http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=...rchID=73234925574921

The familiar but tattered Ithaca Gun name can
once again be listed with shotgun manufacturing companies.

It's now Ithaca Guns USA, LLC, and headquarters is Upper Sandusky, Ohio.

The move from moribund to viable happened, or is
happening, fast. When I ran across the Web site
(http://www.ithacagunsusa.com/) last week, it was
still under construction and I was only the 700th-something visitor.

Craig and Floyd Marshall, owners of MoldCraft, a
molding and tool and die company that makes
plastic molds for fast food chains' salad bowls
and the like, purchased the rights to the Ithaca
Gun name, designs and inventory in December.
Using their 30,000 square-foot CNC
machinery-equipped plant and Ithaca Gun plans and
specs, the new company is already turning out
variations of the Model 37 pump that has been the
flagship of the troubled Ithaca Gun name for early 70 years.

"We've been in business for 36 years," said Craig
Marshall from his office Monday afternoon. "We
had the machinery and the know-how— and frankly I
find the gun business far more exciting than molding salad containers."

Ithaca Gun LLC, which was formed in 1995 to
purchase the company's name and assets following
the failure of Ithaca Acquisition Inc. in King
Ferry, failed itself last summer.

The company moved from its rented factory
quarters in King Ferry last spring in
anticipation of being purchased by a Rhode Island
entity. When the deal fell through, Ithaca Gun
LLC — which had defaulted on a development loan
from Cayuga County and faced significant federal
and private debt — closed its doors.

The company's barrel machine was lost as
collateral and most of the remaining tooling was
sold off, but netted just $8,200. The Marshalls
entered the picture in the fall with a purchase
offer, and a deal was was finally negotiated a week before Christmas.

"I think the former owners deserve credit in that
they turned down a larger offer to assure that
manufacturing would remain here (in the United
States) and quality would be maintained," Marshall said.

The guns are identical to those made in the past,
but Marshall notes that the use of better steel
and new manufacturing processes will improve the
quality. The company is building variations of
the Model 37 bottom-ejection pump and has plans
to eventually redesign and build the Model 51
autoloader, the NID double and possibly the
elaborate Knickerbocker trap design.

They have a service department in place that will
service all Ithaca models with the exception of
the SKBs. The new company cannot honor the
warranties on guns built by Ithaca Gun LLC,
however, because of pending legal consideration.

Ithaca Gun was founded in the 1880s and was
managed for nearly 100 years by the Smith family
until it fell on hard times and sold out to the
company that owned Brunswick/AMF in the 1980s.
That Ithaca Gun entity went bankrupt in 1986 and
a Rochester-based corporation, Ithaca Acquisition
was formed to buy the assets in 1987. That
company moved the manufacturing plant from its
original site on Fall Creek in Ithaca to a school
building in King Ferry in 1989. Ithaca
Acquisition failed in 1994 and Ithaca-based Ithaca Gun LLC was formed in 1995.

The Ithaca Mod. 37 (referred to in ads after WW2 as the "Featherlite") was just never much of an upland shotgun in my book. I was using one around 1948 or so. It's being lighter (in 12 ga.) by as much as a pound wasn't its flaw. In fact it was a selling point for grouse hunters like me. What soured me on the shotgun was that it had bottom ejection and the fact that it very lightness changed my timing in a swing. (About the bottom ejection -Like many grouse hunters I had an inclination to push out my left leg and crouch as the bird went up. A missed first shot and me pumping the action popped the empty against my outstretched thigh of my left leg - and distracted me for a nanosecond in pumping in the second round. Yeah, sure, I agree that I'm making excuses - but it did send me back to more conventional pumps- along with the fact that the "whippiness" of the light barrel threw my swing off) I wonder how many others felt the same way at the time? Gun companies can fail for a variety of reasons.

I could not disagree more with Gerry's opinion of the Ithaka Featherlite's.

I have used one for over 40 years in 12 ga and 16 ga for upland grouse hunting. It's the light gun that can make the fast shot and thats the hunting style that works for me.

The quality of those Ithaka's is superb. Talk about "Pre-64" on Winchesters. A nice old used but not abused Featherlite is a treasure.

Savage 99:

I should have said that the key word for me in using the "Featherlite" was timing. I really did feel that the barrel was too whippy. You have used one for 40 years and like it. I can't argue with success!. Perhaps if an impatient teenager had stayed with the Featherlite through more than one season, he also would be giving testimonials for it 40 seasons later!

The bottom ejection is a great thig for left handed shooters. My brother still uses a 37 that he recieved as a teen in the late 60's. I have shot it several times and really like the light weight and quick response.

As far as I can tell John Browning invented the Remington M17 shotgun and later Ithaca made it as the M 37.

M 17

I'm late on this, but if Ithaca brought back the NID it woudl be a great thing. I might even buy one, if they kept the price halfway reasonable, and I almost always buy old guns. Have a Philly fox with a Parker hinge pin that I love to death. IMHO the NID was the best double design that Ithaca made.

Try a 20 ga Model 37...they are really sweet!!

Gerry,
Your problem was you got use to that heavy 97
I'm glad the 37 is in production again. I hope they are doing it right! Being left handed they are about the best pump for me. I also have a couple of BPSs but the 37 "feels" better to me. Both my sons ended up with 37's also.

Sam:

I know you put a "smiley" after your remark that I had just gotten too used to that "heavy" 97 - but I read your remark - and suddenly thought: " That's it!". (I carried the 97 at ages 15 and 16 and I think also to age 17. I distinctly remember the 37 as a "new" shotgun when I was 18) Despite my rap on the 37, I really am happy if an old name is back again. (As I said to savage 99 who used one successfully for 40 years, maybe an impatient teenager should have given the 37 a better trial. I could have gotten used to a "quicker" swing. {You know what I mean by "quicker". I thought the 37 was "whippy". I just didn't realized that a new age in shotguns had arrived!

I'm glad to hear that Ithaca is still in this country, and is not out of business. I've handled a 37, but never owned one, owing my pump gun allegiance to the Remington 870. However, their ability to build a really fine double barrel I can attest to. Inherited a great 16 gauge Ithaca Flues #2 grade from my grandfather. Points, swings, and shoots like a dream....still. It was built in 1920, has gorgeous hand cut engraving, beautifully grained walnut, and is all original. If they could bring those back at a "reasonable" price it would be great.