Ithaca Featherlight

[ACP230]

I'v handled,but not shot, Ithaca M37s before.

Today I got to carry a Featherlight 16 gauge briefly and shoot one shell from it.
It felt like an excellent bird gun and I hit what I aimed at. That hasn't been common with some other shotguns lately.

Anyone else impressed by these?

 

[Dave McCracken]

The 37s are GREAT shotguns. If Pop had bought a 37 instead of an 870 way back, I might have some now.

Downside....

The lack of a loading port make these unpopular at ranges since it's harder to see if it's empty.

Disassembly and putting it back together is more complicated than Sicilian politics.

Aftermarket stuff is limited.

The light weight accentuates kick. I like these best for the uplands, and with upland loads.

The new 16, with the straight stock and a 26" tubed barrel comes really close to an optimum upland shotgun. Carries easy, strikes hard.

 

[ACP230]

The 16 gauge I shot didn't seem to kick any harder than my OU 20 gauge. The 37 was a little heavier, but not much.

I think a 20 gauge Featherlight would be an even better-carrying bird gun than the 16. A 16 would be a sentimental favorite, though.

 

[Bowlcut]

ive never officaly "hunted" with mine(dads) but Ive shot alot of skeet with it and played with non moving targets with it. Yea hard to tell when unloaded, and cant swap in a slug without putting it in the tube. But ya know what....it points and swings so nicely. Plus it has sentamental factors of being my grandfathers favorite shotgun.

i do need to break it apart sometime as the action kinda sticks or is tough to move all the way back after a day at the range. spray some lube back in it and its fine for about a day of shooting....oh well....

 

[Mike Irwin]

I think it's actually Featherweight, isn't it?

In any event, I grew up learning to shoot a shotgun with my Dad's 12. Used it to hunt quite a bit, too.

One thing is that they are considerably lighter than other shotguns, so with heavier loads the recoil can become wearing quite fast.

I shot 4 boxes of shells dove hunting one day, not heavy loads by any stretch of the imagination, and I thought I had been on the losing end of a bar fight that evening.

I've never found them to be particularly difficult to strip.

Last year I went to Iowa to visit friends, and was in this little gunshop when a guy walked in with his 37 in parts...

The shop owner couldn't figure it out, either, so I waltzed in, slapped it back together in about 2 minutes, and made everyone happy.

A couple of years ago a bunch of police issue 37s were on the market, and I just didn't have the money for one at the time. I also by that time had a S&W 3000 riot gun, so it would have been redundant, but oh so fun.

All in all, though, it's truly one of America's overlooked classic firearms. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that well over 1 million have been made since they came out.

Coolest thing about them, though?

The movie L.A. Confidential featured Ithaca 37 riot guns prominently!

 

[romulus]

Disassembly and putting it back together is more complicated than Sicilian politics.

Ah, Dave, if only it were as straightforward as Sicilian politics... I had to ask for everyman's friend, Harley Nolden, to put my precious 87 back together. I have to say that with the exception, duly noted by you back on TFL, for the rather shallow pistol grip, the Ithaca handles like a dream. A masterpiece...the absence of a port bothers me little, though I admit that's a function of my tactical ignorance.

Mike, I admired those Ithacas in the movie, but they struck me as being very un-riot like...I noticed all were devoid of the ubiquitous extended mag tube (fixed from factory on Ithacas) and the barrel looked like 24" or so...might simply have been a fifties thing...

 

[ACP230]

Mike: My buddy called his 37 a Featherlight. So did my old edition of Gun Trader's Guide when I looked it up before posting.

 

[mod12]

ithaca 37

dave,you're right on the money. i'd love to get my hot little hands on that new "classic" 16 ga. sounds like a great grouse gun! think i'd opt for the pistol grip stock. i find it more controlable during mount. understand that drop at heel is also 1/4" less so should reduce felt recoil. 2 3/4" chamber with some low brass 1 oz. fed. loads and watch the feathers fly! most don't realize that receiver on a 37 is almost 1" shorter than an 870 or mod 12. what a grand shotgun.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Obviously, some of us find it easier than others to take these apart and out together.

Mike, I'll keep you in mind if anyone wants me to do this.

ACP 230, for me, the 20's light weight borders on too light. YMMV.

Bowlcut, hie thee and that 37 to a smith and get it clean and oiled. It deserves it.

Romulus,the semi PG doesn't thrill me. I've also owned and shot two doubles with straight grips. One shot OK, the other wonderfully well. I think a real PG with some radius to it is best for all round use.

Mod12,everyone's idea of a grouse gun varies, but most dedicated (Read fanatical) grouse hunters would agree that the 16 with straight grip and weight of 6 lbs would work, IMO.

S'funny, JMB went to his reward in 1927 or so, and so many of his designs are still made, and appreciated...