Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns Favorite pump shotgun and why ?

Ok it's nearly 4am and i'm bored at work . If you had to pick a favorite pump shotgun either still made or out of production which would it be and why ? FWIW for me its a toss up between Winchester 12s and older 870 Wingmasters.

I always felt the older Remington model 31 pump was just slicker than snot, more so than the Win M-12.

I favor the Rem 870, mine are left hand 20 gauges.

Doc

I had an old 870 Wingmaster I passed to my son, and a M12 that moved on to a friend. Both 12ga, both equally slick and both in 12ga.

Currently I favor the 20ga and spend time with a Browning M12. It isn't nearly as slick as either of the previously mentioned two but is a pleasure in the field. Probably needs a lot more shells run through it, perhaps it would then catch up to them.

AJD

Remington 31s are nice , i've shot several but haven't bought one yet.

Definately the 870 Remington for me. Followed closely by the old Ithaca 37

I would put the Ithaca M37 at the number 1 slot for me. I have a old Model 12 in 16 gauge that I also like very much but the M37 just fits me the best

I have an 12 gauge 870 Wingmaster, 26 inch barrel Light Countour that I will never part with and would be satisfied if it was my only gun. Fits me so I can shoot 3 inch duck loads all morning or carry it 10 miles with light bird loads just as well.

Ithaca M37
My first scattergun.
Best slug gun in it's day in Deerslayer form.
Duck buster with the 30" full.

Longest "still-in-production" slide action shotgun.
The slower, clunkier 870 a distant second.
Still a good gun, just not the same as the John Browning designed Model 37.

The army used them for ventilating the enemy, too.

The 870 is real hard to beat but the M-12 is a classic and the M-31 IS the smoothest pump ever made. Never been a bottom feeder fan, I want to see/show an open chamber, but you cant deny there following.

Best one for me depends on the day but it would most likely be the 870 or M-12

Old Wingmasters with the corncob forearm.

Ithaca 37 and they are still in production. Made to the same if not better specs. Their scaled down 28Ga is a great upland carry.

+1 ... I have been shooting the same 870 12 ga. for 30+ years without any problems.

I have 2 Ithaca 37 ultralight 20 gauge and 870 wingmaster supermag 12 gauge.

Both are well balanced,lightweight and carry very well for what they are.

And you can shuck a spent hull into the next blind with a M37. (not that I ever did that)

Can't do that with a side-hole.

I guess so, if you hold the 37 sideway and work it. Gangstra style....

M37 16ga and my 870 16ga in that order. I have a M12 12ga that I really like too.

Model 37. Light enough for upland; enough weight for doves, ducks or turkeys; good with slugs. Sleek and slick. The Purdey of pump guns.

They better be....I just looked at some prices....holey chit....
That 28 does look pretty sweet though....

Ithaca 37/87's. They don't tend to freeze up in ice storms. The Deerslayers with Scout scopes and ironshave killed several deer for me and my group. I particularly like 20 gauge UL's. They carry easy and handle quickly.
They were our issue shotgun in Vietnam as well and that brings back memories.

Winchester M12 Featherweight, 12 ga 26" bbl, improved cylinder.

Why? Because I can hit Ruffed Grouse and Woodcock better than with my field grade M12.

I have several 'favorites' and rotate shooting clay targets with several of them.

Of course the 'Big Three' (870, 37, and M 12) are great shotguns. There is a reason that they sold 10 million + of them.

But there are also a couple others that I shoot often that are really good. They lived in the shadows of the Big Three and for various reasons didn't survive: Stevens 620/621, High Standard Flight King, and Model 25 Winchester. I've put thousands of rounds through them and not had any issues. I shot some of my best 5-Stand scores with the Flight King (plain barrel, 26" IC) as me and it are on the same page. The 621 is well suited for trap shooting kind of like a Model 12. And the Model 25 is a well balanced shotgun.

The 12 gauge Stevens 621 I have was IMHO the epitome of that 40 year run of that John Browning design. Stevens built a boatload of them (various 520/620 versions) for Sears/M.Ward back when they were the biggest gun retailers in the country.

Back to the thread topic: Which is my favorite? I don't know, I can't narrow it down.

You should really sell me that..

Sorry Passport, my youngest daughter has dibs on it.

Ithaca 37.

First gun, bottom ejector.

I'm a lefty so that mattered a lot to my Dad at the time.

Very nice Model 12

That would be a Marlin 120 magnum. Brought it new in 72, killed deer, rabbits, pheasants, "when we had some" and grouse. It is still my favorite shotgun. I going to have to give it to my son before long.

Have to agree they are more than a little proud of the product. I suspect part of the reason being is they don't seem to sell many, along with the fact most places don't stock them.

I didn't get any deal on the 28ga, but I think it is a great pump shotgun when it comes to carrying and balance. Did look at a 16 at Field and Stream and they were willing to deal. Long barrel and didn't balance all that well and they wanted to move it. Well made, but not anything like their old classic Featherlite.

If I wanted another, then used would be the best way to go. However, it is nice they are there to service any issues. Old or new.

For me it's the 12 ga. High Standard Flite King. Mine's the very first gun I ever purchased brand new back in Nov. 1968. Still got it and that pump action still works like it's running on ball bearings. But then my circa 1987 12 ga. 870 SPECIAL PURPOSE DEER is also on my favorite list. Lost track of the amount of venison that thing has harvested since 1987 not only by me but by a brother-in-law and a nephew too. Been running a fully rifled barrel since 2001, been drilled and tapped for scope since mid-90's and got a trigger job a couple years ago. But there's another favorite that I never had. An Ithaca mod. 37 Deerslayer; back in the smoothbore slug gun days I wanted one so badly but couldn't swing it back then. Now I'm kicking myself for walking past two nice looking ones on the same table recently at a gun show. Maybe I'll get one next time if the condition & price are both nice. So what if I get one 40-something years after I first started drooling over them; better late than never.

Agree....I'm glad to see any old firearms manufacturer that's withstood the over regulation storm and still resisting the cheap plastic gun carrot...
Plus...I haven't bought a new gun in years so that's probably a fair price for a quality Blue Steel and Walnut pump gun these days....
What do I know...ha

I like the model 12 for the cool factor of how it comes apart.
I like the 870 Wingmaster for its everything eles, so give me an 870.

You nailed it. They are using modern machinery, but still making the same shotgun. Changed the grip some and I wish they would have kept the old straighter with less curve Other than that nothing seems to have changed.

Ran into some Ohio guys while hunting Grouse up in Mich. They liked the 28 a lot, but didn't have a clue it was now being made in their home state.

For upland hunting, an Ithaca M37, without a doubt.

A recently acquired, all original, high condition, 16GA. A time travel machine to 1953.

I prefer doubles or autos but a M37 would be my pick when slumming sliders.

M37 for birds and deer, Love that bottom eject and smooth action!

20 gauge Remington Youth for Turkeys. Flat out deadly and a joy to carry.

My 870 Wingmaster 20ga[1975]. Slickest and best fitting[for me] pump ever. Upland birds don't like it tho.

I like a M12 16ga. Easy to carry and comes up nice for me.

Wow !
That's a beauty.

I see a lot of 37 fans here , friend of mine has a few . In the times i tried I couldn't get used to the bottom eject , same with the BPS i tried . May have to give them another chance . Though it would be tough to beat a Model 12 or early Wingmaster for me.

The BPS is an awful nice pump gun... heavy, but that is not a problem under lots of different conditions. The tang safety is the best. Why they stopped the magazine cut-off I will never understand. I have three in 12 with a big bunch of barrels. A LGS had a bunch of assorted shotgun barrels and I got quite a few for different guns, dirt cheap!

870s are the epitome of reliable...

This 16 gauge Winchester Model 12. Why? Well, I just like it.

Remington 870 20 ga, Win 97 12 ga and Win Model 12 16 ga

Remington model 31 16ga , Remington model 17

Winchester Model 12!

Ithaca Model 37 is just a bastid Remington! (LOL!).

Tough to beat an older wigmaster from the 50's thru the 70's production. The M37 is great as well. I think the BPS is a really under appreciated pump gun, probably more reliable than an 870, but the weight doesn't yield as good of an upland gun.

My favorite pump is the 870 12 ga. 3" chamber. Versatile hunt anything gun, and I like location of safety @ rear of trigger guard, so my finger doesn't get lost feeling for it.
It reloads smoothly, and operates smoothly. Downside, it's not much to look at.

Have you ever had a Wingmaster fail you? Just curious...

Yes, the proper staking of the shell latches is critical in an 870 for proper feeding. I had an older 70's one that sometime wouldnt allow a shell to leave the tube when the pump was back. Had to have a smith tweak and re-stake the shell catch to correct.

I also had a 90's Express do something similar, I cured that one by adjusting the shell catch. Never had a BPS do this, but suppose it could happen.

I don't count the Express Model along with the Wingmaster's. I've never had trouble with a Wingmaster but I've had three Express guns and had one sort of trouble or another with each of the Express guns.

Agreed, I've had Express models but they aren't the same guns as the Wingmaster, Police magnum or 870 Marine.

Sir, I'm not trying to sound like a know it all but I do believe the shotgun in your photograph is either a Savage Model 67 or 77. It is not an Ithaca Model 37. Thank you.

Savage 77E
Notes: A long-unsung hero of the Vietnam War, the Model 77E was one of the standard shotguns of that conflict, used by MPs, security forces, and even some personnel such as platoon sergeants and special ops units. Though designed to be a police riot gun, it saw much more service in the military, in Vietnam, the US, and other world postings. Between 1963 and 1964 some 60,920 were built and delivered to the US military, A further “emergency” order was made in late 1964, for a total of 1980 shotguns. 771 of these were provided to the ARVN. The M-77E was relatively inexpensive, and proved useful in the jungle.
Complaints by flak-jacket-clad shooters led to the stock being sawed off by 0.62 inches. This led to further complaints from those not wearing body armor, and later, a screw-on stock extender was devised that allowed the M-77E to be brought back to the original LOP. Unlike most US military shotguns, the M-77E had a thick recoil pad; the stock and pump slide were made of varnished beech, painted black. The stock was cheap and not too strong; a strong butt-stroke against an enemy often required a stock replacement. Savage responded by shipping the Army and Marines lots of extra stocks. The stock has a deep semi-pistol grip. The trigger guard was also made of weak alloy and broke often. As replacement trigger guards were in short supply, armorers often resorted to taking one off of an M-77E not being used or making them from scratch. Metal finish was Parkerized black. A few were experimentally fitted with bayonet lugs, but as bayonets on shotguns were little used, the experiment came to a halt, and the bayonet lugs removed. The crossbolt safety was on the left front of the trigger guard, a very ergonomic position.
The Savage 77Es were regarded as less-desired brothers to the Ithaca 37 and Winchester Model 12. Most were sold into civilian and police service after Vietnam, where their shortcomings were not as deleterious. They are now considered collectors’ items.

Pumps are my thing.. Probably my favorite is my old 870 field magnum.. I have shot it steady since I bought it in the 70's.. Also have a special field 12, a couple 870's in 20 ga. and one 28.. Shoot all from time to time.. My old 3" heavy duck model 12 is a favorite for turkey when I use a shotgun..
I have a late model 97 12 ga. that is a great gun.. It once dropped a gobbler stone dead at 62 steps..
My model 31 Rem 12 ga. is the slickest shotgun I own..
Have a BPS 10 ga. great goose gun.. A bit heavy for gobblers, but it does a number on them..
Almost forgot my Mossburg 12 ga. 3 1/2".. It sits in the bedroom incase of intruders.. Have killed a number of turkey with it..
Right now I have no model 37.. A 20 ga. in that model was the first pump I ever owned.. Am looking for another 37 12ga. with a solid rib.. Pumps are awesome..

Always loved 870s and haven't been w/o one for probably 45 years. I have a coup,e of model 12s that I really like though to me they handle a bit different than the 870 or m37 due to the slide lockup. I find the secret is to pump immediately on firing wheat her you need to shoot again or not. I have my Dads old M37 too and it is a nice gun. Actually I could hunt and be be happy with any of them. I'm one of those guys that just like pump shotguns over other action types. There is something about the machinery that fascinates me and I think they handle just great despite the brains of the double gun guys. Just a great tribute to Yankee ingenuity.

Model 70 Man, Really enjoyed your information on the M77E in Viet Nam - thanks!

Thank you Sir. The shotguns used in Vietnam interest me more than any others. I joined the army as a 3 year RA unassigned. I always regretted being assigned a 16B MOS instead of 11B where so many great people served their time and I still feel guilty for those who didn't come back. I was a black boot cold war soldier. We don't get a lot of recognition because the Russians and Cubans never tried anything.

I used my Ithaca M37 12 ga Deerslayer pump as a poor mans/ rainy day drilling.

With it's 20" barrel and iron sights it's handy and shoots both slugs and bird shot well.




It's rear sight on that barrel has a place for a scope mount to grip so that say a 2X scope can be mounted.

I use a 2x Redfield.

When my youngest daughter got married, I sent her home with my 20 gauge like that. I miss them both!

It might be incorrect but my understanding is that the 16GA M37 was built on the same frame size as the M37 20GA.

If so, the 16GA is really just a super backbored 20GA magnum.

Winchester 42.

What I have owned and used:

The most would be the 870, followed by versions of the Mossberg, 97 and 12s both takedown and solid, 37, and then BPS.

I seem to always make the 870 work, but they never stood out beyond that of a tool.

The Mossbergs were a tool, clunky and cheap.

The 12s always seemed to be good, but two of my 97s, one solid, the other takedown, always had the WOW/Cool Factor best covered (though to the blind eye they didn't truly handle as well).

The BPS was clearly different than the 870 in mechanics, but I always thought of them the same, like maybe an 870 in Sunday clothes. Had one BPS I used for jump shooting ducks that I liked a bunch.

The 37s however, in forms of Riot/Trench gun, Featherlight, and Deerslayer, have all passed the blind test for me, at being very intuitive in the field, and just plain worked well. So for me, setting the WOW factors and the Tool factors aside, and merely looking at the joy I've found running a pump afield; I'd have to pick the 37 as my overall favorite to use.

Ithaca 37 16 ga.

Purchased it new in Baker,Oregon in 1972.

Was used primarily for chukar hunting. Used to be a ton of them around.

I had to have my 870 12 magnum repaired so I ended up using the Ithaca for all of my bird hunting that year. Even got a goose or two with it.

It has a 28" barrel. It was full choke and shot patterns tighter than a bulls a.. in fly time. Had it opened up to modified. Still shoots good patterns. Occasionally a bunch of shooting buddies get together and shoot at a local gravel pit. Every now and then we will bring a trap along and shoot some clay pigeons. I can still out shoot the other guys usually getting 22 to 24 out of 25.

Most use lately has been for blue and ruffed grouse in the Blue Mountains south of Pendleton. My oldest grandson has dibs on it after I hit the long trail.

Happy Trails!

Why do I have to choose just one?

Find a Ithaca Deerslayer 12 with this 20" barrel and have a single barrel 'drilling' for a few hundred.

The one I have is drilled and tapped for a scope mount. I have a 2X Redfield on mine!

Ithaca Deerslayer