Opinions on Ithaca 12 ga

tim02 · December 18, 2003, 06:46

I was offered in my gunshop an Ithaca 12ga pump shotgun (beater look but working ok)
for a very decent price.
Short magazine, parkerized finish, oiled wood
Is it any good?
Looks solid and different with steel receiver and bottom ejection...

tim

xcpd69 · December 18, 2003, 07:02

I have one just like you describe, and have owned several of the Ithaca M-37 shotguns over the years. Very good shotgun. One of the few that's "lefty friendly" due to bottom ejection.

The one I have, another beater, but mechanicaly fine, will be registered as a Short Barrelled Shotgun shortly and turned into a house gun.

Go for it.

Noah Zark · December 18, 2003, 07:10

The receiver is steel and very strong due to no ejection port cut in the side since feed and ejection is out the bottom. John Browning designed the predecessor to the 37, and Ithaca bought the patent rights from Remington and refined the design a bit.

Another feature that I like about the 37 is the lack of a disconnector on earlier models. Hold the trigger back and just pump the action to fire -- just like the Win 97 and early Win 12s.

Noah

tim02 · December 18, 2003, 07:36

Yup! when i held the trigger back and worked the action back and forth the hammer went down after the slide/bolt.
Will it fire? seems like a malfunction prone thing..

tim

Noah Zark · December 18, 2003, 07:40

Yep, it will fire, and keep firing until the mag is empty.

No, not a malfunction thing.

All of my 37s do it, and my 87 DS Police Special (8-shot) also does it.

Enjoy!

Noah

tim02 · December 18, 2003, 07:47

Wonder how many shells that short mag will take?
2/3/4?

tim

**W.E.G.** · December 18, 2003, 07:59

IIRC, mine will take 4 in the mag.

The M37 is a great hunting shotgun. Major PITA though if you want to pimp it out with extended mag tho.

Also, changing the barrel to one that will accept 3" shells will allow you to fire a 3" shell. But, you will not be able to eject it. AMHIK

tim02 · December 18, 2003, 08:04

Think that it has a cylinder bore barrel as it is 18 inch long.
I don´t hunt. . . animals.

tim

Beryl · December 18, 2003, 08:31

A neat trick you can do with these (making sure to be safe of course) is hold it upside down over your head and eject the empty up in the air, then flip it over and shoot the empty. You have to jack it pretty hard to get any height out of the empty, but get the angle right and you can hit them every time.

I had a Mod 37 deer gun, and it was a great shotgun. I wish now that I had kept it.

tim02 · December 30, 2003, 11:31

OK...Thanks for opinions.
Shotgun got home today.

Ithaca model 87 lightweight D.S. Police Special
Parked
Gauge 12/76!
Short mag
20 in barrel (cyl bore? maybe shorten it)
Rifle sights with scope mounts on rear sight base
Some moron has made his own foregrip - it is birch I think and it is cracked.
Buttstock original, little poor fit, small crack on side.
And no disconnector.
Was better condition - I gave it a little oil metal got a new look
Mechanically inside like new/very little shot.
Bad handling, that is all.
Parts/Stocks info? Gun parts corp seem to list some.

tim

xIA · December 30, 2003, 11:34

Quote:

Originally posted by tim02
OK...Thanks for opinions.
Shotgun got home today.

Ithaca model 87 lightweight D.S. Police Special
Parked
Gauge 12/76!
Short mag
20 in barrel (cyl bore? maybe shorten it)
Rifle sights with scope mounts on rear sight base
Some moron has made his own foregrip - it is birch I think and it is cracked.
Buttstock original, little poor fit, small crack on side.
And no disconnector.
Was better condition - I gave it a little oil metal got a new look
Mechanically inside like new/very little shot.
Bad handling, that is all.
Parts/Stocks info? Gun parts corp seem to list some.

tim

Choate for evil black stocks. Ithaca should have any parts you need, if Brownells doesn't. Sure that forend isn't factory?

They look like corn cobs...

tim02 · December 30, 2003, 11:40

Hey, why the barrel says featherlight - receiver should be alum - it is certainly not.

Mix and match - hey, I´ve got a parts gun?

tim

xIA · December 30, 2003, 11:47

Nah, they all said that, even the 11 1/2" Stakeouts.

IIRC the only Alum Receivered 37s were the 20ga.

xIA · December 30, 2003, 11:56

Knock yourself out.

http://www.ithacagun.com/

Ultra Featherlight was the Alum rcvr.

tim02 · December 30, 2003, 12:23

Ahh the ULTRA... OK

One stupid Q more:

Differences between m37&m87?

ps front grip looks like an eaten corn cob...

xIA · December 30, 2003, 16:42

Quote:

Originally posted by tim02
Ahh the ULTRA... OK

One stupid Q more:

Differences between m37&m87?

ps front grip looks like an eaten corn cob...

37 was original and what they have gone back to now.
87 was what they came out with when they went into receivership in (surprise) 1987. Only real differences were 87 had a 3" chamber, original 37 had 2 3/4", and the 87 has a disconnector (boo) so you can't hold the trigger and pump 'em out like you could on the original 37.
Don't know what they did/didn't change (or change back) when they returned to the 37 designation.

hanko · December 30, 2003, 19:31

Quote:

Originally posted by gary.jeter
[B]The M37 is a great hunting shotgun. Major PITA though if you want to pimp it out with extended mag tho.

It will take the longer mag tube and the longer barrel. Barrels set up for the longer mag tube are not common, I'm not sure if the mag tubes themselves are.

-hanko

hanko · December 30, 2003, 19:39

Quote:

Originally posted by tim02
OK...Thanks for opinions.
Shotgun got home today.

Ithaca model 87 lightweight D.S. Police Special [r]Got one last year at the fun show for 400 bucks[/r]

Parked [r]Mine's blued.[/r]
Gauge 12/76!
Short mag
20 in barrel (cyl bore? maybe shorten it) [r]Mine's got the long mag & I looked for a while before I found it.[/r]

Rifle sights with scope mounts on rear sight base [r]Rifle sights, front one is a huge red blob. No provision for a scope.[/r]

Some moron has made his own foregrip - it is birch I think and it is cracked.
Buttstock original, little poor fit, small crack on side.

[r]Mine came with Chaote' plastic furniture. Front is corncob, rear has a pistol grip. A couple folks have told me some came from Ithaca that way, Ithaca confirmed Chaote', but didn't know if a pg was available.

A super gun around the house, and a real quick shooter.

BPC has some parts, Ithaca is pricey; I'm looking for oiled walnut furniture, and their price was >$300.

-hanko[/r]

And no disconnector.
Was better condition - I gave it a little oil metal got a new look
Mechanically inside like new/very little shot.
Bad handling, that is all.
Parts/Stocks info? Gun parts corp seem to list some.

tim

xIA · December 30, 2003, 19:51

If you want a PG, the Pachmayr Vindicator kits (PG and Forend) are available.
The Choate (Ithaca shipped the Stakeouts w/ these) is horrible.
In 20 ga (Alum receiver) it drew blood.

bulletslap · December 30, 2003, 22:03

The M-37 is one of the best Pump shotguns ever made, along with the M-31 Remington, M-12 Winchester and the grand daddy of them all the M-93/M-97 Winchester, the High Standard deserves honourable mention also.

Crazy Ivan · December 30, 2003, 22:49

Personally I agree with Gunsmith and Author J. B. Wood: "As a firearms writer, I try to maintain a generally objective viewpoint. Speaking as a gunsmith and shooter, though, I consider the Ithaca Model 37 to be the best slide-action shotgun ever made." All the shotguns I own are M37's. (Of course I am left-handed.......)

The D. S. in D. S. Police Special stands for "Deerslayer Special". It has a tighter bore in it to increase the accuracy with shotgun slugs. The 20 in barrel length is original. 8-shot parts (barrels and magazine tubes) are hard to find so coversion can be difficult. I think GPC had 8-shot barrels not long ago for a good price. If anyone finds a source for 8-shot mag tubes please post it here!

Congrats on getting a great gun. Pretty much the entire gun is made out of machined steel........don't abuse it and it will serve you AND your children well.

bradterry · December 30, 2003, 23:04

I have two m 37 12 ga 2 3/4 in. I bought my first at age 13. My dad had one because he had used them with lapd in the late 60s. Smoothest action you can work the slide with one hand holding just the stock. One draw back is they have only one action bar. it causes some stress on the action bar fore stock connection. I had to repair one. I passed up an 8 shot model in a pawn shop 4 years ago for 225. Dumb dumb dumb dumb. have fun.

tim02 · December 31, 2003, 00:21

Well, that action bar is repaired (A huge blob weld, well it stays and can be fixed with dremel!)

And I did well, it cost 80 euros - $100!

No one has ever even disassembled it - inners like new -
just shot (and little rough "macho" style loading one handed I think)

And it does not have a disconnector. I compared the firing mechanism with pics of m37 and didn´t find anything different. Hammer drops when trigger is held back and slide goes forward.
Maybe they shipped "goodie" m87´s to Finland....

Barrel says m87 though.

tim

TNT ARmoury2 · December 31, 2003, 00:45

I just sold a special Ithaca 37. It was a Police Special without the game scene engraved in the sides of the receiver. I had Kevin Dockery (Great Lakes Arsenal) install one of his Duckbill chokes to make a replica of the Ithaca 37s carrier by the SEALs in Vietnam. I also installed an extended tube mag and used a tube/barrel clamp from Brownell's.

hanko · December 31, 2003, 08:10

CDNN has PG's, cost is $10. They appear to be Chinese & related to the Chinese M37 clones that have been on the market for the last year or so. I have one but have not installed it.

Chaote' PG stock on my DSPS is ok, but I do better with a regular stock on a shotgun. Still looking for an original walnut stock/forend with oiled finish.

-hanko

Finski · December 31, 2003, 08:28

Speaking of those Duckbill chokes... Where I can buy one?

Finski

December 18, 2003, 06:46	#1
tim02 Registered FALaholic #: 5294 Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Kymi, Finland Posts: 671	Opinions on Ithaca 12 ga I was offered in my gunshop an Ithaca 12ga pump shotgun (beater look but working ok) for a very decent price. Short magazine, parkerized finish, oiled wood Is it any good? Looks solid and different with steel receiver and bottom ejection... tim

December 18, 2003, 07:02	#2
xcpd69 Registered FALaholic #: 31 Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Uranus Posts: 5,567	I have one just like you describe, and have owned several of the Ithaca M-37 shotguns over the years. Very good shotgun. One of the few that's "lefty friendly" due to bottom ejection. The one I have, another beater, but mechanicaly fine, will be registered as a Short Barrelled Shotgun shortly and turned into a house gun. Go for it. __________________ Mama, take this badge off of me I can't use it anymore.

December 18, 2003, 07:10	#3
Noah Zark Registered FALaholic #: 5024 Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: PA Posts: 667	The receiver is steel and very strong due to no ejection port cut in the side since feed and ejection is out the bottom. John Browning designed the predecessor to the 37, and Ithaca bought the patent rights from Remington and refined the design a bit. Another feature that I like about the 37 is the lack of a disconnector on earlier models. Hold the trigger back and just pump the action to fire -- just like the Win 97 and early Win 12s. Noah __________________ Resistance is NOT futile. Resistance is voltage divided by current.

December 18, 2003, 07:40	#5
Noah Zark Registered FALaholic #: 5024 Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: PA Posts: 667	Yep, it will fire, and keep firing until the mag is empty. No, not a malfunction thing. All of my 37s do it, and my 87 DS Police Special (8-shot) also does it. Enjoy! Noah __________________ Resistance is NOT futile. Resistance is voltage divided by current.

December 18, 2003, 07:59	#7
W.E.G. Administrator Silver Contributor FALaholic #: 1211 Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Virginia Posts: 31,052	IIRC, mine will take 4 in the mag. The M37 is a great hunting shotgun. Major PITA though if you want to pimp it out with extended mag tho. Also, changing the barrel to one that will accept 3" shells will allow you to fire a 3" shell. But, you will not be able to eject it. AMHIK __________________ . . . Ask me about the Mason-Dixon FAL Collectors Association.

December 18, 2003, 07:36	#4
tim02 Registered FALaholic #: 5294 Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Kymi, Finland Posts: 671	Yup! when i held the trigger back and worked the action back and forth the hammer went down after the slide/bolt. Will it fire? seems like a malfunction prone thing.. tim

December 18, 2003, 07:47	#6
tim02 Registered FALaholic #: 5294 Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Kymi, Finland Posts: 671	Wonder how many shells that short mag will take? 2/3/4? tim

December 18, 2003, 08:04	#8
tim02 Registered FALaholic #: 5294 Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Kymi, Finland Posts: 671	Think that it has a cylinder bore barrel as it is 18 inch long. I don´t hunt. . . animals. tim

December 18, 2003, 08:31	#9
Beryl Registered FALaholic #: 1637 Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Texas Posts: 458	A neat trick you can do with these (making sure to be safe of course) is hold it upside down over your head and eject the empty up in the air, then flip it over and shoot the empty. You have to jack it pretty hard to get any height out of the empty, but get the angle right and you can hit them every time. I had a Mod 37 deer gun, and it was a great shotgun. I wish now that I had kept it. __________________ When you fight against monsters, take care that you do not also become a monster, for when you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you. --- Lets get out of the two-party rut VOTE LIBERTARIAN!

December 30, 2003, 11:31	#10
tim02 Registered FALaholic #: 5294 Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Kymi, Finland Posts: 671	OK...Thanks for opinions. Shotgun got home today. Ithaca model 87 lightweight D.S. Police Special Parked Gauge 12/76! Short mag 20 in barrel (cyl bore? maybe shorten it) Rifle sights with scope mounts on rear sight base Some moron has made his own foregrip - it is birch I think and it is cracked. Buttstock original, little poor fit, small crack on side. And no disconnector. Was better condition - I gave it a little oil metal got a new look Mechanically inside like new/very little shot. Bad handling, that is all. Parts/Stocks info? Gun parts corp seem to list some. tim

December 30, 2003, 11:40	#12
tim02 Registered FALaholic #: 5294 Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Kymi, Finland Posts: 671	Hey, why the barrel says featherlight - receiver should be alum - it is certainly not. Mix and match - hey, I´ve got a parts gun? tim

December 30, 2003, 11:47	#13
xIA Registered FALaholic #: 729 Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Brazil, IN USA Posts: 1,127	Nah, they all said that, even the 11 1/2" Stakeouts. IIRC the only Alum Receivered 37s were the 20ga. __________________ Dave Williams (The Artist formerly known as Inland Armory) NRA Life Member Until the meek actually do inherit the earth, I wish they'd stay the hell out of my way.

December 30, 2003, 11:56	#14
xIA Registered FALaholic #: 729 Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Brazil, IN USA Posts: 1,127	Knock yourself out. http://www.ithacagun.com/ Ultra Featherlight was the Alum rcvr. __________________ Dave Williams (The Artist formerly known as Inland Armory) NRA Life Member Until the meek actually do inherit the earth, I wish they'd stay the hell out of my way. Last edited by xIA; December 30, 2003 at 12:01.

December 30, 2003, 12:23	#15
tim02 Registered FALaholic #: 5294 Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Kymi, Finland Posts: 671	Ahh the ULTRA... OK One stupid Q more: Differences between m37&m87? ps front grip looks like an eaten corn cob...

December 30, 2003, 19:51	#19
xIA Registered FALaholic #: 729 Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Brazil, IN USA Posts: 1,127	If you want a PG, the Pachmayr Vindicator kits (PG and Forend) are available. The Choate (Ithaca shipped the Stakeouts w/ these) is horrible. In 20 ga (Alum receiver) it drew blood. __________________ Dave Williams (The Artist formerly known as Inland Armory) NRA Life Member Until the meek actually do inherit the earth, I wish they'd stay the hell out of my way.

December 30, 2003, 22:03	#20
bulletslap Registered FALaholic #: 8042 Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Texas Posts: 501	The M-37 is one of the best Pump shotguns ever made, along with the M-31 Remington, M-12 Winchester and the grand daddy of them all the M-93/M-97 Winchester, the High Standard deserves honourable mention also. __________________ I've been kicked by the wind, robbed by the sleet Had my head stoved in, but I'm still on my feet and I'm still... willin'

December 30, 2003, 22:49	#21
Crazy Ivan Registered FALaholic #: 5443 Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Western Washington Posts: 25	Personally I agree with Gunsmith and Author J. B. Wood: "As a firearms writer, I try to maintain a generally objective viewpoint. Speaking as a gunsmith and shooter, though, I consider the Ithaca Model 37 to be the best slide-action shotgun ever made." All the shotguns I own are M37's. (Of course I am left-handed.......) The D. S. in D. S. Police Special stands for "Deerslayer Special". It has a tighter bore in it to increase the accuracy with shotgun slugs. The 20 in barrel length is original. 8-shot parts (barrels and magazine tubes) are hard to find so coversion can be difficult. I think GPC had 8-shot barrels not long ago for a good price. If anyone finds a source for 8-shot mag tubes please post it here! Congrats on getting a great gun. Pretty much the entire gun is made out of machined steel........don't abuse it and it will serve you AND your children well.

December 30, 2003, 23:04	#22
bradterry Registered FALaholic #: 6434 Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 119	I have two m 37 12 ga 2 3/4 in. I bought my first at age 13. My dad had one because he had used them with lapd in the late 60s. Smoothest action you can work the slide with one hand holding just the stock. One draw back is they have only one action bar. it causes some stress on the action bar fore stock connection. I had to repair one. I passed up an 8 shot model in a pawn shop 4 years ago for 225. Dumb dumb dumb dumb. have fun.

December 31, 2003, 00:21	#23
tim02 Registered FALaholic #: 5294 Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Kymi, Finland Posts: 671	Well, that action bar is repaired (A huge blob weld, well it stays and can be fixed with dremel!) And I did well, it cost 80 euros - $100! No one has ever even disassembled it - inners like new - just shot (and little rough "macho" style loading one handed I think) And it does not have a disconnector. I compared the firing mechanism with pics of m37 and didn´t find anything different. Hammer drops when trigger is held back and slide goes forward. Maybe they shipped "goodie" m87´s to Finland.... Barrel says m87 though. tim

December 31, 2003, 00:45	#24
TNT ARmoury2 Registered FALaholic #: 8552 Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Colorado Posts: 138	I just sold a special Ithaca 37. It was a Police Special without the game scene engraved in the sides of the receiver. I had Kevin Dockery (Great Lakes Arsenal) install one of his Duckbill chokes to make a replica of the Ithaca 37s carrier by the SEALs in Vietnam. I also installed an extended tube mag and used a tube/barrel clamp from Brownell's.

December 31, 2003, 08:10	#25
hanko Registered FALaholic #: 8758 Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Very rural Idaho Posts: 307	CDNN has PG's, cost is $10. They appear to be Chinese & related to the Chinese M37 clones that have been on the market for the last year or so. I have one but have not installed it. Chaote' PG stock on my DSPS is ok, but I do better with a regular stock on a shotgun. Still looking for an original walnut stock/forend with oiled finish. -hanko

December 31, 2003, 08:28	#26
Finski Registered FALaholic #: 1911 Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Kotka, Finland Posts: 455	Speaking of those Duckbill chokes... Where I can buy one? Finski

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