I grew up shooting British and American doubles . And for years I held British stuff in higher esteem . I have since learned the error of my ways . Although I gotta say for sentimental reasons I still hold my 1881 W&C Scott hammerless 10 gauge in the highest regard of any of my shotguns .

That 10 gauge will most likely be buried with me as I have no related male heirs to leave it to .

Ill call you my Pa if you leave it to me :rotf:

On the 10 bores it seams like you could get either regular barrels or heavy walled barrels . theres a "cheap" wc scott 8 bore shotgn on gun broker right now . think since it was blued it must have lost most of its value . I love my 10 bores regardless of make. This bonehill is my 4th 10 bore but first sxs .

My Charles Boswell 20 is fast becoming my favorite Grouse gun. I like it better than the H&H 20:shock: The wood on the H&H is much much nicer however:rotf:

Thanks for the offer . But ...... no thanks .

I shot a purdey 20 ga sidelock that I didn't like . the triggers were angled to the right , and im left handed . The owner he loved it though 24k gold is too flashy for me :p.

Craig cant blame you I want to be buried with most of my guns I own at that time or at least my favorite .

My maternal grandfather owned that Scott for 50-60 years before I got it after his death . So I don't want it to leave the family and if that means going in the ground with me then so be it .

I don't have as many guns as do some of you guys. But I have two nice Parkers, a GH and an SBT. I also have a very fine Lefever I grade gun made in 1901 when Old Dan was still in the business of making guns. She a faux sidelock is plain as mud. The "I" grade was the one you'd find in the local hardware store. She was refurbished by a pro, but not brought back to new. Here she is:http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/a...shotgun006.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/a...shotgun002.jpg

This gun is a 12 with 30" barrels, F&M. Long and thin and quick to swing. These Lefevers are very nice shooting guns. Yes, they changed as time passed, but these early guns are my favorites. I'd like to have a G grade damascus gun.

When I consider buying a new Parker to shoot an I pick up this Lefever I figure that I already have a wonderful, fast, classic hunting gun.

For the past five or six years I have been drooling over Trojan Parkers. However about 15 years ago I stumbled across this Fox Sterlingworth in a local gun store. It came with its original Leg-0-mutton case. Fox guns are indeed fine guns and while a bit heavier than my Lefever it is a great gun. Also F&M with 30 inch tubes. http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/a...hotguns015.jpg

I love Parker shotguns as we all do, but a good Lefever and/or Fox are also wonderful shotguns and of a similar era. I've got the letter on the Fox. She is a 1928 gun.

Question: Is the Parker a better gun than a Fox? Lots of differences of course. But that darn Fox is a wonderful gun.

That's like asking what's the better car Porsche BMW or a Benz . Or like asking what's the better female blonde ,redhead of brunette . Life's to short to debate such questions .:rotf:

No Ithacas??
 

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.

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.

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.

Comparing Ithacas to Parker, AH Fox, etc.
 

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?

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