[Old and Reliable]

sn is 97247 and ALL numbers match- forearm iron, watertable and barrel flat- 32" Twist uncut barrels, will clean out the "Black Lab retrieving a dead crow in a coalmine at midnight" powder reside- then hang and ring test and mike wall thickness at breech and muzzles- McIntoshy's 1989 book- Best Guns- shows the first series Baker Ithacas as a boxlock outside hammer gun- with last sn aprox72xxx in 1889- Could this be the next series Crass- A-10 for Grade and Gauge stamped on the water table, possibly it is marked "New Ithaca Gun"replacement butt-stock and forearm, original period Black gutta-perchy- BP- ITHACA GUN CO

Some numbnut etched his ss number on the receiver- and the tangs do not fit right to the stock- so I will strip it down and clean it- and most likely offer it for sale as a "parts gun" the barrels and then the locks and hammers being the "main items" I should - follow up- barrels clean and clear, all "coal dust" swabbed out- No dents or dings and they ring well when suspended by lug and tapped with wooden dowel rod- Galazan step choke gauge shows Full in both barrels-rib is file cut and matted, brass front bead- very heavy breech walls-extractors slide back and out freely- receiver- with a pine block against the face and the hammers cocked, both firing pins dent the wood- triggers crisp and sears holding at full cock- barrels on face and removal of trigger guard bow shows same serial number in the inletted groove in the POW (uncapped grip) My guess- stock was refinished, no checking, and then re-installed- but just a SWAG for now-may ask Brad Bachelder to look at it for more clarification, then it goes up for sale here--addendum: No dents or dings ribs intact, original chokes- 32" dead money- uncut. Barrels weigh 5 lbs. 2 oz.- NO markings on flats or ribs as to patent date or proofs- Just the serial number on the front lug radius- wall thickness at breech both tubes- .3100" and at muzzles ..0720"--I believe this is a late (1899) Baker hammer New Ithaca Gun- not a Crass or Lewis-wish I had a copy of the Snyder book on Ithacas- "The red-headed stepchild" of the American double guns for reference- Once I have finished cleaning it up, I'll post it for sale on our PGCA sector with appropriate fotos- made prior to 1896- so no FFL required to ship and transfer--