A Bit of a Poll

[Grantham Forester]

My bird hunting pal has an Ithaca 12 ejector gun with one trigger that his uncle bought new in 1940--He shoots it far better on game birds than his Browning 20 Citori- and twice he let me shoot it for a day afield while he used the Citori- Isn't the Ithaca company history as far back into the 19th. century as the Smith, LeFever and the Parker??

[Steve McCarty]

Originally Posted by Grantham Forester

My bird hunting pal has an Ithaca 12 ejector gun with one trigger that his uncle bought new in 1940--He shoots it far better on game birds than his Browning 20 Citori- and twice he let me shoot it for a day afield while he used the Citori- Isn't the Ithaca company history as far back into the 19th. century as the Smith, LeFever and the Parker??

I do not know when Ithaca started making guns, but they do go way back. I think the Flues gun was contemporary with the Trogan, which means it was with the Sterlingworth and some Lefevers too. I guess I could Google the company and find out.

I do know that Ithaca has been in and out of business several, I believe three, times and are today back in biz making exclusively the Model 37 and they are NOT cheap.

[wayne goerres]

They make more than the model 37. They also make an over and under and a 1911 45 acp. You are right about the prices. They are expensive.

[Bill Zachow]

Charlie, if you are looking for 8 gauge Lefevers or Smiths, you have a long look ahead. Both makes were manufactured in very small numbers when it came to 8 gauges. Smiths around 30 and Lefevers about the same. Much easier to find a Parker. I have never seen a Smith 8 for real, only pictures. I have handled a Lefever 8 that was for sale, but some idiot had removed about 6" of barrels. I live in Lefever country and at one time had 2 Lefever great grand children working in the company where I was employed. Both top notch machinists. Must run in the blood.

[Grantham Forester]

Thank you all, gentlemen, but as I noticed the Ithaca doubles did not show in any of the "wish lists" posted here, I am still wondering why so?

[Thomas Garver]

Gentlemen, please go to the L.C. Smith website and click on FAQs. Dr. Drew Hause gives a brief history on the beginnings of the W.H. Baker and L.C. Smith guns and the formation of the Ithaca Gun Co.
Regards, Tom