New purchase - Ithaca M37 featherlight 12 ga.

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Sams0n

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So I was looking to get a solid 12 ga. for versatility. I mainly hunt upland birds and want the option to shoot ducks in the near future but I didn't want to spend much until I get more experience and really know what I want. Saw a 12 ga. Ithaca M37 at a gun show this week that was well taken care of but clearly had a few years on it. Decided to pick it up for $300 as I've heard they are fantastic pumps and found out it was made in 1953 after looking it up online.

The bluing is reasonably worn for a 60 year old gun, there is some very minor nicks and wear on the wood but there isn't a speck of rust on it and everything inside and out is spotless. I also took it to the range and it's a slick gun to fire. Slam firing is especially fun! I don't have any experience with what a 60 year old gun in good shape looks like so what do you guys think? Decent deal?

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I'm considering getting it bored to a more open choke as the barrel is stamped full choke. My concern is that full is too tight for upland and I've read that you absolutely should not shoot steel through this barrel with a full choke. So unless I bother with expensive fancy ammo ducks are out of the question. Any opinions on this?
 
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Nice ol' 37!

If I were you (and the serial was pre-855,000), I'd just open that choke up to a MOD (or more open) and shoot it. I have a '46 37 that I had opened to a MOD and shot a bunch of steel through it with no issues. There is a fellow who used to work for Ithaca (I can't remember his name...Les something I believe?) that said any Ithaca barrel choked MOD or more open was steel safe.

Just my two cents.

Cory
 
You'll be happy with your purchase and congratulations.

I more than love mine, all four of them and they all slamfire!
 
Nice, light shotgun. Had mine for about 30+ years. 69santa mentions slamfires but I've never had a problem. But I have also never disassembled the bolt: time to do so.
 
You made a great choice and that's a good price for that firearm. I'd open it to at least modified, as that's the most versatile choke size in my mind.

As stated before, if the SN is greater than 855,000 you can use any half thread barrel designed for the M37. This includes the barrels you can buy new from Ithaca with chokes. I'd find out how much it is to open it or thread it first though.
 
The great old model 37 has so many exellent features that it hurts me to see the " slam fire" feature always near the top. Slam fire is not a safety concern, the model 37, Winchester model 12 and others were designed with out a trigger disconnect meaning if you fire the gun, continue to hold the trigger back and cycle the action it will immediately fire when closing the action. With newer designs you have to release the trigger to re set it to fire again. The slam fire feature has no real value other than shear volume of fire and fun for some. As I said it should be at the bottom of the feature list for the grand old girl. You have a nice 37 and as CTC said open it to Mod and start hunting with a classic.

Darryl
 
mobax said:
Nice, light shotgun. Had mine for about 30+ years. 69santa mentions slamfires but I've never had a problem. But I have also never disassembled the bolt: time to do so.
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They are fine shotguns and full choke is a little rugged for most upland hunting. I would open up the choke as well if it were mine. The "slamfiring" he refers to is not what you think. The 37 lacks a trigger disconnect so you can hold the trigger back and work the pump handle and the gun will fire each time the bolt locks up. I always thought real slamfires were an unsafe condition that resulted in a discharge when you pumped the handle forward when off the trigger.
 
I will not say how many M37s I have, but it's more than most here. ;)
Indeed they are nice shotguns and obviously those who post here are attracted to them.
And I agree the slamfire feature, although interesting is rarely a high priority feature for myself.
Some of my shotguns have it and some don't and some have the interuppter third version right from the factory.
If there is considerable wear on the mechanism this could lead to the shotgun firing out of battery while slamfiring!
Ron Sharp himself told this fact.
 
I learned to shoot with one, killed a heck of a lot of birds with mine. If they fit me better I'd still have mine. If I were you I'd open the choke to IC, and have the best for upland birds and OK for waterfowl with steel too. Have the forcing cone lengthened wile you're at it to reduce recoil and improve patterns a bit. That gun is in very nice shape and has a LOT of good shooting left in it!
 
Many moons ago I had an Ithaca when I could afford to buy one with my very first full time paycheck. In the stupidity of youth I sold it. Various shotguns came and went during my early army days. Not one of them was missed save that first one. In the last decade I've returned to my appreciation of these fine firearms. Upland birds, many rabbits and one wild boar have all fallen to an Ithaca M37 in my grimy little paws. Heck, it's almost cheating when one can take cheap canuck shotshells and use a Turkeyslayer to plop an unlucky bunny at a ridiculous distance.
And a Deerslayer stoked with RWS Brennekes is some sort of uber-security blanket IMO.
(mostly I use the 20 bore Featherlight though) My only deviation is one SKB O/U, which was also imported via Ithaca. Funny huh? ;)
 
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It looks like it has a long barrel, is that 30"?

What kind of upland hunting are you talking about - open field pheasant or sharptail, or ruffed grouse in cover?

Yes, opening the choke to Improved Cylinder would be fine as well, allowing deadly kills on birds to 30 yards +.

There was a good comment about the forcing cone if shooting steel shot. I don't know if these guns had long or short cones, but a short cone can be damaged by large steel shot - BB and over. A gunsmith can tell you. My old A5 barrel has dimpling in the cone now just from one box of big shot. The deformed metal has to go somewhere, so it's probably a good idea to NOT let it get like that.
 
Hey...nice old 37...I've owned a few...

As for the "shuck n shoot" feature, only the early guns did that. I'd guess, based on the butt stock on yours, it does not. While it will "click" on pump close, it will not shoot. They fixed that with the later guns.

As for changing the choke, how about this...pull the barrel off, mail it to me along with $75, and I will ream and thread the barrel to accept Rem-chokes! Then you can use it for everything!

Just a suggestion...

Ty
 
Tyroma said:
Hey...nice old 37...I've owned a few...

As for the "shuck n shoot" feature, only the early guns did that. I'd guess, based on the butt stock on yours, it does not. While it will "click" on pump close, it will not shoot. They fixed that with the later guns.

As for changing the choke, how about this...pull the barrel off, mail it to me along with $75, and I will ream and thread the barrel to accept Rem-chokes! Then you can use it for everything!

Just a suggestion...

Ty
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There is enough material to fit rem chokes in an Ithaca 37 barrel???? Not from my experience with them years ago. Honestly have never seen a rem choke in one. Colonial thinwalls by Mike Orlen in my 12ga if I recall correctly and briley in my 28ga 37
 
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Depends on barrel length...if you leave the barrel 28 or 30", it is a bit thin a d thin walls should be used. However, if you shorten the barrel, there is LOTS of meat! I gave done a few Model 37 riot guns.

Ty
 
I have a few riot guns myself. But they came that way from the factory. I find as I get older the less I find a chopped shotgun barrel less attractive in a bird shooting gun, purely for handling qualities. Right now I think 28-26" is just about right in an M-37. I'll even go a bit further and say IMO, the sub gauges seem to have thier C.O.G. less affected with a 26" versus a 12 bore. And a 12 seems about perfect, at 28" or even 30" perhaps. Also, I have a Turkeyslayer with a short 23" pipe however the extended turkey choke adds another 1.5" and a touch more barrel weight, so it "feels" longer to me.
But that's just me.
 
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Tyroma said:
Depends on barrel length...if you leave the barrel 28 or 30", it is a bit thin a d thin walls should be used. However, if you shorten the barrel, there is LOTS of meat! I gave done a few Model 37 riot guns.

Ty
Click to expand...

Thanks for the clarification. 26" would be the shortest I have any experience with and that is a thin wall also. I understand now where you are coming from fitting a rem choke in these. Take care
 
Its a beauty. I have the exact same shotgun, I opened the barrel up a bit to allow for steel shot. It was my first shotgun, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. I have taken grouse, ducks, geese, deer, rabbits with it. It rarely gets out of the safe theses days as I have more choices, but I still pull it out everey once in a while. Enjoy It.
T
 
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