Ithaca 37

[tightgroup tiger]

If it had had more length of pull and more drop at heel, it would (probably) have worked for me.

Dad had more drop at the heal put in this one. It just doesn't line up for me as well as my Win XTR 1500 does. But it's close.
He said when he bought it in 1952 he couldn't hit anythign with it either. After he had some stock work done on it he couldn't miss with it.
I only ever saw him miss one bird with this and it was a turket in top of a really tall tree. I may have been the shot just didn't get there. The turkey never moved.



who ever did the initial stock work in 1952 did a good job.

Edit to add,
A friend of mine reblued it for me and I redid the stocks on it in about 1995. He got sick with cancer after that and never got a chance to use it.
That's why it looks so pristine.

 

[Sniper66]

I've had the forerunner to the Ithaca 37, the Remington 17, which was an excellent 20ga. It was a beautifully restored shotgun. I shot it, loved it and sold it. Have also had and sold an excellent Remington 870 Wingmaster 12ga and grew up shooting one just like it...my dad's. The fact that I'm pursuing another 870 Wingmaster demonstrates which one I prefer. The 870 is the best seling shotgun on the planet. Simple and elegant design has proven to be hard to beat. Isn't it great to have so many options to choose from !!

 

[Gordon]

Frankly I don't understand the appeal of 870 particularly the 16ga. Is carrying 12 but shooting 16 the thing now? The only 870 I buy would be LW 20 with mohagony stock from 1970s.

Well the Remington 31 is far smoother and the 16 ga 31 was built on their 20 gauge frame .I am having a 16 gauge 31 barrel forcing cone lengthened and full opened to improved cylinder right now. The 870 is stronger with dual action bars and easier to service

• The Model 31 was a pump-action shotgun that competed with the Winchester Model 1912 in the American sporting arms market. It was designed to supersede the John Pedersen-designed Models 10 and 29 and the John Browning-designed Model 17.
• Smooth Action:
  The Model 31 is often praised for its smooth and effortless action, with some describing it as having a "ball-bearing action". While it didn't actually use ball bearings, the action was exceptionally smooth.
• Features:
  • Stroke Length: The Model 31 has a shorter stroke length (3-1/2 inches) compared to the Winchester Model 12 (3-3/4 inches) and the Remington Model 870 (3-7/8 inches).
  • Safety Placement: The safety is located behind the trigger guard, unlike the forward placement on the Winchester Model 12.
  • Slide Release: The slide-release button is located on the front right side of the trigger guard, making it easier to access than the one on the Winchester Model 12.
• Replaced by Model 870:
  The Model 31 was replaced by the less expensive to manufacture Model 870 in 1950.

 

[10Glocks]

I wanted to love my "new" Ithaca M37s that were made in Upper Sandusky. I bought two at the same time, sequantially numbered. In terms of material quality, I think they may be the best made shotguns produced. Pretty much 100% forged steel and walnut. But M37s, regardless of who made them, can develope timing issues. This issue manifests itself in a number of ways: double feeds, and throwing the next shell in the magazine onto the ground when cycling the slide, are the major symptoms. A double feed in an M37 can be very hard to clear.

Both of my "new" M37s developed timing issue within months of buying them, manifesting the double feed and shell on the ground issue almost 100% of the time. They essentially became single shots. Now, Ithaca has great customer service. They authorized returns of both guns. Ithaca replaced springs, a few parts, and, unfortunately, did some grinding with what appeared to be a dremel inside the receivers of both guns, as well as the magazine tube where it met the reciever. I wasn't too happy with the grind marks that were left inside that were shiny, but a few shots and I didn't have any problems. At least for awhile. Then the same problems started over again. Got to the point that if I had a shell in the chamber and some in the magazine, I would get a double feed, or a shell on the ground, again, almost 100% of the time. I ended up selling both of them. As nice as they were, they were some of the most unreliable guns I ever owned.

Now my 1975 vintage M37 has never been a problems and funstions perfectly. It always goes with me on my yearly quail/chukar preserve hunts.

 

[Random 8]

I have 2 M37 featherweights, both 12GA. One is an early 50s produced "corncob" forend that wears a 26" barrel that used to be full choke. This was purchased with lots of wear and blueing loss as a gun to stay at my cabin, plus a little bit of nostalgia. A few years ago, I had it bored to IC and left the longer barrel length. It still handles pretty snappy in the woods for grouse and waterfowl jump shooting. Slick as snot from all the wear. Function is perfect, I did have to replace the OEM magazine spring.

Second is a more modern featherweight with the vent rib and much shorter barrel, "square" forend. This was originally choked IC. Purchased as a LH and budget friendly option for my wife. It was a project gun when purchased. Stock was broken, and forend was finished with some gawdawful polyurethane resembling 1960s Rem bowling pin. Purchased and fitted a NOS unfinished plain walnut buttstock, lucky find at a local pawn and gun, bobbed 1.5" off LOP, oil finished and fitted a slip over leather shooting pad. I use a big slip on rubber pad to add LOP when I steal it for jump shooting!

My first repeating shotgun was an M37 FWT 16 GA. I dearly loved that gun. Wore it out to the point it was not functioning 100% reliably anymore, and sadly passed it down the line. Had it been 12Ga, I'd probably still have it, but the requirement for non toxic shot kind of made 12 Ga a NEED rather than a want for my hunting purposes. Took a butt ton of pheasants and grouse with that old gun though!

In the early 2Ks I spent some overtime money on a NIB M37 12Ga. I never loved that gun. Function was iffy...mine had extraction issues with some brands of steel shot. Balance never felt right, and it bit my cheek something fierce with heavy loads. The smooth modern lines and vent rib with FO bead just seemed wrong. Happily sold it, actually for more than I paid several years later!

 

[Speedo66]

Had a nice older one, sold it to a member here.

The problem with the older ones, as far as I was concerned, was that they didn’t make them with screw in chokes, and to change barrels, a new barrel had to be factory fitted.

Aside from that, I thought it was a great shotgun, especially for a left handed person like myself, because with the bottom ejecting, the empties weren’t ejected near my face. They even had a safety conversion kit to make the safety lefty friendly.

 

[tactikel]

I have a Remington Mod 17 too. It was my Grandmother’s “hunting” gun. In it‘s 104 years it has taken countless upland and waterfowl birds. It still runs as smooth as glass.

 

[nettlle]

I have owned and shot hundreds of rounds through a Model 870 . Remington 31, and an Ithaca Model 37 hunting upland game. The Ithaca is my favorite.

 

[I6turbo]

The problem with the older ones, as far as I was concerned, was that they didn’t make them with screw in chokes, and to change barrels, a new barrel had to be factory fitted.

As far as I've ever seen, the new guns are good too, but I'm a fan of the older ones. Pre-'55 ideally, but I don't think there's really a functional difference between my '50, '52, and '66 models. I did install early-model hand-checkered stock and corn-cob forend on the '66 model to replace the pressed checkering and more bulky forend, but again, that's not a functionality thing.

If one is willing to invest a few bucks into it you can have the screw-in chokes installed (in pretty much any shotgun). Michael Orlen installed Colonial screw-in sporting clay chokes (changeable by hand without a tool) in my 37s and they work perfectly. Last one I did was $80 for the choke installation and a few $ for shipping the barrel back and forth. I have several chokes (full, improved modified, modified, Skeet 1, Skeet 2, improved cylinder), which I believe were about $35 each direct from Colonial.

I like the 37 (and the Auto 5) with a short barrel.

 

[Highland Lofts]

To bad Ithaca is where it is in todays times.
Ithaca firearms was a good product for the average working man.
I was born & raised fifty miles from Ithaca New York where they made thier guns.
I knew people who worked in their factory.
I have two of the older model 37 pump shotguns, one is a plain barrel twenty-eight inch full choke 12 gauge i used for turkey hunting and shot #00 buckshot really nice.
The other model 37 is a plain barrel sixteen gauge modified choke. I had it drilled & tapped for a scope mount.
I mounted a scope on it for deer hunting when it was shotgun only years ago.
I have shot lots of gave with these two shotguns.
They both have the rat tail forends.

I also have four 20 gauge Ithace model 66 lever opening single shots.
These are excellent small game shotguns.
I use one every trip back to New York for squirrel hunting right before deer season.
I have two model 66 shotguns in 410






Ithaca also made a model 49, a lever opening 22s. 22l, 22lr single shot 22 rifle.

I have three of them as well. That are a fun little plinking gun.
opening

 

[Royboy99]

I grew up shooting a hand-me-down 16 gauge, modified choke Model 37 made in 1948. Since then I've had another 16 gauge fixed choke and a 12 gauge 20" Deerslayer, both of which my son has now.

In my opinion, the 16 gauge Ithaca Model 37 is the most elegant pump shotgun ever made. It also seems to be just the right size and weight bird gun for the "average" sized adult male. I have put many, many rounds through my Model 37's without a hitch.The receiver, solid on the sides, open only on the bottom, is a design that truly exemplifies the genius of JMB.

It's sad to see what has become of the Model 37. Ithaca Gun Company, in their several iterations, began the decline with their penny-wise/pound-foolish manufacturing practices. The company out in Ohio has made it worse. They may or may not do well from a purely manufacturing aspect, but making the guns around a 3" capable receiver is a travesty. It completely destroys the balance and grace of that beautiful design. The Ithaca recoils plenty enough with heavy loads in the 2 3/4" length, and those loads will do anything required of an upland gun. The 3" load is really only necessary for waterfowl on big water and if that's what one is doing, he would be better advised to get a 3" waterfowl gun (or limit his shots to the 90% of opportunities a 2 3/4" load will handle.) The whole business of an "all-around" shotgun is misguided anyway, and I think only really appeals to the Walmart crowd.

 

[argonn]

I grew up shooting a hand-me-down 16 gauge, modified choke Model 37 made in 1948. Since then I've had another 16 gauge fixed choke and a 12 gauge 20" Deerslayer, both of which my son has now.

In my opinion, the 16 gauge Ithaca Model 37 is the most elegant pump shotgun ever made. It also seems to be just the right size and weight bird gun for the "average" sized adult male. I have put many, many rounds through my Model 37's without a hitch.The receiver, solid on the sides, open only on the bottom, is a design that truly exemplifies the genius of JMB.

It's sad to see what has become of the Model 37. Ithaca Gun Company, in their several iterations, began the decline with their penny-wise/pound-foolish manufacturing practices. The company out in Ohio has made it worse. They may or may not do well from a purely manufacturing aspect, but making the guns around a 3" capable receiver is a travesty. It completely destroys the balance and grace of that beautiful design. The Ithaca recoils plenty enough with heavy loads in the 2 3/4" length, and those loads will do anything required of an upland gun. The 3" load is really only necessary for waterfowl on big water and if that's what one is doing, he would be better advised to get a 3" waterfowl gun (or limit his shots to the 90% of opportunities a 2 3/4" load will handle.) The whole business of an "all-around" shotgun is misguided anyway, and I think only really appeals to the Walmart crowd.

Spot on.

 

[Highland Lofts]

I bought a 16 gauge model 37 for one of my sons probably twenty-five years ago

 

[rust collector]

After owning a few 870s I was late in discovering the Ithaca M37. When I found a rather worn and forlorn 20ga specimen at the LGS wearing a $225 price tag, I decided to give it a try. It wore a polychoke, and one always wonders if that was an intentional "improvement" or fix for a damaged muzzle. The stock bore the usual cracks at the receiver and had been cut down. Easy to carry and a pheasant killing machine, it has always functioned well and I am a fan. 1949 date of manufacture.

 

[Lefty38-55]

FWIW my older brother has one of the early Deer Slayer barrels with the cantilever scope mount silver-soldered to the rib, but where the barrel is a smoothore, not rifled. He also does have a newer rifled DS barrel with cantilever scope mount. He prefers the knock-down power of your basic Forster type slug, vesus the expen$ive copper sabot types, and gets phenomenal accuracy out his scoped Ithaca 37, albeit a smoothie'. To date he's taken > 80 deer with it, usually tags 3 to 5 per season, including a 10 and 12-point buck, both around 200-pounds, just last Fall.

 

[Savage30L]

I bought a 16 gauge model 37 for one of my soms probably twenty-five years ago

You have more than one som?? Most folks couldn't even afford one personal sommelier!

 

[Laphroaig]

Other than a borrowed bolt action .410 that I used my first year, a 16 ga 37 that I inherited from my Dad was my first shotgun. He was left handed so the bottom eject suited him. One of my kids has it now.

 

[sgt127]

I have one. Sorta. Don’t shoot it much.

 

[Gordon]

I have one. Sorta. Don’t shoot it much.

View attachment 1259708

Now I am gonna have to go out into the truck, safe under the rear seat, and show mine. I got my 20-Gauge former "undercover" pistol-gripped ultra-light 13" parkerized with the special pump handle and grip, but no barrel, from a Las Vegas police auction 25 years ago. I already had a beautiful 20-gauge modified choke gun from the early 70s and a 12-gauge police Deerslayer wood stock. My daughter-in-law got the 37 20-gauge modified choke gun as her hunting gun. A son got the 12-gauge 37. I'll show mine in a bit, I think it's interesting!

 

[PavelSJ]

Well the Remington 31 is far smoother and the 16 ga 31 was built on their 20 gauge frame .I am having a 16 gauge 31 barrel forcing cone lengthened and full opened to improved cylinder right now. The 870 is stronger with dual action bars and easier to service

• The Model 31 was a pump-action shotgun that competed with the Winchester Model 1912 in the American sporting arms market. It was designed to supersede the John Pedersen-designed Models 10 and 29 and the John Browning-designed Model 17.
• Smooth Action:
  The Model 31 is often praised for its smooth and effortless action, with some describing it as having a "ball-bearing action". While it didn't actually use ball bearings, the action was exceptionally smooth.
• Features:
  • Stroke Length: The Model 31 has a shorter stroke length (3-1/2 inches) compared to the Winchester Model 12 (3-3/4 inches) and the Remington Model 870 (3-7/8 inches).
  • Safety Placement: The safety is located behind the trigger guard, unlike the forward placement on the Winchester Model 12.
  • Slide Release: The slide-release button is located on the front right side of the trigger guard, making it easier to access than the one on the Winchester Model 12.
• Replaced by Model 870:
  The Model 31 was replaced by the less expensive to manufacture Model 870 in 1950.

View attachment 1258501

You mentioned 16ga on 20ga frame, if you interested in light weight they made light aluminum alloy 12ga, 16ga, 20ga versions in late 1940s. The receiver had threaded steel insert where barrel mated the receiver. They were only made for few years but back then they turned them out like candy bars to meet high post WWII demand.

 

[1RedSoxFan]

Ithaca Gun is apparently still around, although (according to their website) they no longer use distributors or a dealer network so purchases have to be made directly from them. Although the Ithaca 37 is a somewhat dated design, it still has an attraction for many. I have a Model 37 Defense that I bought back in 2016 and it's quite a nice gun, and fairly lightweight for a steel and walnut shotgun. Any other Ithaca fans out there?

I got a new 37 deerslayer a couple of years ago. I love it. Rifled barrel 12 Gauge.

 

[PavelSJ]

I got a new 37 deerslayer a couple of years ago. I love it. Rifled barrel 12 Gauge.View attachment 1259980

Those were high quality firearms. I bought used 20ga with VR barrel but I sold it because it weighted as much as 20ga BPS. It had very nice bluing, nicely figured walnut and Pachmayr recoil pad. It was obvious they didn't cut corners in manufacture or finishing of that gun.

 

[nettlle]

Th

I got a new 37 deerslayer a couple of years ago. I love it. Rifled barrel 12 Gauge.View attachment 1259980

This is like the one I have. The barrel is pinned to the receiver.

 

[nettlle]

In my youth I was able to use shotguns from friends and family to hunt bunny rabbits. The most memorable were the Winchester Model 97, Ithaca Model 37, Winchester Model 12. They just don't make shotguns like these anymore.

 

[PavelSJ]

In my youth I was able to use shotguns from friends and family to hunt bunny rabbits. The most memorable were the Winchester Model 97, Ithaca Model 37, Winchester Model 12. They just don't make shotguns like these anymore.

The 37 was last classic made, I'm sorry it's no longer being manufactured.