doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Ithaca NID single trigger ca. 1926

I just acquired a 20g NID 3E with a single trigger and was curious if anyone could provide any information or comments about this trigger. I've been loosely following the Infallable trigger thread as well.

Miller?

No marking on the trigger. It appears to be orig factory trigger with an unusually shaped shoe. I'll post pics later.

I have a 1928 20ga with a single trigger and it is set to the rear. Why did they do that anyway's, seems it should be where the front trigger would be.

Miller did make triggers without their name on them. I had a NID with a Miller trigger which was not marked as a Miller trigger. But that is the only one I have seen for certain and only learned that when I pulled the stock to restock the gun. That gun is now with my brother and I do not have easy access to it. Never loan a gun to a brother unless you have no need for the gun. After five years I call the loan a gift.

Somewhere I read that Ithaca's contract with Miller prohibited Miller from putting their name on the single triggers they provided for the NID's. I just wish I could remember where I read this.

Ed Pirie
West Topsham, Vermont

So that upland bird hunters could get a gloved finger in the trigger bow.

Chuck H...is it a selective single trigger? Is the selector part of the sefety mechanism? If you answered yes to both questions, then chances are that your trigger is a Miller...if you answered no to either question then you may have a Harry Howland disigned trigger. Even though Harry wasn't granted a patent for one of his designs until 1931, there is evidense that Ithaca was using in house single trigger designs even into the late Flues era, and maybe further back. The second patented Howland design was non selective. The first was selective. It's difficult to say without pics or more info...

It would be difficult to tell the difference between a Miller and a Howland 1931 design (selective) without seeing pictures of the mechanism itself

Early on Millers were doing the single triggers for the NID. Up thru the 1930-31 catalogues the text just says "Selective Single Trigger." Beginning with the 1931-32 Catalogues the text says "Ithaca Selective Single Trigger" which I mark as the beginning of the use of the Howland-designed trigger (Patent No. 1,818,852 granted August 11, 1931). Walter may have some more precise info as to when the change actually happened on the guns.

With the 1932 catalogue Ithaca began offering the non-selective Ithaca single trigger as well. This was eventually covered by Howland's Patent No. 1,987,402 granted January 8, 1935.

The first non selective Howland trigger was first patented in 1932...pat.# 1889049...but the selective design even appears on guns that are pre 1930..

I was hoping that someone else would say, other than myself, that it looks like Ithaca had Harry working to circumvent the numerous Miller patent designs...and well before 1931

Robert,
Yes, it's selectable. I actually hadn't noticed until you mentioned it. As you can see the safety is the selector. You can also see the little woop-de-do in the trigger shoe where it appears to have been welded. I'd like to find a pic of another to redo that work abit.

You can also see it is loose in the stock. The stock actually has a grafted butt at the wrist (not all that well done) and has split at the head. Restock time. The metal is very good, so the gun will be worth the work/money.