doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Ithaca Grade 5

Looking at this Ithaca on Gunbroker Item # 153128678 and something just doesn't look right. Any suggestions?

Tom

I see what I think is a rusty thumbprint on the left over the gold pheasant.

What gives you pause? At first glance, it looks ok to me- makes me almost want to drool, in fact.

I would certainly want to see the barrel markings, of course.

Regards

I O E I A

and

GKT

It looks like a clean, well cared for gun. Good colors, no buggered screws, but I suspect the pad is a reproduction - I think the sunburst pad post-dated the cocking indicators on the NID. Maybe I spend too much time around trap guns, but it looks as if the stock has a generous amount of drop. I'd want some dimensions before spending money on it. Price? I haven't followed the market much lately. I'm sure someone else here can offer a good opinion on that.

I think I see what you are seeing. Maybe.

At first glance, the checkering does not look right.
I have owned a couple of grade 4s and one grade 6. It has been a few years but somehow I think that their checkering was somehow more elegant.

Is this what you saw?

Best,
John

The checkering on the forestock is what gave me pause.
Tom

Tom:

If it's that the checkering on the fore end is "courser" than that on the butt stock, that is normal. The lines should be less there so that the hand has a better grip.

I was looking at what I see as a less than great lay out of the butt stock design.
Can't say why, but it just does not look right.It looks less than graceful.

Best,
John

To my eyes the wood does not match the condition and looks of the metal. I have seen too many Ithacas with what I strongly suspect is swapped wood form another gun. One thing most NIDs are good about is having stocks with modern dimensions. That stock has a lot of drop, or it appears too from the photos. A ugly stock on a high condition is a killer to me. It needs to all flow to geather and this one just does not look like the wood belongs on the gun. Metal "pristine" and wood that looks plain and tired.

Pet peeve of mine on this listing and many other like it. Photos out of focus and too dark are just about useless. You could have ten cracks on that stock and not see them in those photos. I have bought too many guns on the net and sent many of them back to put up with pictures that suck. If you want me to bid more than a grand then take pictures that do not look like they came out of a cheap camera phone. I hate paying freight both ways just because you failed to take decent pictures.

Actually, it was the outlines of the checkering. One side does not appear to match the other.

Tom

The "bridge trestle" Ithaca pad was introduced in the 1931-32 time frame and the cocking indicators were dropped in the 1935-36 time frame. That gun looks right as rain to me.

So what happened??