Ithaca Crass Grade 3

[Garry L Gordon]

I saw Jay's post about his wonderful new-to-him Ithaca and the informative responses he got, so I thought I'd post a few photos of my what-I-think-to-be Crass Model Grade 3. I bought it because of the engraving (hey, it's got a bobwhite on the floor plate!) and the barrel pattern. It needs a more period appropriate pad, but otherwise is in quite nice condition.

For you Ithaca experts out there, is there anything you can tell me about this gun? It's in the 29XXX serial range.

[Dave Noreen]

The best available serial number chronology puts it as an 1897 vintage gun which qualifies as an Antique. Once the Ithaca hammerless gun grade structure settled in the No. 3 regularly came with the Chain Damascus barrels.

The surviving Ithaca records are at the McCracken Research Library at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming. You can get a letter on the gun from them --

https://centerofthewest.org/explore/firearms/firearms-records/Ithaca/

[Mike Koneski]

Garry, that's not a Bobwhite, that's a Bobolink. Sayin' for a friend. :corn:

[Bruce P Bruner]

Another 29,000 Grade III, don’t get too excited about getting a $75 letter. Yes, chain Damascus also.

[Garry L Gordon]

Garry, that's not a Bobwhite, that's a Bobolink. Sayin' for a friend. :corn:

Whadaya know?!?! I’ve been shooting and eating bobolinks for years and didn’t know it!:shock:

[Bruce P Bruner]

For comparison, no “Bob” on this one.

[Jay Oliver]

Gary and Bruce, Those guns are very nice. They make me excited to get mine fixed up soon. Interesting all of these beauties were in the same serial# range.

Thanks for sharing!
Jay

[Drew Hause]

This is the Crass listing in the 1897 Chas. Godfrey, New York catalog
$51 would be more than $1900 today

https://photos.smugmug.com/US-Makers/Ithaca/i-jBS2XWF/0/LvNMFSnQ6JhrM9RgZt4MBq6pHQGJmrL8kbwtgSB25/L/Crass%201897%20Chas.%20Godrey%20NY-L.jpg (https://drewhause.smugmug.com/US-Makers/Ithaca/i-jBS2XWF/A)

Bruce is correct re: chain damascus

This is an 1898 ad. "For Nitro Powders"! What could they have been thinking!?! :shock:

https://photos.smugmug.com/US-Makers/Ithaca/i-cGgjHc2/0/KHmtNnTqfz73QpPQ32tS5hz8wXp4PK53PSh9xsDxr/L/Crass%201898-L.jpg (https://drewhause.smugmug.com/US-Makers/Ithaca/i-cGgjHc2/A)

[Drew Hause]

1899 and now with a "Reinforced Frame" bolsters

https://photos.smugmug.com/US-Makers/Ithaca/i-9gpHfD5/0/K7NQbstxsTvN8XrCtKtGrpmLhm9S7CR5zfW4bHVTB/L/Crass%20Reinforced%20Frame%201899-L.jpg (https://drewhause.smugmug.com/US-Makers/Ithaca/i-9gpHfD5/A)

[Brett Farley]

IMHO Ithaca had some of the prettiest engraving and nicest wood of all the American SxS’s. These guns are all proof of that!

[Daryl Corona]

IMHO Ithaca had some of the prettiest engraving and nicest wood of all the American SxS’s. These guns are all proof of that!

Same with the Lefevers.

[Drew Hause]

And Baker. Frank Mason setters

https://photos.smugmug.com/Gun-Stuff/Baker/i-86VN4WL/0/K2c78HbtTKQ26mqWCxMHt4cJtJR8kjqFWxpZ6kg8g/M/Baker-Paragon-Frank%20Mason%20dogs%203-M.jpg (https://drewhause.smugmug.com/Gun-Stuff/Baker/i-86VN4WL/A)

Upstate N.Y. was home to many of the best.
See at the top here
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uGeSuMJBPMNGh0ydCQXeAnpGRLANfl0Uhe954818veQ/edit?tab=t.0

[Stan Hoover]

Meant to post these earlier, but here is 2 different Grade 3 Crass models with bird engraving

[Mike Koneski]

Stan, did you ever find out anything on C.A. Holbrook?

[Mike Koneski]

Those guns look so much better than the guns with "flying turnips" and head up/head down stoat". :whistle::corn:

[Stan Hoover]

Stan, did you ever find out anything on C.A. Holbrook?

I have not,

I need to do some more looking, a simple google search comes up empty. I was hoping for a few hints from some of our more accomplished historians :)

[Garry L Gordon]

Stan, those are beautiful guns. Hard to believe there could be higher grades.

[Mike Poindexter]

Stan, your C.A.Holbrook gun rang a bell and I just looked it up. It is pictured in 3 color views at page 43 of the first edition of Walt Snyder's book. No attribution to the pictures, so I assume it was one of Walt's own guns. No information on who C.A.Holbrook was.

[Stan Hoover]

Thanks Mike,

Yes, this gun is pictured in Walt's book, and it was formerly Walt's gun. I don't feel really confident that requesting a letter will get me anywhere, Walt held all the records till just a few years back and to my knowledge never did an article on this particular gun.

Stan

[Stan Hoover]

Not to drive anyone to boredom, but here is a Grade 4 Crass with some elk like creatures for engraving, circa 1895. Don’t you wish sometimes to have been born 100 years earlier :whistle:

I apologize for the less than desirable background

[Garry L Gordon]

Thanks, Stan. I’m enjoying these photos. I will still say that number 3 above looks more elaborate than the numb 4.

[Stan Hoover]

As you will notice, the 2 Grade 3's I posted in my first post, they are the earlier frame shape/contour.

The Grade 4 I posted last is a later frame, the same as the one posted by you and also Jay's Crass in an earlier thread.


That being said, I'm under the opinion that the dogs are more typical than birds on the later frames, but this is only my opinion and I could easily be wrong. Apparently some customers preferred elk and other animals also, we see them on some Parkers and the occasional Ithaca doubles. I can't comment on other makers because I haven't had much experience with others.

[Daryl Hallquist]

Here is a fine Grade 5 Crass for comparison.
https://i.imgur.com/KRJBaTS.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/4kTrRRY.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/QNhV7zU.jpg

[Garry L Gordon]

Interesting to see the grades over time. I’m going to dig out Walt’s book and go back to school.

[CraigThompson]

Apparently some customers preferred elk and other animals also, we see them on some Parkers and the occasional Ithaca doubles. I can't comment on other makers because I haven't had much experience with others.

If I’d been around then and well healed I’d have wanted antlered critters as well . Well provided then I’d wasted most of my life chasing antlered critters as I have in reality . Nothing against feathered creatures or doggies as I like them as well , but if I were picking what was chosen to be engraved it woulda been deer or elk . Maybe even a bullwinkle :whistle:

[Stan Hoover]

If I’d been around then and well healed I’d have wanted antlered critters as well . Well provided then I’d wasted most of my life chasing antlered critters as I have in reality . Nothing against feathered creatures or doggies as I like them as well , but if I were picking what was chosen to be engraved it woulda been deer or elk . Maybe even a bullwinkle :whistle:

Craig,
I think they're still producing fine doubles in a few places, how about ordering a double with elk on or deer??
Please don't tell me you're not well healed, because I beg to differ:cool:

[CraigThompson]

Craig,
I think they're still producing fine doubles in a few places, how about ordering a double with elk on or deer??
Please don't tell me you're not well healed, because I beg to differ:cool:

There’s nothing new I’m overly enamored with . Krieghoff’s are fine but in the O/U configuration , Perazzi’s would be fine but a SxS is gonna be stout price wise and a Fabbri is more ! When we were at Pintail Point for The Turkey Shoot I tried Buddies Perazzi SxS and it was quite nice .