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

1st post. Been lurking in the shadows doing alot of reading. I'm impressed with the amount of knowledge that is being shared.

What can you tell me about the Classic Doubles line made by Steve Lamboy and Sons? Handmade in America got my attention.
Can someone please school me. Thanks.

Bob,
There have been many threads on the ICDs in the past. A search may bring some up.
In short ICD produced less than 500 guns in two lots.
470xxx guns were manufactured in the US using parts supplied by Italian company.
471xxx guns were made in US with Krupp barral and receivers made somewhere I don't remember.
BEWARE-of guns made by an Italian firm with parts that ICD rejected. They look very similar but have reference to ICD or Victor,NY xx-ed out or absent. These guns are numbered in the 470xxx range and have caused a lot of misunderstanding which has unjustly tainted the reputation of ICD guns.
Bob jurewicz

Welcome to the Forum

If you are looking for information on the quality of these guns I can tell you that overall reliability is not great. That being said there certainly are many people who have owned these guns without any problems. However, when classic doubles went bankrupt I worked on many of these guns with various problems (I'm assuming that these where problems that would have gone back to the factory had they not gone bankrupt). Also, I took part in building a few of these guns from some of the Galazan parts kits (leftovers from Classic Doubles) so I am well acquainted with these guns. With this experience I believe that the final product did no live up to Classic Doubles advertising hype. Truth be told I saw a rather narrow segment of the Ithaca classic double guns that where produced, dealing mainly with understandably annoyed people and problem guns. However, some of these guns are nicely fit and finished while others are not. If you find a good example at the right price buy it especially if it has been shot moderately and proven reliable. Just make sure it is selling for a good price.

Dan

Dan:

Were the Galazan parts kits from the Italian manufacturer or from the other one. I purchased a 20ga & a 28ga kit from Galazan, sent them to a gunsmith they reccomended; and four years later I have nothing in my hand and have written the whole thing as a loss.

I'm hoping they were the inferior quality kits so I won't feel quite so bad for losing the cost of the kits and my deposit to the gunsmith.

Hack

I have seen about five of these guns (471-series) in the flesh. Issues of reliability aside, there were uniformly the best finished guns this side of the Atlantic, grade by grade equal to the CSM Foxes.

Bob
I'm looking at the floorplates of 2 4E's. At about the hingepin is an oval with the engraved image of what looks like a snipe. On 1 gun the ovals border says Ithaca Classic Doubles across the top and Victor N.Y. along the bottom. On the other, the border of the oval is just etched.
Would the second example be the italian gun with the rejected parts that your speaking of?

Dan,
What were some of the issues that you are aware of regarding reliability? Thanks.

Hack,
If that gunsmith was Andrew Macfarlane we now know where he is.
Bob Jurewicz

Bob:

It was Andrew, and if he's still in Texas, I know where is. I talked to him about 6 months ago, and he shared with me some of the issues he has had to deal with. He said he plans to finish the guns, and maybe one day he will surprise me and do it.

Like I said earlier I've written it off & quit worrying about it.

Thanks,

Hack

Bob, of the guns manufactured in the U.S be it Italian parts or the latter , what were the perceived differences (excluding the X'd out variety). Thanks

Bob,
The late 471xxx guns seem most desireable to people. They are a little lighter in weight and some believe a little stronger in material. Some of the earliest of the "Italian" ICDs had typical early production growing pains(checkering and fit). ICD was in a learning curve. I have both "Italian" and "Krupp" ICDs and very much like both. Engraving on my early guns I believe to be better than the "krupp" guns.
Beschi guns assembled using rejected parts are another story. I have seen many and all have have serious workmanship issues and many had mechanical problems. They are priced about 1/2 the ICDs. Buyer beware!!!!
Bob Jurewicz