ithaca lewis 10 ga

[Jack Kuzepski]

Milt,

The Old Ithaca doubles were named after the designers, Lewis, Crass, Flues and Minier. Each model (Lewis, or whatever...) had grades Field, grade 1, grade 2, etc.... Look on the water table to see what grade yours is. The water table will be marked with the gauge, serial number and grade. You can check doublegunshop.com in the Other Useful Information section, click on High Grade Shotgun dates of production, then click on Ithaca. You can look up your serial number for the year it was made. I have a Lewis model 12 ga grade 1-1/2.

Jack Kuzepski

[Brent Francis]

Ive had an old Lewis that I bought 25 years ago. It is a field grade made in 1903 with fluid barrels and except that the wood varnish has darkened a bit and some of the case color has faded a bit you would swear it was a new gun. I shoot it some and its a pretty good trap gun but the old Ithacas mostly have alot of drop at the heal. On the other hand it is very well made and I think they are nicer looking than the later flues and NID models. I should have bought a beauty that just ended today on gun broker a grade 3 with chain damascus barrels that I think went for about 500. Im trying to go cold turkey on gun buying. The engraving on the old crass and lewis ithacas was beautiful arguably as good as any of the high grades of that time.

[StubTwist]

Originally Posted by Brent Francis

Ive had an old Lewis that I bought 25 years ago. It is a field grade made in 1903 with fluid barrels and except that the wood varnish has darkened a bit and some of the case color has faded a bit you would swear it was a new gun. I shoot it some and its a pretty good trap gun but the old Ithacas mostly have alot of drop at the heal. On the other hand it is very well made and I think they are nicer looking than the later flues and NID models. I should have bought a beauty that just ended today on gun broker a grade 3 with chain damascus barrels that I think went for about 500. Im trying to go cold turkey on gun buying. The engraving on the old crass and lewis ithacas was beautiful arguably as good as any of the high grades of that time.

I can't agree more with you regarding the Ithaca Crass and Lewis graded guns. James Tyson who has had articles in DGJ on Ithaca and probably the nicest collections of Ithacas I have ever seen.