[headoftheholler]

I will be honest, never a huge fan of shotguns, went forever with just a singleshot in the gun cabinet that I used forever. Then a friend brought in his Ithaca 37 and I fell in love. The 37 is on a John Browning patent, unique with a super short stroke, bottom feed and ejection, takedown, and able to slamfire (will fire continuously holding down the trigger and working the pump). Finally on facebook one popped up and I jumped on it. Here we have it as I picked it up:
http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m15/larryslamps/19330_478303475566305_349688744_n.jpg
It was made in '74 and had a funky weaver red dot of the same vintage. Some previous owner had slopped some time of finish on it (without removing the metal) but I could see some pretty wood peeking behind the almost 40 years of dirt and dents.
First job was to break everything apart and strip the stock and forearm with a chem stripper. One one side was a huge chunk of wood missing, so I mixed some of the sanding dust with epoxy to fill and sanded smooth, Hello tiger stripes:
http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m15/larryslamps/DSCF2044_zpseb07dd95.jpg
http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m15/larryslamps/DSCF2045_zps84f5d0b9.jpg
Next I started on the metal, breaking all the small parts out , soaking in kerosene and wiping off and into baggies with CLP, the reciever was sanded down to bare metal (note the numerous D&T holes from the red dot sight)
http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m15/larryslamps/DSCF2072_zps067b7888.jpg

I am really digging the rust bluing. Not as high gloss as hot salt bluing but more durable and I can do it at home, used Herters Belgian Rust blue.
In the meantime every moring and every night (before and after work) the stock and forearm got light coats of truoil till the grain was filled and refinished the old recoil pad that was very springy still. Damn shes lookin hot now:
http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m15/larryslamps/DSCF2125_zps45c4afe0.jpg
Ordered some positive stop plug screws to fill the holes in the reciever and got her put together, what do you think?
http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m15/larryslamps/DSCF2154_zps3df6e901.jpg

[headoftheholler]

More pics:
http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m15/larryslamps/DSCF2174_zps5b27220c.jpg
http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m15/larryslamps/DSCF2163_zpsede41b11.jpg
http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m15/larryslamps/DSCF2172_zpsd3f92ce6.jpg

[josiewales]

Good job! Beautiful shotgun!

[USAF_Vet]

That wood is beautiful. Not really digging the engraving on the receiver, but I'd say from where it began to where it ended up was quite a journey and well worth it. Well done.

[headoftheholler]

That wood is beautiful. Not really digging the engraving on the receiver, but I'd say from where it began to where it ended up was quite a journey and well worth it. Well done.
The engraving is a signature Ithaca 37 quirk, almost 75 years its been on 37's.

[Sam1911]

Congrats on a job well done!

[stan rose]

Excellent job. The Ithaca 37 is by far my favorite shotgun. Good luck with it. Again beautiful job.

[Carl N. Brown]

You will find that bird hunting engraving on some of the Ithaca 37s sold to the military and police, too.

[jaguarxk120]

The Ithaca Model 37 is a outstanding shotgun, ALL steel, no alloy, no plastic, no stamped parts. Walnut stocks and lighter than most pump guns out there.
Great job, now go out and find a 20 gauge, there's nothing like hunting with the Ithaca 20.

[Bull Nutria]

excellent refurbish job!!very impressive!!

Bull

[hoghunting]

Great job. My 37 doesn't have wood with that kind of grain, lucky find.

[chas08]

Great Job! I have a 16 ga mod choked Model 37 that has found a home forever! They are great Shotguns! Mine was made in 1957!

[Milkmaster]

Job well done! That model 37 will last a lifetime and more. It should have a scene engrved on the right side as well. Mind telling us how much you have invested in it?

[Mat, not doormat]

Sweet! The 37's one of my favorite repeating shotguns. There are two I like as well: the 870 wing master, and 1100, and only one I like better: the Auto 5.

[musicman10_1]

Ithaca 37 shotguns are my new favorites of the shotgun world. I have acquired 2 and am on the lookout of more. Your refinish looks excellent! Good work.

[headoftheholler]

Job well done! That model 37 will last a lifetime and more. It should have a scene engrved on the right side as well. Mind telling us how much you have invested in it?
I actually traded a K31 swiss for it dead even, had about 200 in the swiss, as for the refinish , I had all the stuff on hand to do it with.

[Fiv3r]

I love my 37 DSPS. Simply the best firearm I own, and I would sell every other gun in my collection before I got rid of my 37. Twist my arm, and it would be the only gun i would own for the rest of my life if you made me pick just one.