Ithaca Wood
 

Just ran into this Ithaca grade 4. Gun is a mess but wood intact. One of the nicest I’ve seen on an early Ithaca.

Ithaca used very nice wood on their grade 3 and higher guns. They typically always used american walnut.

I love my Ithaca 4E 16. It has nicer would then my DHE 16

Pretty nice wood on my 1941 vintage, 16-gauge, 26-inch, No. 4E NID --

Attachment 79025

Attachment 79026

but it is a chunk at 7 pounds 2.6 ounces. My new to me December 1940 vintage, 26-inch barrel, 16-gauge, 1-frame, VHE-Grade weighs 8.8 ounces less.

yes, the ithaca's are heavy. I have 11 16 gauge shotguns and the Ithaca is the heaviest of all. But if I could only keep one 16 gauge shotgun it would be my Ithaca 4E 16, I shoot it better at both clays and hunting than any other 16 on I own

Hmmmm, my Ithaca guns (Flues and earlier) are easily among my lightest. And they do have nice wood in the mid-grades and higher.

Curious James, what is the problem with the rest of the gun. I used to have a grade 3 12 gauge with chain-link Damascus barrels, foolishly I sold it, but I never shot it anyway

More Ithaca Wood
 

From top to bottom:
1)4E NID 20 ga, 32" VR
2)4E NID 20 ga documented 2 barrel set(26 & 28")
3)5E NID 12 ga, 32" VR
4)4E Flues 12 ga, 32"

Even though these guns have obviously had some lip stick applied over the years it still demonstrates the quality of Ithaca wood IMO.

I had a late 1935 vintage New Ithaca Field Grade, 16-gauge, with 28-inch barrels, and it only weighed 6 pounds 7 ounces.

Ithaca did make some very light weight guns in the early years of the Flues model. By the mid-1920s, Ithaca had beefed up their Flues doubles quite a bit. In the 1912 through at least 1915 Ithaca catalogues they give their smallbore weights as --

16-ga 5 3/4 to 6 1/4
20-ga 5 1/4 to 5 3/4
28-ga 4 3/4 to 5 1/4

In the July 1919, Ithaca catalogue --

16-ga 5 lbs. 14 ozs. to 6 1/2
20-ga 5 1/2 to 6
28-ga 5 to 5 1/2

In the December 1, 1919, Ithaca catalogue --

16-ga 6 to 6 3/4
20-ga 5 3/4 to 6
28-ga 5 1/4 to 5 3/4

In the 1925 Ithaca catalogue --

16-ga 6 1/4 to 6 3/4
20-ga 6 to 6 1/2
28-ga 5 3/4 to 6 1/4

Thanks, Dave, I knew that the early Flues guns were advertised as light in weight. I went back and checked my Flues models (not the NIDs) and here's what I have:

#4 20 gauge 6 lbs.
#1 12 gauge 6lbs. 14 oz.
Field 16 gauge 5 lbs. 14 oz.
Field 12 gauge 6 lbs. 7 oz.

my 20ga 1920 grade 1 Flues weighs 6lbs 4.8 oz - 28 inch barrels

Here is the wood on a 12 gauge NID field grade that I have. It is a late gun being built in 1941. The theory is that Ithaca used up some of there higher grade wood on field guns towards the end of production. This particular gun has 30” barrels and weights 7lbs 8oz. I also have a later 30’s built 16 NID that weights 6lbs 8oz.

A lewis or flues will usually always be lighter than a comparable NID in the same gauge. This is because of the design of the actions and how much metal is machined out of it. The NID is much more stout of a frame.

Flues guns especially are very lightweight in the frames. And the earlier versions are prone to the frames cracking when improper loads are used.

Wood on my 5E Knick SBT:

The checkering on Ithaca's is secondary to none also. That's a beauty Jason

I doubt there was ever an Ithaca as finely and intricately checkered as high grade Remington Hammerless Doubles --

Attachment 79447

Attachment 79448

Attachment 79449

I stand corrected, Dave, those are works of art

my dads old e grade lefever has the nicest wood on it than any of my other guns..this shore is some nice wood and really good engraving shone here...charlie....

Here are two others!

Enjoy Will

Dave,

You are right. Ithaca checkering on grade 4 and up has the Appearance of high quality with all the scalloped borders, ribbons and flurs in it, but the actual quality of execution and detail is usually lacking. It is just flashy to catch the eye.