Ithaca Model 37 pump action 12ga?

Cheeky Munkey

Cheeky Munkey

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Can anyone recommend this gun for bird hunting?

The one I'm looking at has a 30" barrel with a modified choke. Seems ideal for steel bird shot, from what I've been hearing. But what do I know?

I'm a noob and sort of at the mercy here...

I have a parkerised Remington 870 Wingmaster with a slug barrel that should be ideal for deer, but I'd like to get something for bird hunting, too.

I was going to get another barrel for the 870 when someone mentioned it might be more cost effective to just buy another gun. That's what brought me to this point.

Anyone have thoughts, ideas, opinions about or recommendatoins for the Ithaca?

Thanks for your help and experience.

CM
 
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Just a few opinions. The Ithaca is light; fine for upland hunting but not so great for waterfowl loads as recoil is pronounced. I think you would be better served with an improved cylinder (more open) choke if you will be shooting steel shot. And finally, the Ithaca is a pain to detail strip for cleaning compared to the 870. I would buy an extra barrel for the 870; purchase a used one if cost is a factor.
 
Thanks Shootz, that's the sort of info I'm looking for.

What shoud I expect to pay for a good used improved or modified 30" barrel for the 870?

Would I be asking too much to expect to find a nice parkerised unit to match the rest of the gun?

tia,
CM
 
If you're hunting geese i think you'll want a 3" chamber i don't know if that ithica will have one. I love those things though sadly i sold mine:( I especially like the fiber optic sight that comes from factory. They're a good gun if the price is right. You won't have any problem shooting steel out of a modified choke.
 
Cheeky Munky,

If you do a search for Dlask on the guns and bits forum, they were selling new 28 inch, 870 express barrels for $140. I know you said you were looking for a 30 inch barrel but given that some places want $200 for a 28 inch barrel, this looked like a deal to me. It's worth investigating if you're interested. The original Dlask post was sometime before Christmas but I just e-mailed them and they said they still had a few left.
 
Just buy some upgrades for the 870. There are a lot of different chokes. OR if you find a sweet find like a nice quality Mossberg 500 for $100.
 
I have no idea as to what an 870 barrel will cost you as I am from the 'lower 48'. Don't worry if you can't find a parkerized barrel as the birds won't be able to tell the difference. I would try to obtain a Rem-choke barrel (one with interchangeable choke tubes).
 
I have an Ithaca 12 gauge Model 37 that my brother bought new back in 1973.My brother when he hunted was mostly a duck hunter.That Model 37 saw all kinds of hard use and little care.He was not big on cleaning or oiling.:)

He came home from hunting one time with the Model 37 and you could hear sand grinding in the action when you racked the shotgun.I asked him if the shotgun worked well.He replyed that it had not missed a beat.I just shook my head in disbelief.
 
I have carried about northern alberta a 20 gauge Featherweight M37...and it is delightfully balanced for upland carry.

I also used a M37 Deerslayer 12 bore to quickly demise a wild boar in 2007...and was very impressed with it too.

Saying that, these light guns are probably the worst to have in a duck blind for volume duck/geese, shooting unless one has some sort of weight adding feature, and/or recoil reducer....

They are probably the best field carry shotgun, for big game/upland game only, in my opinion...
 
I own an Ithica Model 37 Featherweight I purchased in the mid 60's. I added a deerslayer barrel about a decade later to hunt deer. I chose the Ithica over the Winchester Model 12 (?) because the Ithica was a bottom ejecting gun that would keep more of the elements out of the action in rain and snow. Yes the felt recoil is perhaps greater but that may be due more to the light weight. It can be compensated for by adding a recoil pad, but then if you are hunting ducks and geese, you will likely be wearing a hunting jacket that has some padding in the shoulder anyway. Besides if you are anything like me, when you lift the gun to take some ducks or geese, recoil is a distant afterthought.
I wouldn't part with my 37 for anything......unless the price is very right!!!!
 
meadowmuffin3 said:
I own an Ithica Model 37 Featherweight I purchased in the mid 60's. Besides if you are anything like me, when you lift the gun to take some ducks or geese, recoil is a distant afterthought.
I wouldn't part with my 37 for anything......unless the price is very right!!!!
Click to expand...

I too value highly these excellent scatterguns....shooting ducks for me has become a distant memory since steel shot became law.

For many years, I did not have an Ithaca in Saskatchewan. I bow to your common sense approach meadowmuffin!

Many cheap shotguns came and went during those cash lean years.

Foolishly at 18 I bought and quickly sold my first Ithaca....I did not get another until a few years ago. This will never happen again!

Cheers......:)
 
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Brutus said:
I too value highly these excellent scatterguns....shooting ducks for me has become a distant memory since steel shot became law.

I for many years, did not have an Ithaca in Saskatchewan.

Many cheap shotguns came and went during those cash lean years.

Foolishly at 18 I bought and quickly sold my first Ithaca....I did not get another until a few years ago. This will never happen again!

Cheers......:)
Click to expand...

Glad to hear you're of the same mind. I can still remember the visit to the local gun shop (Sokol & Murray in Sarnia, Ont.) with a good friend. We each bought a shotgun. He bought the Winchester and paid a huge $5 premium over mine. I spent $110.00. Of course that was at a time when a part time job after school was paying about 50 cents an hour.
 
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