Ugh! How bad is it out there?
 

A friend has a nice New Ithaca Double shotgun with condition, 16 ga, Grade 2 IIRC.

Sounds nice, except it appears value on these are toast, although I can’t figure out precisely how bad.

What would you pay for this?

Seems to me that value on all doubles has tanked recently. Side by sides are hard to sell and 12 ga guns are in a coma.
Bob Jurewicz

Pics would help establish what someone would pay.

It is true that NID's, even with condition do not get the love that Parker or Fox guns do, I think that they do sell for a reasonable price. Especially sub gauges like the one you describe. It may take a little longer to sell though.

I recall some engraving and so I guessed the grade. It’s only a field grade, and I generally avoid shotguns with recoil pads. 2 3/4” chambers, single trigger, but appears not to be factory work. Condition very good. 1939 production. What would you say for this?

And more photographs…

And still more photographs…

What make is the single trigger? And running a cleaning patch through those bores will make the gun more attractive.

Plusses: 16 ga
Minuses (to me): SST, recoil pad
Deal maker or breaker: Fit and chokes.

This is a shooter and has no particular collectors interest. If it fit me, was choked modified and full, and I needed or wanted another pheasant gun, I would bite at $600. JMHO.

That is Ithaca's Harry Howland designed non-selective single trigger. A minus selling point as far as I'm concerned. The non-selective single trigger was introduced in the second 1932 Ithaca Gun Co. catalog, the same one that introduced the Magnum-10 --

Attachment 137061

Attachment 137062

While it was $6.50 on an NID, it was $4.60 on a Lefever Nitro Special and $3.50 on a Western Arms Long Range.

In this market, I don’t think there are many Ithaca shotguns that are collectible and so most are shooters.

I might just walk from this one despite being nicer than most out there.

How do I figure out the make of the trigger?

The 2 and 4 choke markings on the barrel flats indicate it left Ithaca choked modified and full. A repro Ithaca "bridge trestle" recoil pad and a bit of finish touch-up and it would be more pleasing.

I don't think that many buyers studying (casually watching) the market understand that field used, abused, modified guns in lower grades have never sold for serious money nor have they sold for what you think they should have sold for, or not sold. Nothing much has changed in the collector market.

I thought the one I was offered was better than most with regards to condition and the only “abuse” was the recoil pad addition and possibly the trigger if not original, and if factory, a plus.

The seller, a friend, paid $1200 for it many years ago.

This is an Ithaca NID 16 Gauge, all original, that sold for about $1800 last year.

Ian,

As noted by Dave, it is an Ithaca produced single non selective trigger, designed by Harry Howland and Ithaca employee.

I have a few of these on Ithaca’s that I use and can never recall an Ithaca non selective trigger ever failing. My favorite grouse gun, a 20 gauge has one of these, never a problem.
I shoot Ithaca single selective trigger on a regular basis, had a few issues here and there, but not enough to scare me away from purchasing another Ithaca single trigger. My experience with more than one Kautsky single trigger has been less than favorable, enough to make me think twice before purchasing another.
These are only my experiences and opinions, so take it for what you paid for them.
The gun you show is all there and original in every way except for a pad having been added. Remove the pad and add a Repro Ithaca Sunburst pad and you have a very strong good looking 16 that will handle any 2 3/4” ammo on the market, of course not steel waterfowl loads.

I’m sort of thinking of getting a 20, 28, or .410 ga Ithaca as these are much cheaper than I thought. IF I was to offer my friend money for this, what should I offer? He’s a bit realistic about the current market, and said he was offered $1200 by a dealer 3 or 4 years ago and was going to do something with the recoil pad if he purchased it. He said he had about that into it, which is where I came up with he had $1200 into it. But my offer might be an insult, but such it is.

There’s a lot of junk Ithaca’s on the market, this one seems nicer than 80 or 90% of them but nowhere near as nice as the $1800 example posted to this thread.

I thought until today it to be worth somewhat closer to the $1200 range than the mid 3 figure range simply because I always thought a single trigger added value and I always thought the value of a N.I.D. to be double that of a Flues.

Ian, giving you an exact price is in the eye of the beholder. It is worth what you are willing to pay for it and what the seller will sell it for. If I were to ballpark a range I would say from $800 to possibly the $1200 your mentioned. But just because that's what the seller has into it offer what you are combatable with paying and let him decide. Remember, it is always easier to buy a gun than sell one.

Yes, it IS always easier to buy a firearm than to sell one.

When I handled this side by side yesterday, it handles like any other fine double, it is tight, the engraving is quality, the workmanship is excellent. It surprises me that these can be had for so little.

Ian, If you like the gun and it fits you I would go up to $1200. Like said just swap out that recoil pad for a sunburst pad. The gun looks better than most NID's. and it's a 16 with 2 3/4 " chambers.

How do I get a sunburst recoil pad and how much does that cost? How difficult is it to fit WITHOUT damaging the finish on the stock or refinishing it?

I bought it for $1150. Why? A few considerations. Spend a little less, find one on gunbroker, deal with shipping, sales tax, and the FFL, it was easier just to buy this one. Plus, the one posted to this thread that brought $1800 tells me this isn’t a $600 shotgun, it’s not like the junk on Gunbroker currently.

Plus, at my point in life, and I’m as cheap as they come, sometimes you no longer give a rat’s ass about a few hundred dollars one way or another.

Plus he’s a long time friend who was offered $1200 for this several years ago.

And he’s a friend, I’ve known him over a quarter of a century.

Plus, he doesn’t have junk and this last statement might go a LONG way…I have this 20 gauge VH Parker I might want to sell now.

I've bought and sold quite a few NID's. In general, it is considered by a lot of people the strongest of all the classic doubles, is very durable. The fact that it was made in great numbers and they are readily available has kept the price down to an attractive level. Over the last 10-15 years, I have found (and sometimes sold) a number of 16 and 20 gauges similar to the $1800 gun pictured. Most were around the same 1800 to 2000 range. All were Field grade. When you get into NIDs of any higher grade, the price escalates. A high grade NID in good shape is a work of art, particularly their engraving when you get to 4 grade or above. One thing of note is that the later field grades often had exceptional wood for the simple reason they were essentially closing them out from the late 30's until 1948 or so and used whatever wood they had on hand.

I have always shot them well and liked their weight and balance.

Ian, here is your pad:https://connecticutshotgun.co/ithaca-sunburst-pad/

I obviously need the small one, dimensions are 4 7/8” x 1 7/16”.

How difficult are these to fit? Or, grind down, and with what?

Obviously, I have to grind off 1/8” lengthwise and 3/8” width wise, make it symmetrical, and fit right.

Or should I just consider a buttplate? Length of pull from trigger to end of stock (minus buttplate) is 12 3/4” from the single trigger which is in the rearmost position.

“Description

Authentic reproductions of the red rubber recoil pad that graced so many guns produced by the Ithaca Gun Co. Manufactured in the United States from original designs, these classic pads can be fitted to most stocks. Total pad depth is 1", including the 3/16" black 'hard rubber' base. Large: 5 5/16" long x 2" wide, screw holes are 3 1/8" apart. Small: 5" long x 1 13/16" wide, screw holes are 3 1/16" apart.”

I ordered this recoil pad. Any tips?

Find a professional gunsmith to install it.

Who some highly recommended in southeastern Pennsylvania and what should I expect to pay for this service?