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