Ithaca SBT - Page 4

Bill Murphy · 07-18-2022, 07:01 AM

Stan, I checked and everything seems to be OK. Can you check your trash box to see whether your computer rejected because of the scans attached? I sent an email without the scans to the same address to check.

Bill Murphy · 07-18-2022, 09:50 AM

Yup, had your email wrong. Just sent the scans again.

Stan Hoover · 07-18-2022, 02:55 PM

Thanks Bill,

Here it is

Bill Murphy · 07-18-2022, 05:48 PM

Stan, that is obviously the original Ithaca order book that coincidentally includes both your great 5E and my Sousa. Hope you enjoy looking. Both of our guns were probably shot at the 1930 Grand American Handicap, at least test fired.

Stan Hoover · 07-18-2022, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Murphy

Stan, that is obviously the original Ithaca order book that coincidentally includes both your great 5E and my Sousa. Hope you enjoy looking. Both of our guns were probably shot at the 1930 Grand American Handicap, at least test fired.

That’s great Bill,

I will be checking a few other of those serial numbers,

How about we unite these guns again at Rock Mtn, shoot a round of wobble trap?

Stan

Researcher · 07-19-2022, 04:10 PM

From this invoice, by October 1942 these fully loaded NID trap guns, most in the same serial number range as those in the 1930 invoice, were going cheap to the Dardevle man in Detroit.

Oct. 17-1942.jpg

Bill Murphy · 07-19-2022, 06:34 PM

Interesting invoice, Dave. This kind of low ball pricing of our favorite shotguns happened to all companies. The thirties were a bad time. The classified ads in the 1930s American Rifleman make for very interesting reading.

Kevin McCormack · 07-19-2022, 07:41 PM

This is one of the greatest threads of the past 3 months, but it is beginning to test my patience severely! We need to see MORE pictures of these great Ithaca SBTs and more definitive information (Stan, is the "Silver Bird" gun inlaid with silver or platinum? - I actually shot a 6 or 7E grade around 1970 that had a pheasant inlaid on the receiver in platinum!)

Owners of these gems of the bygone age need to bring them out to shoots more and more so we can oogle, handle, and (if it suits the owners) actually shoot them to experience the niche of the 'Golden Age' of American trapshooting. Of course, the candidate shooter(s) need to be worthy of the task - when Bill Murphy offered to let me shoot his Sousa Grade SBT from the 27 yard line, I jumped at the chance - then ran the station (2 birds!!).

I have long thought that Ithaca Guns had the most beautiful checkering patterns and execution, especially in the higher grades. I hope we see more of them at our upcoming events and shoots; looking forward to some gems at The Rock next week!

Researcher · 07-19-2022, 08:09 PM

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.

Kevin McCormack · 07-19-2022, 08:31 PM

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!