Loosening up on the Ithaca 37

[Sam1911]

Hi!

So I've read that I should loosen the mag. cap nut on my '58 Model 37 to prevent the binding that I've experienced.

Can some of the more experienced Model 37 fans explain exactly why this helps/hurts? And how loose is "loose?"

And is there a more in-depth solution?

I mean, if the barrel being locked to the action too tightly causes the bolt or slide to seize up, then it would seem (to a M37 newbie anyway) to indicate that something deeper is in need of adjustment. ('Course I could be WAY wrong...)

I've got a 100-round Clays session with my dad this Saturday (which is a ~2x a year special event for me) and I want to field the 37. I just don't want to deal with a jammed gun over and over all morning.

Thanks!

-Sam

 

[TheDriver]

I dunno if this will help but......I had a binding M37 and ended up replacing the fork - $25 part, works perfectly now.

 

[Badger Arms]

Is your gun jamming now? As the second poster stated, the lifter forks can cause it to bind, but not lock up. If you fire a shot and have difficulty opening the action, loosening the barrel nut often helps. I don't exactly know why, but this only happens on some guns. How loose? Basically, tighten it as tight as you can with your fingers and back off to the first detent. Sometimes it's difficult to feel where this detent is.

I don't have a gun that's jamming, so I can't figure out why, but I guess it has to do with the barrel twisting when the shell discharges and wedging the extractor against the side of the slot in the barrel. Just a guess.

 

[Sam1911]

The gun only jams when fired, not when cycled empty, and only occasionally, then. But it's enough to be quite annoying.

Thanks for the suggestions!

-Sam