Sam1911
Moderator Emeritus
Hi!
I mentioned to my Dad this week that I'd seen a pile of Ithaca 37 pump guns at a couple of the local shops recently for what seemed like reasonable prices.
That got him waxing nostalgic for the 37s that his Dad and Grandpop had and so now I'm charged with finding us a decent one at a good price.
Assuming that I've got stock finish and bluing/metal finish covered, what items would you check for wear, abuse, or functionality if you were considering buying one as a shooter and to fill out a "working gun" collection?
I'm expecting to be able to at least field strip any gun I buy so, which internal parts are subject to battering and failure?
If it makes any difference, the cheapest I've seen was $149 for a 16 ga. with a polychoke and very little bluing left. The more average range seems to be $200-$350 for a 12 ga. with something between 50% and 85% bluing left.
(The most expensive I've seen was $500 for a 12 ga. that was brown with ancient rust and reminded me vividly of my Grandpop's bait knife that never left the bottom of the skiff. But that was at Cabela's and no one in their right mind would buy a used gun there!)
Thanks for the insights!
-Sam
I mentioned to my Dad this week that I'd seen a pile of Ithaca 37 pump guns at a couple of the local shops recently for what seemed like reasonable prices.
That got him waxing nostalgic for the 37s that his Dad and Grandpop had and so now I'm charged with finding us a decent one at a good price.
Assuming that I've got stock finish and bluing/metal finish covered, what items would you check for wear, abuse, or functionality if you were considering buying one as a shooter and to fill out a "working gun" collection?
I'm expecting to be able to at least field strip any gun I buy so, which internal parts are subject to battering and failure?
If it makes any difference, the cheapest I've seen was $149 for a 16 ga. with a polychoke and very little bluing left. The more average range seems to be $200-$350 for a 12 ga. with something between 50% and 85% bluing left.
(The most expensive I've seen was $500 for a 12 ga. that was brown with ancient rust and reminded me vividly of my Grandpop's bait knife that never left the bottom of the skiff. But that was at Cabela's and no one in their right mind would buy a used gun there!)
Thanks for the insights!
-Sam