Pre NID ithacas
 

Question. My understanding that the NID Ithaca’s , starting around 1925
Or so were built with a lot of improvements. Question is about the pre NID specimens. Still a great upland gun? Better or worse than the NIDs?
Thanks in advance!

the NID is a solid gun built for modern loads

the previous designs, up to the preceding Flues model were not

having said that- in good condition the earlier guns are great with light loads - I really like my 20ga flues for upland hunting

but day in/day out the NID is a better design - I have had a couple - still have one - a
Super 10

and IMHO - few beat the Ithaca engraving on a graded gun-

I have an early 4E 20 and a 1 1/2 grade 28. Both Flues with 2 1/2" chambers. I load light and have had no problems with either. Im more fond of the Flues.
Chris, AZ

Thanks for the replies

I guess which one specifically are you talking about? Ithaca had 5 different designs of hammerless doubles including the NID. A few more if you want to add the Lefever and western arms variants too.

Each one was a completely different design from the others. The NID was the last one. It was the strongest by far. It was basically a design that borrowed from the best parts of other makers and meshed them together into one design. And this is how they advertised it too.

The flues, which was the design before the NID was made for the longest time period and was the simplest design of them all. But it got a bad reputation over the years due to the frames cracking and the breech balls failing. The guns were built to be very lightweight and when people used hotter loads than intended, bad things can happen. Of course the issues always root from user error, not the actual design. The frames on the flues were beefed up some in the later years, but the damage had been done as far as the opinion of them. In my opinion, the earlier flues and prior versions were much more finely finished than any NID ever was. Especially in the higher grades.

I agree with Brian on the early Flues models. The engraving was especially well done, and for the various grades, the wood was often stunning. If you want a light upland gun, an early Flues is more than likely to suit your wants.

NID Invoice
 

I to have always been a fan of the NID. Factory 2 barrel sets are rare. I came across this NID 20 gauge some years ago with 26 & 28 inch tubes with another uncommon feature, a straight grip. I always got a little laugh out of the invoice which states "Del. at factory to Miss A. D. Osborn". Apparently it was made for her as it has her initials in the stock oval. Note that the extra set of barrels was a staggering $49.88, sounds like a small enough premium but it was roughly half the price of the base gun.

Ithaca NID's have always been some of my favorite shotguns, as it's nice to have a couple of SxS's you don't have to baby as much ammo wise...... I still own two of them, a 16ga GrII and a 12ga Field. It seems there are always those who favor one over the other Flues vs NID's.... I guess it's sort of like favorite colors... Not everyone's favorite color is blue....

Both of mine have 2 3/4 chambers, and can handle most modern loads in reasonable range. No steel, or heavy high velocity loads.

Interesting that ten years into the NID era, the Ithaca Gun Co. was using up invoices that still pictures the Flues lock at the top. Looking through some other pics of invoices I have I find this style earlier --

Attachment 92412

the style with the Flues lock on another invoice from 1938, and then this style in 1942 --

Attachment 92413

That gun would look nice in my gunroom. My NIDs in .410-bore, 28-gauge, 16-gauge and 12-gauge are all 26-inch barrel guns and sticking up right in the middle of that row is my 20-gauge No. 4E with 30-inch barrels.

As to the OPs original question the engraving on the early higher grade Ithacas, prior to the 1915 introduction of the bolder McGraw style, was some of the best.

So, Randy, no pictures of the gun? It sounds like like a really nice one.