George Ryman

[Dave Noreen]

For those interested, George Ryman's NID No. 4E is posted over on Shotgun World --

https://www.shotgunworld.com/threads/ithica-grade-4e-lettered-to-george-ryman.581554/?post_id=5196453#post-5196453

[CraigThompson]

Mr.Hoover you need to pursue that gun and add it to your modest accumulation :whistle:

[Stan Hoover]

Mr.Hoover you need to pursue that gun and add it to your modest accumulation :whistle:

It is hard to buy something that isn't for sale, if I was from Va and independently wealthy, I might have a chance:bigbye:

[CraigThompson]

It is hard to buy something that isn't for sale, if I was from Va and independently wealthy, I might have a chance:bigbye:

Point me in the direction of the independently wealthy person in VA ! I could use some pointers :rotf::rotf::rotf:

[TOM DAMIANI]

For all that have a interest in George Ryman Setters check out book A GENTLEMAN SHOOTING DOG by John D.Taylor along with gave tombstone of setter marking George Ryman burial site out of Milford Pa. off route 209.

[Kevin McCormack]

Funny; I was to the Ryman Auditorium twice, once in the 1990s and again in the miid-2000s, and I never saw or heard of a gun library or mini-museum there. No matter, Del McCoury and Sierra Hull's version of "High On a Mountain" made the second visit more than worthwhile.

[Alfred Houde]

For those interested.

[TOM DAMIANI]

For those interested.
Alfred ---- Very touching for all Ryman English Setters followers.

[Mike Koneski]

Point me in the direction of the independently wealthy person in VA ! I could use some pointers :rotf::rotf::rotf:

That would be a certain well driller. :rotf::rotf::rotf::rotf::corn::bowdown:

[Mike Koneski]

For all that have a interest in George Ryman Setters check out book A GENTLEMAN SHOOTING DOG by John D.Taylor along with gave tombstone of setter marking George Ryman burial site out of Milford Pa. off route 209.

We have that book. It also came with a CDROM on the history of English Setters. I have to see if we have extra copies. If so I'll make them available.

I looked in our cache of John Taylor books. We only had the one copy. We have other books and I'll post them in a separate thread.

[Stan Hoover]

I was looking for an Ithaca letter the other evening and after reading it, I had a light bulb moment I guess you could say.

It is a high grade, field configured 20 gauge ordered by George H Ryman. It is one of probably less than 10, NID Grade 7E 20 gauges. The gun was completed in 1947.
The original buttstock had been shortened unfortunately, perhaps for a lady. It has been restocked quite nicely and the original is still along.

Per the letter Walt Snyder put together on this gun a few years ago, Mr Ryman also ordered a 7E 410 at the same time.

So my question, I’m sure most of the crowd here knows much more about Mr Ryman than I do, did he order any Parker guns, or any other makers guns for that matter.

He sure seemed to have had no problems ordering high grade guns.

[Bob Kimble]

I was looking for an Ithaca letter the other evening and after reading it, I had a light bulb moment I guess you could say.

It is a high grade, field configured 20 gauge ordered by George H Ryman. It is one of probably less than 10, NID Grade 7E 20 gauges. The gun was completed in 1947.
The original buttstock had been shortened unfortunately, perhaps for a lady. It has been restocked quite nicely and the original is still along.

Per the letter Walt Snyder put together on this gun a few years ago, Mr Ryman also ordered a 7E 410 at the same time.

So my question, I’m sure most of the crowd here knows much more about Mr Ryman than I do, did he order any Parker guns, or any other makers guns for that matter.

He sure seemed to have had no problems ordering high grade guns.

Stan, I don't know if George Ryman ordered the double i purchased from his wife quite a few years ago. It was an LC Smith skeet special 20 bore with Hunter One trigger, 2 sets of barrels, one with splinter and the other with beavertail, vent ribs on both. I wish I had that one today!!!

[Kenny Graft]

I was gifted my good friend's pup after some serious medical issues. Pine creek Dave of Pittsburg PA. Dave is doing better now but still can't train or work his pups. We hope that this fall Me, Dave and Daisy can get a hunt in the Potter County grouse woods he so loves. We received Miss Daisy May the 2nd week of last December, she was 10 months old. She is a Ryman setter orange Belton from Wyss Fireside Setters. She had zero training when she arrived and other issues. I am very happy to report that Daisy has a happy forever home her in Ohio with my other setter Miss Charlie Rae, they are best friends for sure! As I type this, we are on the cusp of a 2-week stint in the MI. UP. We are very excited to say the least. Some pictures of my buddies...(-: SXS Ohio

[Stan Hoover]

Stan, I don't know if George Ryman ordered the double i purchased from his wife quite a few years ago. It was an LC Smith skeet special 20 bore with Hunter One trigger, 2 sets of barrels, one with splinter and the other with beavertail, vent ribs on both. I wish I had that one today!!!

Bob,

Was the stock on the gun you purchased from George's wife shorter, or maybe this gun was not used by his wife?

Stan

[Dave Noreen]

The George H. Ryman No. 7E .410-bore is in the Eric Klein Collection. Page 42 - 45 of Josh's book.

[Victor Wasylyna]

Setters or bust!

-Victor

[Bob Kimble]

Bob,

Was the stock on the gun you purchased from George's wife shorter, or maybe this gun was not used by his wife?

Stan

It fit me so about 14 1/4, 14 3/8. It may have been shorter at one time as it had a leather covered pad when I bought it.

[Dave Noreen]

While most NID No. 7Es have a gold Bull Elk head on the trigger guard --

137042

Stan's 20-gauge and the Klein .410-bore have a gold setter with a bird in its mouth which Josh matched up with a Ryman picture. A 12-gauge No. 7E with the same gold setter is 448878.

137041

While Walter's letter doesn't mention Ryman, it does mention the 20-gauge and .410-bore.

137040

[Stan Hoover]

Great info Dave,

Appreciate your knowledge and input.

I thought perhaps the gold setter with bird in mouth were a late NID Grade 7 feature, but obviously that is not correct. The 2 Grade 7’s ordered by George H Ryman are late guns, any chance you have the serial # on the 410?

The bull elk has grown on me some, but the Grade 7 that I regret not buying had a gold dog on the trigger guard, I don’t remember the other features of that particular 7, but that gold dog I can still picture like yesterday.

[JAMES HALL]

Be careful. The gold dog bites. Must have got you.😃

[Daryl Corona]

Great info Dave,

Appreciate your knowledge and input.

I thought perhaps the gold setter with bird in mouth were a late NID Grade 7 feature, but obviously that is not correct. The 2 Grade 7’s ordered by George H Ryman are late guns, any chance you have the serial # on the 410?

The bull elk has grown on me some, but the Grade 7 that I regret not buying had a gold dog on the trigger guard, I don’t remember the other features of that particular 7, but that gold dog I can still picture like yesterday.

There's always the one that got away isn't there???

[Stan Hoover]

Be careful. The gold dog bites. Must have got you.😃

Don’t worry, they don’t bite very hard:p

[Dave Noreen]

Great info Dave,

Appreciate your knowledge and input.

I thought perhaps the gold setter with bird in mouth were a late NID Grade 7 feature, but obviously that is not correct. The 2 Grade 7’s ordered by George H Ryman are late guns, any chance you have the serial # on the 410?

The bull elk has grown on me some, but the Grade 7 that I regret not buying had a gold dog on the trigger guard, I don’t remember the other features of that particular 7, but that gold dog I can still picture like yesterday.

The .410-bore is 467672. George Ryman must have had an "in" with someone at Ithaca to be getting those high grades direct in 1947. All the Ithaca post war paper states that they don't accept orders from consumers or dealers and that all their production, which is far from meeting demand, goes to their Jobbers. Also states that only a limited number of doubles would be produced and just in Field Grade and No. 2E.

[Stan Hoover]

I’m curious what serial # 467671 would be, the serial number between the 2 7E’s ordered by Mr Ryman?

# 467622 is a Grade 7 12, configuration of a field gun, 30”, splinter, & double triggers. It was sold to Lewis P Kalb.

Seems to have been a fair amount of Grade 7’s in 1947.

Thinking about this earlier today, I could be all wrong but it seems like the late 20’s into the 30’s, the higher grade Ithaca’s seem to often be target guns, single trigger, beaver tail for ends, vent rib, and Monte Carlo butt stocks, later year high grades tend to be field configured guns.

Have you ever observed this Dave?

Me and a friend were together a few years ago and took a quick photo of 5 Grade 7 Ithaca’s

[Dave Noreen]

It does seem that a lot of the No. 4E and higher were fully optioned target guns. One of my favorite pieces of Ithaca paper --

137089

What I have observed from many of the bits of Ithaca paper that Walter has posted over the years is that a lot of these high grade NIDs languished in Ithaca inventory for years. These guns all have 1927-8 serial number by the serial number chronology and here they are being shipped out in October 1942.

137090

Likewise, the No. 7E I posted Walter's note about earlier is a 1927 gun by the chronology and being shipped in 1944. Were these salesman's samples or show guns? Did they get refreshed/reconfigured at the factory from time to time? Were they something Ithaca could sell for cash during the war years? Lots of ponderables!