doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Ithaca Classic Doubles

Much of the conversation over the last couple of years has been about the RBL. It is, without doubt, a great accomplishment...a 100% American made SxS at an affordable price. I have one and it will be going to Canada next week on our annual Ruffed/Sharptail grouse hunt, but as the backup gun.

My favorite gun to hunt with is an Ithaca Classic Doubles 20ga. I shoot this gun better than any other and "The Beater" goes everywhere with me.

It seems strange to me that you never see these guns for sale and they are never mentioned on any of the boards. I have my own collection of them(5)and will not run short in this lifetime. Mine are Krupp (#471xxx) guns and I consider them on a par with any American SxS ever made. They were great guns at an affordable price. Yet, they are never mentioned...interesting.

Tom,
I once asked the board about the general lack of buzz on original Ithaca NID's, and Mr. Researcher had a very interesting comment that may apply to the ICDs even more - he said there wasn't enough NIDs made to create a collector community.

I had to mull on that for a while.

There were more NID's made than Model 21's. We all know that there is more than a casual interest in them.

This is a valid point when discussing ICD's, though. Production was less than 500 guns and most of those were 4E's. The brakedown is roughly half Italian and half VGM guns.

I own a beautifully engraved 20 gauge NID. I am thinking that , as these guns are so fine and such great shooters, that the owners do not have to advertise them for sale. It only takes the rumor that one is for sale to do the deed privately.
I realize that this is a tad hyperbole but not so far from truth.
Best,
John

John, I think what you are saying is probably correct. My friend and hunting/shooting partner decided to sell his 28ga. 4E ST ICD that I found for him. Of course, I told him he was crazy, but, he went forward in spite of this. It's amazing how even experienced wing and clay shooters somehow think they can take a 5.5lb game gun and expect the same results as they get with 8lb target guns without working at it. When this doesn't happen, it's the guns fault, or it doesn't fit me.

Anyway, he traded the gun for more than what he paid for it and got another 8lb target gun. The ICD didn't last a week and, I'm sure, the dealer made a nice profit to boot.

John, Not far at all.

I am not familiar with them. Are they different from the NID?

From 1999 until March, 2003, Ithaca Classic Doubles built Ithaca NID shotguns under a licensing agreement with Ithaca Gun, LLC.

The early guns (#470xxx) were assembled in Victor, NY using Italian parts. The later guns(#471xxx) were made with Krupp barrels, VGM receivers, and some US parts. These later guns had some design modifications and, therefore, the parts for the two designs should not be considered interchangeable. The barrels are definitely not the same and will not fit the others receiver.

As a general rule, the later the production, the better the gun. The Italian guns were nice, but, I much prefer the Krupp/VGM version. The are lighter for one thing and, I think, the quality was substantially better.

Thanks Tom. I guess I missed any earlier discussions on the board about them.

I found a number of them for sale at gunshops when I Googled the name. The used ones I quickly looked at were expensive and all seemed to be grade four and five.

I so fondly remember a small gauge high grade that was at Kittery Trading Post for a time. It was a beautiful gun and priced at around $7000 as I remember. A lovely and not possible gun for my pockets. It did sell though.
My gun is not a modern product but an older NID. I have no fear that the action cannot take a modern load and even though not a spectacularly checkered gun is a custom engraved one that is outstanding. Makes me smile when ever I take it out and fondle.
It is sort of like a child that I treasure. Much emotion involved with this gun.
Best,
John