Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Noreen
The 1926 Ithaca catalog says the No. 5 inlays are pure silver, English Pheasant on the left side and "Bob White" of the Southland on the right. By the 1932 catalog the text is "pure gold or silver" and the right side is changed to a vanishing Woodcock.
|
I would love to track down the Ithaca factory order for the gun I am referring to. It was owned by Ralph Luttrell, one of the Founding Fathers and very heavy hitters of the National Capital Gun Club, earlier of Washington DC and later moved to Darnestown, MD. Mr. Luttrell was a wealthy DC attorney who had a stable of high grade SBT guns of all makes; Parkers, LC Smiths, Ithacas, Levevers, etc.
One day after struggling though a round of trap with our 20ga. field pump guns, Mr. Luttrell chastised a friend and I for not using a "real" trap gun for the game. When we told him we didn't own any "real" trap guns, he popped open the trunk of his Lincoln Continental and said, "pick one out that fits you. If you're going to shoot trap with me, you need to use a real trap gun!"
The gun that happened to best fit my friend was a Parker SC SBT 32". The one that happened to fit me best turned out to be a "Silver Bird" Ithaca, either a 6 or 7 E (I assumed commensurate with the engraving coverage). When I remarked to him that I had never seen a shotgun inlaid with Sterling silver, he replied a little indignantly, "That's not silver; its platinum!". Mr. Luttrell wound up shooting a very high grade LC Smith SBT. It was a great experience!
Threaded Mode