ithaca model 37

[SanPedroShooter]

i just inherited this gun from my grandfather. i did a calguns google search and it seems that this model was pretty popular for le use back in the day. mine has a really long barrel it's marked "full". also, this model is still for sale, i think. my question is, can i get a shorter barrel for it, and is the assembly still the same? i would imagine mine is pretty old. sorry no pics.

[Argonaut]

Sure, They are around but frequently cost as much as a HD 870 at Big 5. Leave the fine old girl alone and get a use specific gun if that is what you want. Corson's always has M37 barrels in stock, +- 200.00

[SanPedroShooter]

thanks for the info. it is a really beautiful gun. its got hunting scenes engraved on the receiver. where can i find the history on these or when mine was manufactured?

[BadIndianSwamp]

Ithaca guns are no longer made in Ithaca, NY, but are still made in the USA.
There are many enthusiasts of the company's products and some very collectible shotguns.

Where I grew up, about 25 miles from Ithaca, if you didn't have an Ithaca DeerSlayer...you were not a "real" deer hunter.

Go to http://www.ithacagun.com/ and ask them about your gun.

[SanPedroShooter]

i checked corsons, they had the barrels split into old (#'s below 899000) and new. they didnt have anything listed for the old and mine is a 100000's serial #

[SanPedroShooter]

thanks for the link. i checked it out. they had a pdf with serial # info but it appears to be broken. they are also selling an 80$ book on the model 37 history. a little out of my range right now.

[Argonaut]

Call Don (Corson) He always has barrels in his pocket. M37's are wonderful guns, one of the early John Browning designs. The patents were sold first to Remington that built them for a few years and then to Ithaca. I have a Remington M17 20 gauge built in the 20's by Remington on the patient It is a fine small frame gun with a solid rib that we made up for my wife's field gun. They also built a 12 ga version, (the M10 I think?) They take engraving well because of the large areas on the side of the receiver to work with. Quality did vary some depending on when they were built but in general a very fine gun. Look at Gunbroker too but now you know that you need an early barrel.

[BadIndianSwamp]

This link worked for me to help date your gun:

http://ithacagun.com/pdfs/MODELS%20SERIAL%20NUMBERS%20FOR%20WEBSITE%202010.pdf

I saved it and will look up the date for you if you can't open the link.

[SanPedroShooter]

it wont work for me. maybe my browser? the # is 103xxx. is there an issue with giving out gun serial #'s on the internet?

[BadIndianSwamp]

I wouldn't ever give out a full serial number...not sure why. Just better to keep it private.

Model 37

1946
#'s = 92000 - 115350

[SanPedroShooter]

this is why i love calguns. do i need to use lead or soft ammo with this gun? i would like to do some skeet shooting / field hunting? quail or pheasant what do you think?

[yoteassasin]

yea i have a m87 below the S/N split and it would be very costly to refit it to take the newer style barrels even if you find another barrel below the slit it may not fit and would fit by a gunsmith when you take the gun apart you will notice how the barrel is held in with takedown style threads and the nut simply puts tension on the treads and indexes it not allowing it to move this is why the ithicas have been more popular as slug guns because of the more positive engagement and rigid action to barrel connection in asens it is more like a takedown style rifle than a shot gun

[BadIndianSwamp]

I don't really have an answer for you on this one... I would never want to give out incorrect info that could damage your gun.
It is worth an email to the company, I would be surprised if you didn't get a quick answer from them.

Super cool gun!! Post a picture or two if you can. I would like to see it.

[yoteassasin]

yea. no steel in that gun other non-toxic is ok and to get a barrel to be able to shoot steel you re-barrel defer to my previous post regarding that

[SanPedroShooter]

i am working on the pics. i have given up on the idea of replacing the barrel, this baby stays the way it came. just exploring my options. im not used to such a long barrel, my other guns an m1 carbine and ak-47 look very small in comparison.