For the record, I love the Ithaca 37...anyhow:
Okay, here's some posts from "dubious" sources
. I've sort-of verified some of the factoids, in a "quickie" fashion, but double-check the "pmulcahy" site:
1)
http://www.pmulcahy.com/pump-action_shotguns/us_pa_shotguns_s-z.htm
Savage 30
Notes: First appearing in 1958 in 12 gauge as a long-barreled sporting shotgun, the Model 30 later appeared in 20 gauge and .410 gauge. The design was also licensed by Springfield and sold by them as the Model 67, and by Stevens (which itself later became a subsidiary of Savage Firearms) as the Model 77, both of which were nearly identical to the Savage 30. Therefore, this particular shotgun can also be found with names like the Savage-Stevens 77 and Savage-Stevens 30. For the most part, the Savage, Springfield, and Stevens guns were virtually identical in appearance and functioning (differences were mostly cosmetic and related to the finish) and may be regarded as identical for game purposes. As with most shotguns of this time period, metalwork was largely steel, feed was by a 4-round tubular magazine, and woodwork was of mid-quality walnut. Barrels were 26, 28, or 30 inches; choke was fixed, but barrels could be ordered with Cylindrical, Modified, or Full Choke. Sling swivels were optional. Original models had no sights of any kind, but later an optional front bead was added near the muzzle.
After the Savage-Stevens merger, the company produced a 20-inch-barrel police version, the Model 69R (also known as the Police Riot Gun), and a military version, the Model 77E. Both of these were virtually identical, with the Model 69R having a shiny finish for its metalwork, while the Model 77E had dull metalwork. The Model 77E at first got no military orders, but the US military found itself short of shotguns early in the Vietnam War, particularly for issue to militia and village defense forces loyal to the South Vietnamese government. In addition, some troops purchased the Model 77E on their own dime for use in Vietnam.
The Model 77E in particular, and even to some extent the Model 69R, suffered from one large complaint – the small size of its tubular magazine. In addition, there were also complaints that both weapons were a bit too long, particularly the Model 77E. This resulted in the Savage 69-RXL, unfortunately not introduced until 1982. Also known as the Stevens 68-RXL, the Model 69-RXL shortened the barrel to 18.24 inches, extends the magazine to near the end of the muzzle, adds a ventilated rubber recoil pad, strengthens the receiver and bore to allow the use of 3-inch shells, and makes the bead front sight standard. The optional sling swivels also became standard, and were in addition made quick-detachable. The barrel generally has a fixed Cylindrical choke. Metalwork finish is dull metal or Parkerized, and the wooden stock is usually finished dark. Today, the Model 69-RXL is in use by many police departments in the US, and is considered a substitute standard in the US military.
2)
http://www.thehighroad.org/archive/index.php/t-137115.html
Stevens Model 77E
To supplement the Ithaca Model 37 riot guns, the government contracted with the Stevens Arms Co. around 1963 for a riot gun version of its slide-action shotgun, designated as the M77E. The M77E shotguns had 20" barrels and were marked "US." on the receivers with small "p" proof marks on the barrels and receivers. The guns were Parkerized, and the wooden stocks were fitted with rubber buttpads. Most of the stocks were noticeably shorter than standard U.S. shotgun stocks to accommodate our typically smaller-statured South Vietnamese allies. The M77E was the first United States combat shotgun equipped with a rubber recoil pad.
The M77E was also fitted with sling swivels. Early examples had the front swivel mounted on a band affixed to the barrel and later guns had the front swivel attached to the magazine plug base. Unlike the Ithaca M37, the M77E was a conventional slide-action shotgun design with an ejection port on the receiver's right side.
With more than 50,000 M77E riot guns manufactured, the Stevens M77E was the most widely used shotgun of the Vietnam War. It generally gave satisfactory service but proved to be a bit less reliable and durable than the Ithaca M37. The attachment of the buttstock to the receiver was rather weak and resulted in a number of guns being broken. The M77E riot guns were issued to U.S. Army and Marine military personnel as well as to some South Vietnamese troops.
In addition to the M77E, a fairly small number of Stevens 69R riot guns was purchased by the government in the late 1960s. The 69R was similar in design and performance to the M77E, but it saw only a modicum of use as compared to the much more widely issued M77E. A very small number of prototype M77E trench guns (riot guns fitted with bayonet adapters) were procured, but few, if any, were issued. The standard riot gun version of the Stevens M77E along with the Ithaca M37 were the most commonly issued combat shotguns of the Vietnam War.
