doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Ithaca doubles. The last great frontier?

I wouldn't own a LC Smith if someone gave it to me. Talk about a whacked design. The only gun I know of that most good stockmakers and some gunsmiths wont touch. Call Abe Chaber and ask him what he thinks of Smiths....then call Paul Hodgins and ask him what he thinks of Smiths...A Baker Batavia has more appeal to me than a Smith A-1. Elsies....can you say "overrated"??

Ithacas were never cheap guns. Take a look at the old catalogs and compare prices. Ithaca's were strong, somewhat simple and innovative (read up on the Flues lock time) and the engraving, wood work, etc were second to none. The checkering on mid and high grade Ithacas is a thing to behold and the engraving on the high grade guns....spectacular. The sculpting of the Crass action in grades 4 and above is art in itself. NID's are the best value out there in American double guns bar none. For some reason...I dont see anyone turning down a 4E or higher (especially a Sousa grade)Ithaca gun if it were being "given" to them. Gimme a break.

This is a pic of my 14 year old sons bird gun, a 16 bore, Ithaca NID, circa 1936, 6 lbs. 6 oz. 28" bbls. Used, but gently, insides are like new. I'm into this gun for right around a grand. Thanks Walt Snyder.


A couple of things the Remington 94's and 1900's don't have going for them is the shape of the action and the graded guns are hard to find and extremely rare. The action on a Remmy really is just a big bulky box. The guns are hell for stout, the internals nicely finished, but the actions are just not very appealing. I like em, have friends that own them, but they are just not for me.

Dustin

Got the matey for you boy's 30's NID, Dustin, (think it's '35) and I also was in for slightly under 1K$. (Did have a little bit of that all-important "condition" (residue of ephemera that the collectors desire). Anyone thinking of giving King Brown an Ithaca double and fearing rejection rest assured I will give your gun a home.

The "starting from scratch" hypothesis is interesting. Given American druthers in the same-old vs. startlingly new dept., you'd think the flirtation with "auteur" gunmaking would have appealed. Remington certainly liked "updates" and both makers were around in the 19th century so they must have had some success with the new model approach until the Depression truncated commercial expectations.

jack

I agree with you, Pete. They're enough to make a gun-lover drool. They're real guns with real Old World craftsmanship, to my eye faultless, deserving of being taken afield anywhere.

Like certain wonderful aircraft, women, motor vehicles, boats, outboards, tools, etc they just don't register with me. My guns are all pretty plain except for my Francotte, LC Specialty and Sauer.

Thanks for that post, Ithaca5e. I learn something every day.

Jack O'Connor had very good things to say about them. Of course he also liked 21's, so you may question his taste.

Interesting that John Olin's company developed the 3 1/2" 10ga magnum shell . . . but, rather than making the big guns as Model 21's, with their reputation for strength, Olin went to Lou Smith at Ithaca. The first 10ga mags were NID's. Says something about the strength of the action.

Dustin, I've heard more than one wood guy cuss an Elsie. Interestingly, I was exchanging emails with one just the other day, and he had similar sentiments about the sideplated Lefevers.

Really shabby work here, eh? A 1918 Sousa grade.

Teddy already does...

If you were interested in a decent shooter, with both modern stock dimensions and modern steel, the NID is perfect. Looks are a personal thing. Look at how many people marry ladies you would not be caught dead with or worse, who hunt with ugly dogs.

If anyone ever tries to give either of you guys one of those ugly Ithacas just send it to me. I love Ithaca doubles, but then again I'd take a '69 Charger or a '67 Corvette over a vintage Porche or Ferarri any day of the week. I actually think the NID indicator pin receiver is very handsome.

When compared to cars.....Even the high grade Ithaca's are more like'n to a dolled up '66 Rambler.

I have never actually gone out of my way to buy an Ithaca double, but at one time, last year, ended up owning 3 of them. Hunted em all, liked em all but didnt keep any of them. Amarillo Mike wanted to buy the 32" ejector gun, but was too slow on the draw.....THAT one, I wish I'd kept...