Alphecca: Ithaca Gun Co. Closes

June 23, 2005

Ithaca Gun Co. Closes

Ithaca Gun Company has been struggling for years and apparently they are throwing in the towel. From the Ithaca Journal:

AUBURN -- Mired in debt and struggling to compete, the Ithaca Gun Co. has ended production after more than a century in business.

"We're just tapped out, we can't do it any longer," Andrew Sciarabba, one of seven investors who own Ithaca Gun Co., told The Post-Standard of Syracuse.

Closure of the company, which had 26 employees, comes less than a year after it received $150,000 from Cayuga County for operating expenses. Ithaca Gun had missed its May and June payments on the loan, for which it had put up its equipment as collateral.

The company reportedly had recently completed a move from King Ferry to Auburn.

Sciarabba, whose group acquired the company out of bankruptcy in the mid-1990s, said Ithaca Gun was several hundred thousand dollars in debt.

Sciarabba said the company also owed several years worth of back excise taxes to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

The gun company, which had operated on a 2-acre site on Ithaca's Lake Street continuously since 1880 manufacturing shotguns, went bankrupt in the 1980s and was bought by new owners in 1989 and relocated to King Ferry.

I can't actually claim familiarity with their long guns but the name has certainly been around for a long time and become ingrained in the gun owning public's psychic. Sad news, but I don't think it's indicative of any particular trend. They were a small company and in any area of business (these days) small companies tend to fall by the wayside. Perhaps some of the other gun bloggers will post gun porn of the Ithaca firearms they own.

Posted by Jeff Soyer at June 23, 2005 07:17 AM

Comments

Ahhh crap. Another domestic shotgun manufacturer kicks the bucket. Only Remington survives from the golden years of US shotgun building. (Winchester is owned by the French arms conglomerate GIAT and their excellent shotguns are made in Japan by Miroku) Ithaca finally joins Parker, Fox, and LC Smith in the shotgun graveyard.
Ithaca was small but that wasn't their only problem. They made pump and some auto shotguns and that's it. Ithaca completely missed the Sporting Clays boom; which was the only new shotgun sales market of the last 15 years. They didn’t make a ‘Sporting’ auto-loader and they decided back in the 40’s to stop making doubleguns. They stopped importing SKB doubles in the 90's , and they stopped importing Perazzi's in the early 80's. US made doubleguns can't compete except at the very highest end market (>$10K and even then it’s a tough go – we’ve seen several try to emulate Connecticut Shotgun Manufacturing’s success and unfortunately fail). Ruger claims that they just break even on their US made Red Label/Gold Label guns, and every other entry level doublegun is made elsewhere (Italy, Japan, Spain, etc). Oh well - Adios Ithaca it was a good run. I'll continue to use my model 37 on ducks until one of us wears out (it'll be me). The only thing that’s going to cheer me up is to go shoot a couple hundred shells. PULL!

Posted by: Brent at June 23, 2005 09:47 AM

I had been looking for a Model 37 12 gauge for years, similar to the ones used in Nam. Finally found one but the butt plate was all messed up (original owner had put a recoil pad on it that melted??). I ordered a butt plate from Ithaca about 5 or 6 weeks ago and wondered why I never got it. Now I guess I know. If anyone knows of a source for an original Model 37 butt plate I would appreciate the information.

Posted by: Larry at June 26, 2005 11:17 AM

I ordered a 20gauge for my son in jan never got the gun they got my money. anything I can do

Posted by: gordon joris at June 27, 2005 11:31 AM

Does Anyone Know Where You Can Get Parts

Posted by: Larry Heck at June 27, 2005 02:26 PM

Parts can be obtained from the largest gun parts source in the U.S., Numrich Gun Parts Corp. Here's a link to their list of Ithaca models.

http://www.e-gunparts.com/model.asp?idDept=125

Posted by: Ralph at June 27, 2005 05:33 PM

If you ordered a gun or part from Ithaca call the NYS attorney generals office and file a compliant like I am for the stuff they did not send me.....Anyone want to buy a great gun company?

Posted by: Ed at June 28, 2005 07:48 AM

BTY - the AG's phone number is 315-448-4848. They will send you a form and said it is very likely you can get your money back - but take the gun if you have an option, it will last you forever and there are lots of parts and gunsmiths that can keep that gun working for 4 generations of use.

Posted by: Ed at June 28, 2005 07:52 AM

Ed, thanks for the number, I like you ordered a turkey special with slug barrel and did not receive it, thanks for the number. Although I would love the gun instead if offered, but that dont look like its going to happen.

Posted by: Bill at June 28, 2005 08:49 PM

I have owned and shot Ithaca 37s for more than 50 years. Maybe its what you get used to, but for me, there will never be a better hunting shotgun. They are very dependable and lightweight. I prefer hunting with them rather than my Remingtons, Winchesters and even Brownings. So, I will miss the company.

But, I have to say that the company has not provided good customer service over the last couple of years. I have a friend who sent his 37 receiver to them for reblueing about 8 months ago. To date, he has not got it back. Now with this closing, they have told him that they can't find it. He is more than a little upset.

Posted by: Lee Hoffman at June 30, 2005 04:45 PM

JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT THE CLOSING OF ITHACA. I HAVE BEDN TRYING TO CONTACT THEM FOR A WHILE NOW ON WHETHER STEEL SHOT IS SAFE IN MY MODIFIED CHOKE 37. NOW I KNOW WHY I GOT NO ANSWER.

Posted by: O.D. at July 4, 2005 07:25 AM

I have been searching for a serial number/date of manufacture list on the Mod. 37.
No luck so far.
I see the Ithaca website is inactive.
Can anyone provide source.
Thanks

Posted by: B. Baker at July 5, 2005 02:40 AM

I need to get a hold of principles in Ithaca gun
company. Have group of mid west investors who would be interested in looking at turn around possibilities for company. Can any one out there help?

Richard

Posted by: Richard Eaton at July 5, 2005 01:50 PM

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June 23, 2005

Ithaca Gun Co. Closes

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Colony: Alchibah