Ithaca 37 with a disconnector?

[Gunsnrovers]

Picked up my Ithaca 37 DSPS today. It was built in 1980 by the serial # and chambered for 2 3/4" shells.

The shotgun is "as new" and has never been fired. Oddly, the gun has a disconnector. I know this could be added, but had never seen this on a "new" Ithaca. Was this a factory option?

Thanks,

Jeff

 

[Badger Arms]

Jeff

Are you sure? The way Ithaca 'solved' the safety issue was to remove the 'nub' on the side of hammer. This causes the hammer to ride the slide forward. The way to tell without taking the gun apart is this: Empty the gun and clear the chamber, action, and magazine. Point the gun in a safe direction and pump the slide all the way back. Now, hold the trigger down and slowly push the slide forward. At the end of its travel, you will notice that the hammer falls. If the gun has the disconnector nub on the side of the hammer, the hammer will seem to push the action closed. If it's missing the nub, you will hear and feel a more positive strike of the trigger. Best way to tell is to take the gun apart and look at the side of the hammer.

 

[Badger Arms]

BTW, the only way you can add this feature is to purchase an old hammer and action latch. These parts are, IIRC, factory fitted also so you'd have to have some gunsmithing skills.

 

[Gunsnrovers]

hmmm

I'll fiddle some more. On my Winchester 97, Model 12, and my Stevens 620, you can simply hold the trigger back and pump out all the snap caps you want (or live fire). Was cycling the 37 with snap caps and you cannot hold the trigger and pump the gun. You have to let up on the trigger after each shell for it to cycle.

I will investigate further after work today (Tuesday). I am going to the range with it this weekend.

Jeff

 

[Chuck Dye]

My Dad's and my 37 Featherlights were made in the mid 1960's and are a few serial numbers apart. My Dad's has no disconnect function, mine does. The only known differences are that my Dad's was stripped, polished, and blued years ago and probably has a lot fewer round through it. Wear and tear? Overwork by the gunsmith during the polishing? I don't know. I have read (The Firing Line?) that the function was added long after the gun was introduced, though don't recall the details.

Not long ago, my Dad's 37 passed to my best friend. We forgot to warn of the slam fire. To the credit of my friend and the several other shooters who use the gun, the news came as a surprise: all get far enough off the trigger after a shot that a disconnect is not needed. For what it is worth My Dad discovered the lackof disconnect during a thorough testing of the shotgun when it was returned from the 'smith, never felt the need to seek "repair."

 

[Mike Irwin]

Ithaca added the disconnector to the Mode 37 in, I believe, the late 1970s or very early 1980s.

Yours might be one of the first ones with the disconnector.

 

[Gunsnrovers]

Thanks

Thanks Mike.

I am going to contact Ithaca and see what they say.

Your opinion is the most plausible. The shotgun shows zero signs of being torn down/gunsmithed so I can't see how it could have been added after it left Ithaca.

Otherwise, the gun functions flawlessly with snap caps and is very smooth. My prefered defense load for the last 10 years or so has been the Federal Tactical 9 pellet 00 buck. Curious to see how the Ithaca handles and patterns with it.

Jeff

 

[Badger Arms]

I think it is confusing what is meant by "Disconnector" here.

On the Original Ithaca 37, there is a part called the slide stop. This lever protrudes in the front of the trigger-guard. You push this lever up to unlock the action and pull the slide back without firing a shot. The hammer also disengages this stop when it falls allowing you to cycle the action. This part also has a notch which engages a nub on the side of the hammer. When the slide is pushed all the way forward with the trigger depressed, it releases the hammer. This causes the gun to fire. When operated without the trigger pressed, closing the action merely drops the hammer into the sear notch on the trigger.

On the new guns, this nub is omitted from the hammer. When operated with the trigger pulled, the hammer follows the bolt carrier forward. You can operate it rapidly and you might hear what sounds like a hammer strike but the gun will not fire no matter haw fast you shuck the action. The hammer is merely rapidly striking the bolt carrier before the firing pin and bolt are in position. When operated without the trigger depressed, closing the action still drops the hammer to the sear notch on the trigger.

Old guns slam-fire, new guns do not. It's that simple. As for a date when they switched, I think there MIGHT have been some crossover when old slam-fire hammers were used up as the parts were put on gun interchangeably with the newer guns but I'm only guessing from my personal collection which is spotty.

 

[Gunsnrovers]

mystery solved

Received the following reply from Sid Cleveland at Ithaca Gun-

"Yes, this gun was built with disconnect as the transition was made in
1975-76. It was offered after that only as an option to law enforcement
agencies."

Guess that clears up my little mystery.

Jeff

 

[ajacobs]

That last comment explains my 87 m&p that slam fires that I bought new in 93.

 

[Badger Arms]

You know, I've heard that also, maybe in an article or in the Ithaca book I read through once. I know that I've examined newer slam-fire guns but I do have a few police guns made after 1976 so that might explain it. Hmmmm, I wonder if they'd sell the hammer as an option to convert my non-slam-fire guns?