Ithaca grade 3 Lewis
 

Dropped my wife off at the airport, she will be in Fla. for 10 days. Stopped at a little gun store and an old Grade3 Lewis 12 ga , with chain Damascus barrels was singing its siren song. Looking up the serial #, it appears to be from 1902. The gun is in overall good shape. The bores look good, the Damascus pattern still in good shape, with a couple minor dents. Nicely engraved, no case color, pretty wood with a chip out of the fore arm. I googled Ithaca Collectors Assoc, but guess their is no such org.
Since I was in my wifes car I didn't have my tape measure, choke gauge, etc. I'm pretty sure $500 will take it home, but I don't know diddly about Ihtacas. no pictures sorry--good deal?
I will need to go back and study it if I cant get it off my mind. Think I will pull out the old DGJ's and look at Ithacas.

Harold - you have 9 days to get it home and get used to it being there so that it doesn't stand out as new

the closest thing to an Ithaca collectors group is to post questions and pictures on the Double gun shop board and hope Walter Snyder responds

I don't know about lewis guns but a grade 3 Ithaca with chain Damascus for 500 bucks I would be going to the bank to get the money.

Thanks Rick, Eldon. I don't know much about Ithacas, but I know I like it--I only own one other 12 ga. , an early Fox pin gun Sterlingworth. Everything else is 16's and 20's.

Yeah, buy the gun. If it is all there and in decent conditon, it is a good buy.
Those grade 3 and up Ithacas are nice guns with some quality engraving.
I really liked the last grade 3E Lewis I owned.

Harold, you might try posting on this Ithaca site. Scroll down to the Lewis forum. It might not be very active though.

http://www.ithacaowners.com/index.ph...82ec47bf59bffc

A friend of mine has had excellent service with 2 different Lewis Ithacas. One has twist barrels and the other fluid steel- the latter barely weighs 6 1/2 pounds in a 12 ga. Great honest guns.

oK, I pulled the trigger, it's mine and for far less than the $5oo I was going to offer. The gun is in good condition, wood(except for chip on side of fore arm), chain damascus pattern, screws, etc. It is a light weight 12--havent weighed it yet.
My only real concern is barrel thickness and I was assured that if it is not safe, I could bring it back(30 days). It is in such good condition otherwise, that I doubt they have been honed out , but it is rather open choked.
Not going to do anything with it now, but the wood would be very nice if it were redone. I hope to be able to get some pictures tonight.

Mr. Pickens if it bothers you to much that it is a 12 gauge you can contact me.
:rotf:

sounds like a nice gun Harold

if you're not careful - you could end up liking a light 12