Old Ithaca Model 37 is a Keeper.

[Fishingted]

Ok I have had this Ithaca model 37 ,12 gauge Pump Shotgun for a very long Time. It previously belonged to a Good Friend of mine who has passed a while back. Plain Barrel Modified choke, Acording to the serial numbers it was made in 1946, so it would be 75 years old. My friends stepson had the gun for a while and did not treat what was once a pristeen Model 37 very well. The gun was put away wet and rusted pretty badly from the abuse. I wound up with it a few years back. For many years I kept it loaded in my closet for a house gun. I tried everything to stop the outside surface rust. Finally found a product called Strike Hold that did a good job of arresting the rust.. Was intending to put the gun up for sale but wanted to make sure it shot before offering it up. Well took it to my local trap range Today and put some 1 ounce loads at the pattern board to check things out. I was Like Wow this thing shoots pretty darn Good. Patterned well into the bead, and seemed to shoot pretty darn tight. Exspecialy for a Modified Choke that it is Marked on the barrel. Chambered and Cycled Pefectly. Guess I may have to Keep this Light Weight 12 gauge Pump Gun for Myself. Would make a great Hunting Gun as well as maybe some fun on the skeet range.​

 

[Fishingted]

I have to Correct this the gun appears to actually be a 1947 model. Still a Keeper LOL.

 

[Micro]

My first firearm of my very own was a M37 Featherlight 12 gauge 2 3/4" (only) with a 26" roto forged vent rib barrel and fixed IC choke. Probably about 1976 to 1978. I killed more deer it that than I did birds. It was a laser beam with Federal foster slugs out to about 75 yards. I could break coke bottles with it. I literally put the center bead in the middle of the red fiber front sight and that's how I aimed it. In the 1990s I stupidly sold it to buy something "cooler." Now I know nothing I've owned since has been as cool as that M37.

A few years ago I was feeling nostalgic for my old M37. I knew Ithaca had gone out of business, maybe a couple of times. So I researched them and found they were producing M37 in Upper Sandusky Ohio. The few reviews I could find were good, and they looked excellent in pictures. So I took the chance, and ordered twin M37s. One with a 28" vent rib barrel interchangeable chokes, and one with a 26" barrel with interchangeable chokes, to approximate as well as possible my first M37. I also bought a rifled slug barrel. What I got were works of art, better than my '70's vintage M37. And Ithaca was kind enough to send me sequentially numbered guns.

New Ithacas are very finely finished. Fit, finish, etc, is superb. They no longer have roto-forged barrels. The barrels and rib posts are forged out of a single piece of steel and the rib is then mounted to the rib posts. All in all, outstanding, 100% American made, all steel guns. So if you want a new Ithaca, you can get them, and they give up zero in terms of quality to older guns.

https://ithacagun.com/

 

[Fishingted]

My first firearm of my very own was a M37 Featherlight 12 gauge 2 3/4" (only) with a 26" roto forged vent rib barrel and fixed IC choke. Probably about 1976 to 1978. I killed more deer it that than I did birds. It was a laser beam with Federal foster slugs out to about 75 yards. I could break coke bottles with it. I literally put the center bead in the middle of the red fiber front sight and that's how I aimed it. In the 1990s I stupidly sold it to buy something "cooler." Now I know nothing I've owned since has been as cool as that M37.

A few years ago I was feeling nostalgic for my old M37. I knew Ithaca had gone out of business, maybe a couple of times. So I researched them and found they were producing M37 in Upper Sandusky Ohio. The few reviews I could find were good, and they looked excellent in pictures. So I took the chance, and ordered twin M37s. One with a 28" vent rib barrel interchangeable chokes, and one with a 26" barrel with interchangeable chokes, to approximate as well as possible my first M37. I also bought a rifled slug barrel. What I got were works of art, better than my '70's vintage M37. And Ithaca was kind enough to send me sequentially numbered guns.

New Ithacas are very finely finished. Fit, finish, etc, is superb. They no longer have roto-forged barrels. The barrels and rib posts are forged out of a single piece of steel and the rib is then mounted to the rib posts. All in all, outstanding, 100% American made, all steel guns. So if you want a new Ithaca, you can get them, and they give up zero in terms of quality to older guns.

https://ithacagun.com/

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[Fishingted]

Fantastic to know that an American Gun maker is still Producing some Great Guns.

 

[9x56MS]

Fantastic to know that an American Gun maker is still Producing some Great Guns.

By putting quality first.

 

[bannockburn]

The first shotgun I ever hunted with was a borrowed and well used Ithaca Model 37 20 gauge with a plain 26" barrel. That gun had the smoothest and slickest pump action I have ever found on a shotgun and was the perfect weight for hunting upland game.

To this day I still don't know why exactly but when it came time to buy a shotgun I went with a Remington Model 870 12 gauge Riot Gun with a 20" barrel and rifle sights. And then later a Remington Model 870 Wingmaster 20 gauge with a 26" vent rib barrel for upland hunting. I could have bought two Ithacas for about the same money but went with Remingtons instead. Still a mystery to me!

 

[rust collector]

The first shotgun I ever hunted with was a borrowed and well used Ithaca Model 37 20 gauge with a plain 26" barrel. That gun had the smoothest and slickest pump action I have ever found on a shotgun and was the perfect weight for hunting upland game.

To this day I still don't know why exactly but when it came time to buy a shotgun I went with a Remington Model 870 12 gauge Riot Gun with a 20" barrel and rifle sights. And then later a Remington Model 870 Wingmaster 20 gauge with a 26" vent rib barrel for upland hunting. I could have bought two for about the same money but went with Remingtons instead. Still a mystery to me!

No doubt because the dual action bars would prevent the binding that was such a problem in the Model 37
I also had decent service from a few 870s, but more likely because they felt like the guns I was used to. Just as GM tried to cultivate the cult of the bow tie, big green wanted you to start with Remington so nothing else felt quite as expected.

 

[jaguarxk120]

I wonder how many Winchester Model 12's bound up when shooting duck's????
They also have only one action bar.
Chances are if those guns made with the two "Action Bars" the
insides will fall out if the second bar was missing.

 

[film495]

I have my Dad's 37 on a table getting a generational once over. Fired it a few times when I was 8 or 10 and did not like it - 20 Gauge. Inhereted it 3 years ago - and its been in my cabinet - going to take it out for a spin with my Grandfather's 69 Franchi in a few weeks. Will be interesting to see if the pump or autoloader is a preference. My guess is I will like the pump, but they are both interesting shotguns - happy to be taking the cobwebs off of them.

 

[9x56MS]

I have hunted for 50 years with 2 model 37's and never once experienced this binding. Maybe I am just lucky.