Elkhound 91 Posted November 16, 2010 Report Share Posted November 16, 2010 I don't know why, but I have been wanting to buy an Ithaca Model 37 defense gun. Anyone have an opinion on the Ithaca compared to a Remington 870 Police or Wingmaster or a Mossberg 590A1? WJ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GeorgiaPD 408 Posted November 16, 2010 Report Share Posted November 16, 2010 WJ, I don't own one, but I have several friends that do. They seem to be plenty happy with them and have never mentioned any problems. I don't know if this will help you much. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
L5K 162 Posted November 16, 2010 Report Share Posted November 16, 2010 (edited) I have an Ithaca 37 Featherlight. It is....really light. It also kicks like a mule, but this is because it's so light compared to other shotguns I've fired. Mine's an old model (made sometime around 1957) and I love it. If you do pick up an older model, be aware that before a certain date the barrels were fitted by hand and are not interchangable. Also, I'm not sure which model you're looking at but the design of the magazine tube, and the way it attaches to the barrel does not allow for extended magazine tubes unless you have a barrel specifically designed for the longer tube.EDIT: Just looked at the defense one, and it seems it is different up there than the ones I'm used to. I haven't ever had any problems or heard of anyone having problems with one. It's a John Browning design and in my experience he seems to know a thing or two... Edited November 16, 2010 by L5K Quote Link to post Share on other sites
corbin 621 Posted November 16, 2010 Report Share Posted November 16, 2010 An M-37 was one of my first firearms ever. I still have it too. Being a bottom eject, it's nice to have all your shells nearby (if you want to reload). Not as good for a rapid reload of the chamber like one with a side ejection port. It kicks pretty hard, but not a huge deal more than my old 870 or Mossy 500. Overall, I'd have no qualms about relying on it for home defense. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
theboz 6 Posted November 16, 2010 Report Share Posted November 16, 2010 i have one from the 1940's that was my grandpas. has shot great for me since i picked it up a year ago and i can even bump fire it Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Casp 119 Posted November 16, 2010 Report Share Posted November 16, 2010 (edited) LOVE the 37. I'm far from the only person who considers it the greatest pump shotgun ever produced. Show and tell time: Here's my 20" 7+1 DSPS; it replaced my 870 a few years ago in the primary home-defense role. Down the road, I'd also like to get an AOW Stakeout model. EDIT: As some have and will point out, you can pump-fire the gun by holding back the trigger and continually pumping; every time the bolt closes, it will automatically fire. This is common with all or nearly all pump shotguns up to and including the M37, but not after. Some people refer to it as slam-firing, but that's not technically correct as that denotes firing out of battery. You will also sometimes hear that it's dangerous on the basis that it can and does fire out of battery. Fact of the matter is that this is not true. If the gun fired out of battery, you would know it, and the gun would probably be scrap metal. The slide lock acts as a sort of autosear; it's tripped by the slide to release the hammer as you pump forward, just before the bolt locks. Assuming that the weapon is technically sound, not damaged at all, the hammer cannot strike the firing pin unless the slide is all the way forward and the bolt is locked in place. It is possible that, if you pump too slowly, the hammer will drop before the bolt is fully locked. In this case it will strike the back of the slide rather than the firing pin, resulting in a decocked hammer on a live chamber, essentially a light primer strike missfire. This isn't necessarily a safe condition, but is easily remedied by simply pumping it again. It cannot fire out-of-battery by this practice. J.M. Browning was no dummy; these guns, from the Winchester M1893 to the Ithaca M37, were designed to be used this way. Edited November 16, 2010 by Caspian Sea Monster Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CrufflerSteve 0 Posted November 16, 2010 Report Share Posted November 16, 2010 I had one. It was totally reliable and quite accurate. It did kick but that's the trade-off for light. The slam firing feature was neat but for me it was very inaccurate. You can train to be accurate with a slam fire I've seen cowboy action types do that with their Win 97's and hit. If you ever see one of these at a good price, go for it. Steve Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Elkhound 91 Posted November 16, 2010 Author Report Share Posted November 16, 2010 (edited) I ordered one directly from Ithaca. I was going to buy one on Gunbroker, but I got one directly from Ithaca for $100.00 less than the comparable one on Gunbroker. They have a few options available on them now, so I added a few things to it. I hope to get it before Thanksgiving, but that may be a bit optimistic. WJ Edited November 16, 2010 by WarriorJudge Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.