.com/2016/01/an-unbiased-look-at-design-of-american.html

I’d add the Nitro Special and Ithaca Long Range doubles enjoy a reputation for durability as well.

Best,
Ted

I have a 1939 20 ga. field with ejectors it has been a good no issues gun.

They are solid well made guns. Tad heavy but with few issues. I owned a couple NIDs over the years.

Thanks everybody. I appreciate the insight.