Ithaca sxs 20ga

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deke
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Ithaca sxs 20ga

Post by deke » Thu May 30, 2013 10:37 am

I am trying to remember what kind of gun I first hunted with. It was my grandpa's gun, and I loaned it to my cousin to go quail hunting, then grandpa died weeks later. Magically the gun went "missing". I know it was an Ithaca, it was a sxs and a 20 ga. The wood was not fancy at all, it had fixed chokes, pretty short barrels, no engraving from what I can remember. I remember my grandpa telling me not to drop it on the buttstock because that model had a tendency to go off. I know it was on the cheaper side, he let a 8 year old shoot it. Any suggestions, I have been looking online for the last couple days to try and narrow it down. I want to find one to restore, and hang in my man room, pass down to my kids from their grandpa. Any help would be appreciated, I know there are some Ithaca guys here.

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Re: Ithaca sxs 20ga

Post by highcotton » Fri May 31, 2013 9:18 am

Depending on the time period you are talking about it could be one of the Ithaca's made by SKB. The model 100 is a sxs with splinter forarm and extractors. The model 200 is a sxs with beavertail forearm and ejectors. Both are excellent guns but are getting harder to find and going up in price.

Following the 200, SKB made a model 280 which was a sxs with English stock, beavertail forearm and ejectors. Later they made models with screw in chokes (model 385) I do not care for the 385 because they are heavy and chunky feeling.

I have several of the older guns (100 sxs, 200 sxs, 280 sxs, 500 o/u, 600 o/u, and 700 o/u) and can vouch for their excellent quality. In several years of hard use I have only replaced one firing in a model 600 (410 bore o/u). All the rest just keep on ticking. I love my model 200E in 20 gauge for quail. It has 25" bbls and very open chokes.

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deke
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Re: Ithaca sxs 20ga

Post by deke » Fri May 31, 2013 9:51 am

This gun did not have ejectors, so I am guessing that narrows it down to the 100? What is the difference between a beavertail and splinter forarm

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Re: Ithaca sxs 20ga

Post by nikegundog » Fri May 31, 2013 10:04 am

deke wrote:This gun did not have ejectors, so I am guessing that narrows it down to the 100? What is the difference between a beavertail and splinter forarm
http://www.hallowellco.com/beavertail_a ... orends.htm

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Re: Ithaca sxs 20ga

Post by highcotton » Fri May 31, 2013 10:09 am

The splinter is a very narrow short forearm just big enough to keep you hand from getting burned by hot bbls. The beavertail is much wider and actually wraps part-way around the bbls. Go to gunbroker.com and search for skb 100 and 200 and you will see the difference.

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Re: Ithaca sxs 20ga

Post by Mountaineer » Fri May 31, 2013 11:33 am

Well...since folks tend to consider many scatterguns old with two rows of barrels, it may have been an Ithaca/SKB.
I'd say it was likely not a Flues but I will hold out hope for you that it was a NID.
Photos, better dating and a description would be the best route to take towards achieving identification.

The 280 I/S did have a short barrel of 25" and was choked open being marketed for quail....believe it also sported a raybar.
Did you gpappy's have a raybar?

Either way....many NIDs and I/Ss out and about, with the latter representing good value for the money and the former, toughness and a swell trigger.

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Re: Ithaca sxs 20ga

Post by DonF » Fri May 31, 2013 11:42 am

Ithica Ray Bar, haven't see it mentioned in a long long time. Seem's to me that Ithica did make a sxs themselve's but that was long ago. I'm 67yrs old and my grandfather lived well back in the time period they may haave been found. But if the grandfather is a relatively new comer to this world, a gun from that time period may have been extreamely hard to come by. The Ithica/SKB's were very nice gun's. Sitting here thinking, wasn't Ithica at one time part of or owned Lafeaver?
I pity the man that has never been loved by a dog!

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Re: Ithaca sxs 20ga

Post by Mountaineer » Fri May 31, 2013 12:26 pm

As noted, Ithaca was best known for the Flues and the NID in a double.

I believe that they did have a connection(they were never owned by or part of Lefever, more the other way around) with the Nitro Special post WWI sometime, which was an offshoot of Lefever w/o being represented by the genius of the true Lefever design.
An older scattergun, if so-marked, could be another possibility for the OP's question...seem to recall they were made in 20 gauge....the NSs were pretty much a strong but low-cost option.

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Re: Ithaca sxs 20ga

Post by deke » Fri May 31, 2013 2:00 pm

I don't really remember much about the gun, the last time I saw it I was 11 or twelve. The information I am getting is coming from my father, who is not a gun guy. I have seen some of the skb 100's online and from what I remember that is what it looked like. Grandpa was 75 when he died, and that would of been twelve years ago. I am thinking it was not a very old or expensive gun.


Mountaineer..... no idea what a NID is or a raybar?

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Re: Ithaca sxs 20ga

Post by Mountaineer » Fri May 31, 2013 2:37 pm

I'm sorry, I should have been clearer...the early popular Ithaca SXS was the Flues model.
It was followed eventually with improvements of various kinds in the guise of the NID model...New Ithaca Double.

Raybar was, still is, an orange plastic front sight in the rough shape of a cylinder lain horizontally.
Ithaca coined the term and occasionally used that sight configuration.

With your gramps born around 1925...the NID ceased production with WWII or just post, I think but...????
The Knick trap gun continued after but I believe the war put the quietus on the SXS production.
The SKBs came around the late 60s????(sorry my memory is so bad)....your gramps would have been what? 40ish? then...maybe he purchased one at that time or inherited from a family member or friend an older model....w/o the scattergun, there may be no real way to determine.
Find one that stirs the memory...don't just keep the one you find on a wall though.
Shoot the bluing off it and remember gramps often.
As is said..."they were all made to be used."
Good Luck

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Re: Ithaca sxs 20ga

Post by big_fish » Sun Jun 02, 2013 2:31 pm

maybe the lafever nitro? seen one in 12 and another in 20 just the other day. had my hands on a notro special that was 1929 by the numbers if Im not mistaken
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Re: Ithaca sxs 20ga

Post by deke » Mon Jun 03, 2013 9:53 am

Just talked to my old man over the weekend, he told me that the gun did have ejectors, and that the wood on it looked really cheap almost plastic.

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Re: Ithaca sxs 20ga

Post by Mountaineer » Mon Jun 03, 2013 2:56 pm

deke wrote:Just talked to my old man over the weekend, he told me that the gun did have ejectors, and that the wood on it looked really cheap almost plastic.
That "plastic" could be a refinish and not indicative of much as to origin.
As well, some factory finishes look a bit like a northwoods bar prior to opening.

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Re: Ithaca sxs 20ga

Post by roaniecowpony » Fri Jun 07, 2013 8:23 pm

The reference to a "plastic" look, makes me think one of the SKB (Japanese) imported guns from Ithaca were probably what you had. New Ithaca Double (NID) guns had a traditional oil based finish up to when they went out of production in the late 40's. Earlier Flues guns had oil based finishes as well. The last U.S. made Ithaca was the NID ending in the late 40's and restarting again under the Ithaca Classic Doubles (ICD) banner by an entrepreneur that bought the right to use the trademarks in the 90's. They didn't last long until quality of supplier made parts and low sales volume buried them.

Ithaca also imported Perazzi o/u guns for a time. A friend has an old Comp One imported by Ithaca.

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Re: Ithaca sxs 20ga

Post by david0311 » Sat Jun 08, 2013 7:39 am

Believe I may have what you are talking about-mine is a 200S SKB--20ga.--25" tubes and ejectors --purchased in early or mid 70's--if you PM me a phone # I would tx you photo's--to help your search--dc

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deke
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Re: Ithaca sxs 20ga

Post by deke » Tue Jun 18, 2013 10:02 am

Finally found it, It is an skb 100. Did a little detective work in the family and had one of my other cousins go shooting with the cousin who " has no idea" where the gun went. Thank you everyone who helped in my search, Now I just need to find a decent priced one to buy; and that could be tricky

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Re: Ithaca sxs 20ga

Post by big_fish » Sat Jul 27, 2013 6:16 pm

good luck my friend that could prove to be tricky.
I will take the dog and not the gun but never the gun without the dog !

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Re: Ithaca sxs 20ga

Post by Ms. Cage » Sat Jul 27, 2013 6:39 pm

We buy from http://www.gunbroker.com . we have bought 3 Ithaca Skb's . 2 100's and a 200.

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Re: Ithaca sxs 20ga

Post by Carolina Gundogs » Sat Jul 27, 2013 6:48 pm

+1 for gunbroker.com. I purchased my SKB 280 SxS from that site as well.

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roaniecowpony
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Re: Ithaca sxs 20ga

Post by roaniecowpony » Sun Jul 28, 2013 2:50 pm

Also, check out http://www.GunsInternational.com

I've bought from most of the major gun classifieds on the net such as GunBroker, GunsAmerica, GunsInternational, and a few others. They are all good sites, but transactions are only as good as the two parties involved.

When doing an internet buy, get clear pictures of all the areas of the gun you should be interested in. Ask all the questions before sending money. Your questions for a double shotgun should include at least:
Any non-factory modifications? Shortened stocks, sanded wood below the metal, lowered combs, refinished metal, opened chokes, are some of the more common ones.
What's the length of Pull?
What is the gun choked? actual measurements are needed since people open chokes all the time or you may end up with a gun you wanted for long shots, having no choke or less choke than you thought.
Any cracks in the wood?
Any repairs in the wood?
Refinished wood or metal?
Are the barrel rib solder joints tight?
What is your return policy? Get a no-questions asked return policy, if you can swing it, with a specified number of days for inspection AFTER you receive the gun. 3-5 days is common. Try to get a functional guarantee...the gun actually works.
Can you fire the gun during the evaluation period? Most won't allow it, but some will only stipulate that you use factory ammunition of good quality.

If you're looking for a SKB, search for a 28" length of barrels. Most were 25" barrels. The longer barrels will have a steadier swing, and longer sight radius and you'll hit more birds, I guarantee it. Although the chokes on the longer barreled guns were often Mod/Full, you can have them opened for shooting over a pointing dog to whatever you like for less than $100 by a competent gunsmith.

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