tightgroup tiger
Member
That thing looks brutle to shoot, but I wish I had one. What an old battle ax. I mean that in a good way. If I saw one of those for sale, I would have to buy it on the spot.
I used to collect Remington 31 shotguns. I had half a dozen of all 12, 16, and 20 gauge steel and an aluminum 20 gauge. They made 12 ga on the big frame and 16 and 20-gauge on the slightly smaller frame. That made the 16 exceptionally nice for upland game. Those "ball bearing corn shuckers" snick-snick faster and smoother than any other pump ever. That came at a cost as they were precision machined of ordinance steel. Although smoother than a Winchester Model 12 in action , I don't think they were quite as strong in the long run as in years of heavy clay shooting. The longevity and expensive manufacturing issues were both solved in the Remington 870 post-war gun.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.
I carried it on SWAT. I also had an issued MP5SD.That thing looks brutle to shoot, but I wish I had one. What an old battle ax. I mean that in a good way. If I saw one of those for sale, I would have to buy it on the spot.
Green Stamps, what a blast from a different world and time.I had the 37 in 12 gauge c. 1960’s. Bought with Green Stamps. Pull the trigger and pump, fired each pump. I let it get away to a friend, should have hung on to that gun. A friend of mine had the 16, after he died, his wife sold it for $50, when I heard that my heart dropped.
Good to know! Dad's would blow a hole in the ground that looked like a small crater when he would miss a rabbit. I think it was full choke. I will look to see what's on the barrel next time I get it out of the safe.Old tightly choked guns require horribly expensive Bismuth or Tungsten Matrix shells to avoid barrel damage.
Isn't that the truth!back in the day if you had one handgun, shotgun, a deer rifle, and a 22 you were rich.
About the same here. My first CF was an old surplus 303 two groover. I worked most of the summer to save up for a used Win 94 30-30 and put an old weaver side mounted scope on it. I also had a H&R 9-22 to shoot at cans with. I used dad's win 63 22 to hunt squirrels and raccoons with until later on buying a mdl 60 marlin for myself. Too bad I didn't keep any of those first buys.Good to know! Dad's would blow a hole in the ground that looked like a small crater when he would miss a rabbit. I think it was full choke. I will look to see what's on the barrel next time I get it out of the safe.
Isn't that the truth!
I was fortunate enough to have an old 30-30 with no blueing and a cracked stock, and a 20ga shotgun. I never had the 22, always barrowed one from Dad. My handgun was a percussion 36 caliber 1851 Colt. It was accurate as hell but at any distance the bullets mostly bounced off of what I shot with it. Wouldn't even stick in a tree, just knock the bark off. Didn't dare hunt with it but it did teach me to shoot a pistol accurately.
I kept the 30-30 all those years, Dad bought it in 1951 when he bought his model 37 Ithica. The year Mom and Dad got married.
There was no blueing left on the 30-30 when I got it. The butt stock was cracked back the wrist.
I paid it homage many years later by re-doing it with new fancy grade walnut stocks and polishing it out and re-blueing it.
It still shoots a 1" group at 100 yds.
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Looks a lot different now then it did in the old days. I cut these stocks for it, it took me 3 months because after I bought the blanks, I found out I had an allergy for walnut.
I'd work on them as long as I could stand it and quit. I was about ready to put a downspout on my nose, and blotters in my eyes to soak up the tears. First and last set of walnut stocks I ever cut.
I re-did Dad's old Model 37 also. It was in about the same condition.
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I can't let them languish in a poor state when they did so much for us, feeding us on the farm where I grew up.
Like I promised, here is the Model 37 20-gauge Ultra Feather Light Pistol now re-barrelled with Ithaca deer slayer barrels. The barrel with the silver Burris adjustable Long eye relief scope is riffled and the installed deer slayer barrel is smooth bore " deer slayer choke," which measured skeet one. The smooth bore has a crutch tip over front Raybar sight as with stock folded, it is my ideal cane height for hiking assistance with folded Choate stock. The Pistol came with the factory installed Choate pistol grip but not the 13" 20 gauge pistol barrel which Las Vegas PD did not sell with the " fire arm" on a 4473. In early 90 s I won the auction for it , it was " stake out" used by the dept and looked like never discharged..came with the pistol forend too. And the serial number has suffix HG in it for " hand gun" The Olight Baldor light/laser is attached with a 20gauge diameter "Beamshot" adapter. You can change the barrels in a minute and the shotguns can be fired with the foldded stock, thanks to bottom ejection and feed
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I have 3 Ithaca M37, 2 20 gauge and a 12. A ultra featherlight was my first "real" gun. Lots of memories.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?
Fully agree. The whole 16ga on 12ga frame was not a well thought out plan by any of the makers who did that. 870s are heavy anyway so why leave even more weight in a gun unnecessary to its usefulness. They are overpriced too, but not as bad as the retrograde Mossberg guns.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.
I don't know about your lock up question. The ultra light hand gun receiver I put the 3" 20 have barrel on takes all 20 gauge shellsIs that Magnum receiver meaning it will cycle and eject spent 3" shell? My King Ferry made gun has barrel with 3" chamber and magnum receiver. Is it safe to shoot occasional 3" shell through aluminum alloy receiver where the bolt does not lock into barrel extension (steel to steel)?
Nice, though I hope you kept the gun.One of my old trap shooting buddies used an Ithaca 37 presentation grade trap gun, engraved and just gorgeous wood.
For Christmas one year I gave my then wife an Ithaca ultra-featherlight English 20ga for woodcock and grouse, her competition guns were 870s. She loved it on long walks in the grouse.woods.