Ithaca NID SxS 20 ga....stocking update

dilly

dilly

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I've been sitting on this poor little gun for awhile now. I took it apart and fixed a closure issue. It locks up solid as a bank vault and the barrels are in nice shape. I have seen projects started on the stirlingworth fox model and was wondering if this one would be a decent starting point. It seems pretty robust...

Covid has me pretty bored...

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Discuss as needed. Tell me I'm nuts. Whatever...

I will not be installing a picatinny rail, a flashlight or eotech, or a bayonet FYI.
 
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I had an NID .410 that I had thought about having "customized". But I finally came to the conclusion that no matter how much was spent on it, or how pretty it was, inside it was still an NID. Not that there is anything wrong with them but I decided that I would pick a different gun if I was going to the trouble/cost of custom work.
 
Ok ,much to the Fox guys chagrin ill put it to you plain and simple ... its no better or no worse than a SW that's for damn sure!!!! its just as good a base for a custom as any of the rest of the old North American makers and ive been in them all , and will require just as much work ...a custom is for you
no one else - so don't ever jump in thinking you'll make money or even break even, if you like the gun and you have good bbls got some money to burn then full your boots !
 
cjdawe said:
Ok ,much to the Fox guys chagrin ill put it to you plain and simple ... its no better or no worse than a SW that's for damn sure!!!! its just as good a base for a custom as any of the rest of the old North American makers and ive been in them all , and will require just as much work ...a custom is for you
no one else - so don't ever jump in thinking you'll make money or even break even, if you like the gun and you have good bbls got some money to burn then full your boots !
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How dare you besmirch the good name of Sterlingworths everywhere. Bwahaha.

Actually, hadn’t thought of NID’s before but sounds like a great place to start. I’ll be sticking with SW and Huskies however.
 
This is just the feedback I was looking for. Special thank you to Mr Dawe. I recall you saying in another thread that there is no point starting a custom project with a mechanical “crap” gun. I read some articles that stated the NID was pretty solid. I am no engineer, but I looked at the guts and it seemed, like I said, robust. Perhaps a bit unrefined, but robust. Kinda agree with canvasback in that they aren’t as elegant looking as a fox, but not fugly either.

I’m also well aware there is a cost to a custom project and there will be no recovery...but that’s not really why I’m thinking about it. That fox custom thread still calls to me.
 
All joking aside, I think Chris is right. There are many good choices out there. Perhaps because your NID has no stock it’s hard to know but a key for me would be how it handles. Especially on what will likely be a carried upland gun.
 
it has the same locking system as the Fox , so really no complaint there -not that its better or worse than any other but it works ,the frame can be filed and sculpted and trued up ,if the bbls are good it'll make a nice little gun...handling on what it is now to what it will be later wont really be the same thing there's a long row to hoe.

And James I'm not disparaging the Fox name ...the only thing it has going for it is that little frame aesthetics and Mr. Macintosh love of the gun
 
canvasback said:
a key for me would be how it handles. Especially on what will likely be a carried upland gun.
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I do have an idea James as I have shot it. I found it as lively as my Ugartechea 20ga sidelock.

A little more on the gun. This gun was recently given to me by my Dad as a project (if I wanted to take it on). He got it many years ago in a package deal from a guy when buying some reloading supplies. It seems it has been "somebody's project" for some time. The guy Dad got it from had made a straight stock for it and had a spare blank. The receiver was as you see it in the picture. Apparently, the gun belonged to Jim Butcher (RIP) at one time, a well-known gunsmith in SW Ont, who started the project. Dad had a go at making stocks for it and managed to make it workable. After being shot and hunted a bit, it has just sat around on the rack. I always had a mechanical issue, in that it didn't stay open and the lever had to be moved over to lock it up. I recently dug into it (out of pandemic boredom) and quickly determined all that was wrong was a missing coil spring. The easy repair is what got me thinking...

The gun has 28" barrels with shiny bores. The chambers are 2.5" and it is choked 6thou and 12thou.
 
cjdawe said:
Ok ,much to the Fox guys chagrin ill put it to you plain and simple ... its no better or no worse than a SW that's for damn sure!!!! its just as good a base for a custom as any of the rest of the old North American makers and ive been in them all , and will require just as much work ...a custom is for you
no one else - so don't ever jump in thinking you'll make money or even break even, if you like the gun and you have good bbls got some money to burn then full your boots !
Click to expand...

And few would know better!! Well said!! :cheers:
 
dilly said:
I've been sitting on this poor little gun for awhile now. I took it apart and fixed a closure issue. It locks up solid as a bank vault and the barrels are in nice shape. I have seen projects started on the stirlingworth fox model and was wondering if this one would be a decent starting point. It seems pretty robust...

Covid has me pretty bored...

IViNiI5.jpg


xJn9lLE.jpg


Discuss as needed. Tell me I'm nuts. Whatever...

I will not be installing a picatinny rail, a flashlight or eotech, or a bayonet FYI.
Click to expand...

What, no toe stabber (bayonet )?
I’m out ;) ... well if covid has you bored what’s stopping you from getting to work on this project?
Hopefully all the parts are in your bin and sourcing isn’t going to be part of the project.
Don’t forget to document along the way .
Rob
 
I have all the parts and bits Rob. The cocking indicators are rounded over and the pins are marked up from being knocked through a few times, but it is all there. I took lots of pictures during tear down too.
 
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The bores are in really nice condition but there are little pits here and there like this. They ring like a chime when tapped and there are no dull "thunks" or places where the rib looks dozy. Anybody know if these can be touched up with a laser welder or the like? The only evidence of rust pits is where the forearm would have met the metal underneath.
 
So, I spent some time humming and hawwing. I spoke to Chris Dawe and got some good advice. I am leaving the metal alone and, after a really good ultrasonic bath, Its back together and functioning. I decided to have a go at making a stock for it. This IS NOT for the faint of heart! I have always had respect for those who can do this, but now...I have more...
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Grabbed a block of black walnut and inletted some of the front bits. Guessing how far I needed to go so I have enough left over to fit to the gun.
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First "fit-up". Started marking it with lipstick and sanding away the parts that showed contact.
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Couple days later, its on and tight as a mouse's ear. Looks like it will end up being a semi beavertail. The Ithaca latch doesn't allow for a slim profiled splinter, so rather than making it with a "belly", I think I will go semi-beavertail.
 
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