Ithaca 10 gauge NID magnum
 

I took a look at a Ithaca 10 gauge magnum yesterday and plan on going back to buy it today.
Its a grade 2 with 32” barrels with 3 1/2” chambers. By the serial number it was made in 1933. It has a beavertail forend and single trigger.
It does a an after marker Pachmyer pad that will need to be replaced.
Other than this it is in very nice high condition with very nice wood.
This gun weighs a ton, will need to weigh it when I get home but it seems as heavy as my 8 gauge.
I really don't need this gun but sometimes you can't walk away from a special gun. ( so much for my new truck fund)
My understanding is there was only 164 no. 2 guns manufactured.
I will post pictures when I get it.
In the meantime I have a few questions.
What would be an appropriate pad for this gun?
How common were these guns delivered with Single triggers and beavertails forend?
I will order a letter from Cody what information might I expect to get?
Can anyone tell me which issue of DGJ might have an article on these guns? Or possibly other publishers article worth reading?
Any and all feed back is appreciated.
Thanks Phil

I suspect a letter from Cody is the only way to know when an Ithaca NID Magnum-10 was made. From my observations I've seen features that don't match up with the chronology. I don't believe that sales of these very specialized guns took off very fast being introduced right into the very depth of The Great Depression. Here is the introduction from the second Ithaca Gun Co. 1932 catalog --

Attachment 117591

Attachment 117592

and an ad from the July 1932 National Sportsman --

Attachment 117590

Capt. Chas. Askins did articles "American Magnum Duck Guns" in the August 1932 Outdoor Life and "Magnum Shotguns" in the July 1932 The American Rifleman.

Capt. Askins apparently didn't keep his Magnum-10 serial number 500000 very long as Elmer Keith did an article "The Ithaca Magnum Ten-Bore" in the September 1935 The American Rifleman. Thirty years later, Elmer wrote "Long Shots and Far Away!" for the December 1965 Guns & Ammo. By then serial number 500000 had the hideous restock that it still had last time it was on the market.

Attachment 117595

Col. George W. Busbey wrote of his adventures with a Magnum-10 in his article "Magnumitis" in the 1957 11th Edition Gun Digest.

The Magnum-10 I use to own had a seven-slot Jostam Anti-Flinch. I'd suspect that the big 15-heart Hawkins repros would work well. The Ithaca bridge trestle pad at the time was no offered in a size large enough for these big guns but Kings Ferry made repros in a larger size.

When I had the Ithaca NID Grade 2 Super 10 I wanted a Mag 10 in the same grade to match it . Sad to say that goal was never reached .

Pictures
 

Pictures

Pictures

My field grade is over 10 lbs. It took a Fall turkey on the wing at 57 yards. My arm is now longer from toting that behemoth.

I believe it. LOL.
I need to hurry up and shoot this gun this weekend. Thursday I have rotator cuff as well as carpal tunnel surgery and shooting my magnum rifles and shotguns will be on hold until this fall.

Did you shoot factory 3 1/2” when you popped Mr. Gobble Bird ? I’ve shot 3 1/2” 10’s in a number of semi auto’s and a pump . But in the fluid steel Belgium barrels that were fit to my Grade 2 the factory 2 1/4 ounce stuff is stout to say the least .

I used off-the-shelf 3 1/2” shells. The gun really punishes my middle finger with the recoil (even with its weight). I started shooting the back trigger first to eliminate the issue.

mighty nice gun...the wood is really really nice....I too always wanted one of those big guns...charlie

Those Ithacas sure are purty!

I'm pretty sure that ithaca had there own pads at some point, I believe repos are still made.

Awesome! I have still yet to shoot a 3 1/2" shell in mine.

Bandage your finger and give it a whirl.

Very nice example. Congratulations!!

That is the 1935 and later shaped beavertail forearm. If you can, could you post a picture of the forearm loop on the barrels and the inside of the forearm? I see it doesn't have cocking indicators. Ithaca "officially" dropped them during 1935. So far I've only recorded three of the Magnum-frame NIDs with indicators, the Capt. Askins/Elmer Keith gun 500000 a No. 4E --

Attachment 117611

a Field Grade serial number 500114 --

Attachment 117610

and a No. 1 serial number 500223 --

Attachment 117612

I've recorded quite a few in between these three without indicators.

Gotta love that Snipe and Quail on the sides of a No. 2 no matter what gauge it is. My 28-gauge and Super-10 No. 2s --

Attachment 117613

That’s a fine Grade 2 10 bore magnum! I collected NID’s for many years, especially small bores and the Big 10! I had all the Grades up to 5. I found many of the guns were ordered with extras like ejectors, single triggers and beavertail forends. I suspect that buyers of these guns wanted them for specialized reasons and could afford the increased cost, even during the Depression. The Miller inspired single selective trigger you have in your gun, is, in my opinion, the best one ever made for all around use. Backing up a few decades, Walt Snyder (Mr. Ithaca) would supply me with much information, often including the original sales invoice. Hopefully, Cody has those and will supply them. Enjoy your new acquisition. It’s a dandy!

I may be glad this gun has a single trigger. Also have experienced recoil pain to my middle finger when shooting big guns.
I will order a membership from Cody tonight. I have other guns I need to research and the membership seems like the best way to go.
I also hope to start finding the articles Dave has referenced.
I did find some 2 7/8 and 3” shells the gun will be test fired tomorrow morning before it gets too hot.

There are trigger guards available. They clamp on or snap on the back of the trigger guard. They do work for protecting your finger

Dave will theses work? If not I will take pictures tomorrow.

I’ve got 100 new unfired uncut Remington hulls and a 600JR that’s for 10 3 1/2” I just might have to load a few full length shells with 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 ounce loads . All the 3 1/2” I’ve fired so far were factory .

That is a fine Grade 2 Magnum 10 you picked up Phil, doesn't appear to have been used hard and then neglected like some we see.

In my experience, most Ithaca Magnum 10's and 12's that I've observed with what appeared to be original pads, they were wearing the Hawkins red pad with the heart shaped vents. I also have a few that I acquired with the Hakins red rifle pad with the straight slots which I just never really cared for and plan to have them switched out.

Just my opinion, but you really need to have a correct pad installed on that lovely Ithaca while letting your shoulder and hand heal:)

As Dave mentioned, there doesn't seem to be no rhyme or reason as to when cocking indicators were used or not. I have consecutive serial #'s 500,030 and 500,031, both 12 gauge magnums. The gun ending in 30 doesn't have cocking indicators, 31 does. Perhaps customers were asked what their preference was, who knows.

Stan

Finger Guard
 

As for a guard for protecting your finger, I haven't really ever felt the need for that, but apparently the former owner of this gun did:rolleyes:

This one had a piece of metal soldered in to place behind the trigger guard loop if you will. This gun has a Miller marked single trigger with the less often encountered rocker button selector just forward of the trigger versus the selector being on the safety slide.
I would believe this trigger was definitely installed by Miller since Ithaca was producing their own single trigger by this time.

Those are perfect. That is the later style forearm latch introduced with the restyling of the NID line in 1935.

I look forward to getting a letter from Cody. It is always nice to try and find out who may have ordered a gun and what it might have been used for.
In this case it appears that it was manufactured much later than the data I located on line.
Dave appears to be spot on with his thoughts on being in the middle of the Depression slowing down orders.
I will definitly share h letter once I receive it.

I learned over the years through guns of my own, guns of other collectors and discussions with Walt S, that individual guns oftentimes laid in inventory for years, especially the much less often purchased 10’s, 28’s and 410’s. There are numerous examples of guns that were numbered very close to one another , but shipped up to 4 years years apart in my experience. This also holds true with the higher grades 4,5, and 7.

Funny about back trigger 1st. I started shooting my dads 12 ga. NID when i
was
14 years old. I was shooing 1 1/4 oz duck loads in it and every time I shot the front trigger 1st i would cut my middle finger open. I just couldn't reach the front trigger with my small fingers. I have a lump in my middle finger just behind my knuckle from healed up scar . Now I too shoot back trigger first 99% of the time with all my SxS's. On in coming birds thats the way it should be done any way after all they are getting closer.

scott
I have a super 10 and with all the test patterns i shoot i find the ithaca's shoot the tightest patterns. I did get a 99% pattern with a 1 oz of 7 1/2's with one of my super 10's :)

Scott, I'm glad to know there is another of the "lumpy finger clan" out there. :)

I guess I'm a wimp; I did NOT join the finger lump club! It only took a few finger bangs for me to determine that it was something I didn't care for; now, each and every one of my sxs's wears one of these, and even my Parker SBT which for some reason does it too (my two other SBT's don't). Say it loud: I use a finger saver and I'm proud :)!

https://i.imgur.com/rfRgUCpm.jpg

if i had that on my gun i couldn't reach the front trigger. :)

I don't even know they're on there.

The Horror!

:)

I owned my Magnum-10 for sixteen years and the only time I shot it was at high house skeet targets at the old Potomac River Gun Club standing about 60 yards back from the crossing stake with 2 7/8-inch loads. Finally sold it to the Hartmann brothers and later that year I saw it in Steve Lamboy's (ICD) tent at The Vintage Cup at Sandanona.

I shot it this morning. Didn't have an issue with bruising my finger but Damnnn….. did the 3 1/2 inch shells kick.i forgot i had some 2oz #4’s. Shot a card board box at about 70 yards. It shoots really tight and flat hammered that box.
A duck or goose could not fly through that pattern.

A little off the topic but where was the “Potomac River Gun Club” I thought myself pretty knowledgeable of the mid Atlantic skeet clubs , but I can’t say I’ve heard of that one or either forgot I’d heard of it :whistle:

I'll get my new stock on the S Fox, maybe we can try out both guns on them ducks during a Mearns hunt this year. Seems I remember a water hole near P Canyon lake?

It was on the Stump Neck Annex of the Naval Ordnance Station, Indian Head. The original range where I shot my Magnum-10 was on the flat right where Mattawoman Creek emptied into the Potomac. When Ed Nicholson became commanding officer he ramrodded building a new club a bit to the east-northeast on Rum Point where we were in the woods and not putting shot in the river. Two of the most perfect skeet/trap fields with cement block houses with concrete floors and bases for new Beomat machines that threw targets like they were on railroad tracks. About three or four commanding officers later and 9/11, we were shut down and thrown off the base. Held an auction of all our inventory and machines at Walter Golden's farm and divided the proceeds among the members. Larry Buckley the club president who's name was on the club's FFL kept that.

In reference to the articles that Dave mentions, does anyone know if there are websites where these articles can be read?
I also ordered a letter from Cody this morning. I am hoping the letter will provide the LOP as well as what pad may have been installed.
The letter will take about 6 weeks.

Doc Drew posted links to a couple of Super-Fox/progressive burning smokeless powder Outdoor Life articles this morning --

https://parkerguns.org/forums/showth...t=36489&page=9

Perhaps that source has the articles.

Great idea. I opened an account. Lots of access to many magazines but none with the date I needed.

Ithaca 10
 

Phil what in the world are you going to use the behemoth on! Must be those Indian Reservation turkeys!! I'm worried about my 76 yr old legs for our Mearns excursion in Jan so I hope your rotater cuff and shoulder will have good attention from the orthopedic man!!! We will talk soon. Best to you.