WWII Imposter Bought an Ithaca

[scosgt]

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=463653535

I was bidding against you, but being retired I have better uses of the money.
I am not sure you even know what you bought:

There is a small run of Ithaca RIOT guns, probably less than 500. The numbers do NOT appear in the Ithaca archives retrieved from the National Archives.
They are UNIQUE. They are marked EXACTLY as shown in the auction, and are the only Ithacas so marked - with the US and NOT RLB.

It is though by collectors that these guns were bought from some distributors stock, NOT direct from Ithaca, and an arsenal someplace (NOT Springfield Armory) cut the barrels down and marked them with the hand stamped US.

All the guns that have been seen so marked fall within a narrow serial range of about 500 numbers, so the actual number is likely far lower, maybe as few as hundred or less. This is the first one I have ever seen on the loose.

Of course, the next project is to find some wood for it to restore it.

Congrats on a great purchase.

[ww2imposter]

Thanks for the encouraging words. I have recently decided to pursue riot sg's since the trench version is cost prohibitive. You are correct though, frankly I wasn't sure what exactly it was other than a WW2 Ithica riot sg and the price was certainly a no brainer. I hope it won't be too difficult to find a doner sg for the wood.

[Tom Doniphon]

The Ithaca records I have show a couple hundred riot guns, all with 22" barrels.

[SPEEDGUNNER]

What Bruce said, congrats on a great purchase...

[scosgt]

The Ithaca records I have show a couple hundred riot guns, all with 22" barrels.

I believe this is from a different lot. The ones we have observed have never been found in any records.

[Tom Doniphon]

I believe this is from a different lot. The ones we have observed have never been found in any records.

Yeah, probably so. Some records are missing, and I don't see hardly any of the Military M37s in the 52,xxx serial number range.

[scosgt]

We always just guessed that these were bought from a distributor and converted, rather than being a factory contract purchase. Narrow serial range, identical hand markings, obviously cut down. They started as 30" sporting guns and were grabbed in the general buy ups in the early part of the war.

[ww2imposter]

OK, being new to the WW2 riot 'sg' hobby I freely admit I know little at best. I have spent the last hour or so trying to find info about anything 'shotgun' on the National Archives web site. Could someone kindly enlighten me? Thanks

[scosgt]

Someone went there and found the Ithaca WWII records and then sold them. Some people have copies.

[joem]

Not a bad price and it has possibilities.