Uncle Scotty Stories: Ithaca Model 37 and the LAPD

[elSquid]

A bit of history from a retired LAPD SWAT officer and firearms instructor...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzLCWxC7q3w

-- Michael

[sfvshooter]

On a semi-unrelated note, during my last Shotgun III class, he kept telling me to run shells brass up on my carrier since during the Rodney King riots, several LAPD officers were running them brass down and they lost all their shells when they started shooting/moving with their shotguns.

I run Esstac and granted I can't sniff the amount of time he's spent with shotguns, but they seem to hold up fine brass down. For me, it's much more efficient/faster to run them this way.

I think he's doing much better since his surgery. I heard he was up and moving around very quickly.

[W.R.Buchanan]

With Cheesy Chinese made Velcro Holders Brass down does shake loose shells. With good ones like the Brown Coat Tactical, Esstac, or even the new Vang Comp Velcro holder which is so tight you can hardly get a round out of it.

The thing about Ithaca's is that it is best not to run one dry. They take too long to reload and whereas it is Not Impossible to single load one, it is not easy and you are better off just loading the round into the magazine and racking the slide to feed it.

This takes the position of shooting one or two and reloading one or two during any lull in the fight. IE: keeping the gun topped up as much as possible. If you have one of the Police Ithaca's with the extended magazine then leaving space for one shell in the magazine in case you want to do a Slug Select is a good idea.

I remember seeing a Steven Segal Movie where he was a cop and had one of the Police Ithaca's. In one scene he was broaching a bad guys house and he was in a stair well below eye level and blew a guy's leg off right below the knee from like 5 feet away. He immediately shoved another round into the magazine and moved on. So he obviously had some idea of how to run a Combat Shotgun.

Randy

[mausercat]

I knew an LAPD detective who had retired around the middle eighties. He used to shoot trap sometimes at Pachmayr back then. I asked him how he liked the Ithaca 37. He told me that it was a tough gun and he did like it because it was easy to feed, but that you should not let it run dry. If I remember correctly he said that back then if he was acting as back-up he would put 3 or 4 shells in his sports coat's pockets. I did not ask him if he ever fired his shotgun in anger, so I don't know if he had any practical experience with it.

[rcslotcar]

I carried the 37 for many years with LASD. I trained a lot with it and liked it better than the very heavy light Fitted Remington. Several of the 37's were 16" barrels that were easily maneuvered. The break down took only a minute to do and was an important equipment check. The 37's were heavily used and had a rust patina for a finish. I always carried a sleeve on the stock with slugs on it. I know LASD got many of the LAPD marked, m 37's. Those looked "New" compared to our issue guns. It was a great shot gun for the time.

[JagerDog]

Only shot the bird guns. Arguably one of the best birding pumps ever made. Kicked hard being light though.

They'll slam fire. + or - depending on perspective.

I have Grandma's WW2 era 20 gauge.

[duckman1]

I have one ea. 12 20 and 16ga. My first shotgun, a gift from my grandfather.


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