Ithaca 4E Finds a Home

[Harold Lee Pickens]

The Ithaca 4E 16 that I had questions about last week came home this afternoon. I took a lot of grief for not having pictures, but I didn't have my camera with me, and always seem to forget that I could use my smart phone.
The particulars: ser # 4888xx, 28" M/F barrels, with twin ivory beads. Weight 6 3/4 lbs. The old pad was deteriorated, so a new Ithaca sunburst pad was put on but could not be perfectly fitted without touching the stock.

[Harold Lee Pickens]

Rich, are your palms sweating yet?

[charlie cleveland]

what a fine gun..this will be a heart stopper....nothing wrong with this ithaca....charlie

[Rick Losey]

wow


well nuthin worse than a homeless 4E 16

:bigbye:

[Rich Anderson]

That's a nice gun Harold let me know the tracking number but just as an FYI I'll be gone next week hunting Quail in Georgia so wait to ship until Feb:whistle:

[Dave Suponski]

Harold, What a wonderful Ithaca! And a 16 to boot! Congratulations...:shock:

[Mike Franzen]

Another great gun you have there Harold.

[Dave Noreen]

The particulars: ser # 4888xx,

That first 8 must be something lower, 4, 5, 6, as NID serial numbers didn't go that high. Congrats on a nice gun!!

[Harold Lee Pickens]

I will double check--maybe it was a 3--was going from memory

[Dean Romig]

Great gun Harold!

I just bought a 2E 20 gauge that I'll be picking up this weekend.

[Harold Lee Pickens]

Wow Dean, that would sure be a sweet little gun. be sure and post photos and maybe we will see it this spring. i am planning on being at the Southern and at Housmann's

[Larry Frey]

Great gun Harold!
I just bought a 2E 20 gauge that I'll be picking up this weekend.



Dean,
So you just bought an Ithaca and I just bought a Fox. What's this world coming to?:shock:

[Dean Romig]

Yeah but... you just bought a Parker too, so that negates your crossing the line. :corn:

[Steve Cambria]

C'mon Deanno!!! There's no use trying to fight-off the Fox bug!! Just slide your right foot across those tracks. Not nearly as traumatic as the rumors suggest. A sweet little 20b Sterly w/kickers and those "pats" will fold out of sheer admiration! :corn:

[Frank Srebro]

What a coincidence. Here's a favorite 20b Sterly w/kickers I used up in the mountains today. Next to last day of the PA grouse season and heavy snow is predicted for tomorrow. And today's hunt was after a quick stop at the Credit Union and post office, and sending off for a PARKER smallbore that a good friend found for me. SORRY TOOLMAN ..... no details on the incoming Parker right now. Just keeping things on the QT - same as you do to me. You know what I mean. :) :bigbye:

Flushed one grouse late this afternoon down a spring run where I flushed 6 or 7 in one batch, on a cold & snowy day hunt just before our deer season kicked off. It was a decent opportunity today but I didn't shoot ..... Happy New Year, Mr. King!

http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b450/silvers897/IMG_5237-1_zpspsmslytg.jpg (http://s1044.photobucket.com/user/silvers897/media/IMG_5237-1_zpspsmslytg.jpg.html)

Here's the spring run that's usually a hot spot when that white stuff falls.

http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b450/silvers897/IMG_5262_zpsn2uelhds.jpg (http://s1044.photobucket.com/user/silvers897/media/IMG_5262_zpsn2uelhds.jpg.html)

[Rich Anderson]

I'm feeling so left out. I haven't bought a shotgun since the Fox 16 almost a year ago. That's out being restocked for use this fall. The last five or guns have all been rifles:banghead:

[Harold Lee Pickens]

Researcher, you are so correct as always, ser # of the 4E 16 is 448827.
Frank, you probably would have hit that grouse with a Parker.
Rich, that Fox should be the envy of all Parkerphiles when you get it back. Be sure and post pictures in the Custom Fox forum when you get it back.

[Steve Cambria]

Harold,

Apologize for sliding off the tracks a bit. Congrats on your wonderful, new Ithaca. Love the treatment on/around the fences. Darn nice looking stick of lumber and a 16b to boot! Good luck with her.

[Harold Lee Pickens]

Steve, I was born off track--I don't even try to get back on anymore.

[Frank Srebro]

Back on track. Harold's gun is of course a NID and a very nice one. The No. 4 engraving is my favorite and it also seems so in artwork by Ithaca's marketing folks. Here's an advert dated September 1904; I presume that's a Lewis Model that's pictured here.

http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b450/silvers897/IMG_5264_zps8gjttwya.jpg (http://s1044.photobucket.com/user/silvers897/media/IMG_5264_zps8gjttwya.jpg.html)

[Frank Srebro]

I mentioned earlier in this thread that I had a Parker smallbore coming. So now I want to share more info for some laughs.

I'll start by saying that Toolman is a very good friend and he knows I’m going to post this. He has a good sense of humor - and we often joke with each other and friends on SxS gun dealings good & bad. Tool got this started when he pulled a real spoof on me about 4 years ago; he emailed to ask what I thought a ratty 12 gauge/32 inch/straight grip AE Fox was worth (he knows I like 32 inchers and sg guns). He went on, that a gent at his skeet club had it, and Tool had an elaborate story how he was trying to mooch up to the guy. I hit it, hook line & sinker. We went back and forth, and he kept asking questions for tech info and advice. I offered to buy the gun if he passed. He wrote later that he got the AE but wasn't sure it was a good deal, maybe he'd flip it? Then when we were both at Pintail Point for the Vintage Cup, he handed me the case with the ratty AE, which turned out to be Jos Kautzky’s personal XE Grade/32-inch Fox. Tool had let all the other Fox guys in on it and he’d scammed me big time.

This has gone on and on since then with each of us trying to spoof each other on guns we see or hear about. So when I got a heads up on a nice smallbore Parker from a good friend and real gentleman, I had to really put it to Mr. Toolman. First I told him it was a CHE 28 bore, and of course he didn’t believe me. So I fed out more line and bait for a few days but still wouldn’t tell him what it was.

Here’s a transcript of our texts over the last two days when the Parker was getting close (gun is a very nice VH 20-bore/28-incher). I’ve cleaned up some of the language, and deleted some stuff about other things, and I hope you enjoy reading these txts …..

Frank: “so the Parker smallbore finally made it to the sorting center in Allentown. Hopefully will be here tomorrow. Got my fingers crossed.”

Tool: “Ok (name of noted gun dealer deleted here) you’ve been roastin’ my chestnuttz for a week … time to lay the cards down … whatcha get??? A GHE straight grip, 20 bore, 28” ???”

Frank: “ Hey remember how I put up with you for 4 weeks or so before the DGJ came …. on that Averill parker you were keeping close to your chest? And that was 4 weeks before I knew who Averill was. You got 3 weeks to go buddy.”

Tool: “Haaaaaaa….. I forgot about that one….gotta admit that was an epic smoke screen!!!!!!”

Frank: “Nope not a GHE 20 straight grip. But it is a 20 bore.”

Tool: “OK ….. I’ll wait for pics resting next to a PA oven stuffer part deux”

Frank: “Just got confirmation it’s on the truck. Cyl & modified. NY grouse season still open for 4 weeks.”

Tool: - no reply

Frank: “Aahhh…..light snow falling and barely rustling the frozen leaves, a little patter and then the thunder of a brown rocket. You catch a glimpse, russet and black, and then swing on the bird. Just a little daylight ahead and touch off the blue Peters with its crack of lightning. The sharp bark of the gun and there’s some tiny feathers afloating. A wisp of smoke curls from the muzzle as you cradle the bird and think of those long ago days with the Parker Brothers’ finest.”

Tool: “You’re one twisted dude.”

Frank: “Look who’s talking. Hahaha”

Frank: “unpacking now. Woohoo!”

Tool: “Ok GB EVANS… wtf is it…Spillers VHE??? Come on now!!!”

Frank – waits ½ hour without texting.

Tool: “Send Proof-of-Life cell phone photo or all bets are off as this could be another scam!!”

Frank – sends cell phone pic but deliberately not a close up

Tool: “What is it?? VHE?? Damascus? Can’t tell from pics. Come on now.... Looks nice !!!!

Tool: “Congrats”

So, how do you spell touché ?

:rotf: :rotf:

[Dean Romig]

Uh Frank, you forgot to post pictures.... you trying to scam all of us now?

Come on, Toolman deserves it but have a little mercy on your friends here.

[Frank Srebro]

Dean, no scam intended. But I'm a little superstitious on some things and want to hunt with the VH before doing pics ..... NY grouse season is still open until the 28th I think and hopefully snow won't be too deep after this weekend storm and I can get out to a friend's place in the Catskills. Besides if I post more now I won't be able to continue this tale for the PP. :)

[Dean Romig]

The fact that you refer to your new acquisition as "the VH" rather than 'the Parker' leaves me wondering what the grade really is.... :cool:

If you need props to photo your new Parker with, I can send you a couple of grouse I have frozen.

[Frank Srebro]

Here ya go Dean. Same cell pic I sent to Toolman. More after I hunt with her. PARKER VH 20-bore, 28-inch, approx 1906-07 gun.

http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b450/silvers897/VH_zpsicgscpzv.jpg (http://s1044.photobucket.com/user/silvers897/media/VH_zpsicgscpzv.jpg.html)

[Dean Romig]

NICE one Frank! I'm a believer!

[Daryl Corona]

Nice one Frank. A VH 20 will always have a spot in my heart. Nuttin' fancy but just like a nice clean A grade smallbore Fox they are classic.

[Dave Suponski]

Frank, This is a great thread. Whoever tipped you off this to this great gun must be a very good friend!

[Frank Srebro]

Yes he sure is Dave. And now I can tell everyone that the gentleman who put me on to this VH 20, is no other than Mr. Autumn Daze. And even Toolman didn't know that until now. :banghead: :rotf: