Any Ithaca 37 Love in Here?

gwhysow

gwhysow

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Picked up another 37 a few months back, and my love is stronger than ever. Since missing out on a marine finish DSPS, this love has grown into an obsession.

Anyone else share the love?

Here's my near mint 37 Featherlite from 1959.

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Had a 16 growing up.Took down as many geese and ducks as the guys with their 12's Now have a 16 and a 12 both very nice. I see no reason to own another shotgun than my good old model 37
 
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I never liked the lines on these guns so I never bothered even thinking about them. Then, a year or so back, I inherited a mid-40's model 37 in 16ga., MOD choke. As much as I'm almost a die-hard 870 fan...there is no questioning how nice these guns are, how naturally they shoulder/pump, and so on. In fact, you get so used to the effort it takes to cycle and 870 that you start to assume that all pumps are like that. Then you try a 37~about half the effort, launches the empty 2x as far. (but down :) ) Heck, even the Mossberg 500 I used recently got me thinking the 870s are the toughest of the lot! lol "Tough" being a relative term..

Anyhow, every 37 I see now I can't help but feel tempted by...they are that nice, and that photo in the thread starter ain't helping! :)
 
They are a great gun. I had about 7 or 8 of them over time. Never seemed to keep one permanently. They are made of good quality materials and look nice especially with engraving. I know someone who has one nicest i have ever seen. Some anniversary edition i think

Last one i had.
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I have a M37 mfg in 1939.

It was a 30" barreled (farm gun) that I lopped down to 19". It is well worn and the stocks have fractures but that thing is sooooooo smooth. You can cycle the action just by the weight of the slide/forearm.

Plus the "Slam Fire" is a cool feature ;)
 
They're good stuff, should be more popular IMO.

I have a 1958 vintage one with a 28" barrel.

What I like most about them, besides the low pump effort, light weight and ease of loading, is how short the receiver is, a full 1.5" shorter than an 870's, this reduces the reach distance to the forend and gives it livelier handling.
 
I just got into them this year and now I have 3

How are the new ones compared with the old?

Something with chokes might be nice...

Though I did just order a BPS, and I know that's a fat bastard next to a featherlight.
 
Mark-II said:
I just got into them this year and now I have 3

How are the new ones compared with the old?

Something with chokes might be nice...

Though I did just order a BPS, and I know that's a fat bastard next to a featherlight.
Click to expand...

The new ones have thicker barrels and 1/4" longer receivers, so are bit heavier and a lot more forward balanced.

Fit and finish wise IMO they are nicer than the originals made after the '50s, when cost cutting measures started to have an impact on a design that takes a lot of work to produce.
 
One of my favourite shotguns the Deer Slayer made a great cop shotgun as the LAPD

Here's a video of my 37 it came factory coloured in green. Hulk approved.

 
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