Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns Ithica 37 vs. Winchester 12

Actually Burt Lancaster did the best job with the 97 in the Professional's

Had a 37 in 16 gauge which was a pheasant death ray. The winchester is a smoother more refined action but is also bulkier. I would not mind having either in my gun safe.

I also like the way the 37 handles, although the M-12 handles very well. The 37's seem lighter and handier, the Winchester more like a tank.

Bea, that movie and the gun fights featured, gave rise to the "Wild Bunch" section of Cowboy Action Shooting. Quite interesting competition and is responsible for the rise in '97 prices. Before CAS, one could pick up a pretty good '97 for $300. Try that now...!

DF

my first experience with a pump gun was my dads jc higgens i think. whatever name it was a mod 12. that gun would never feed that well so when i bought my own shotgun it was an 870. that was 1976 i think. that 870 has never failed. i always admired th ithica 37 and bought 1 a few weeks ago. only shot a few rds of trap so far.. in past years i kinda stayed away from mod 12 due to dads old gun. as a gunsmith now i relize the problem with that old shotgun was lack of cleaning. that was the farm gun that sat around and never got cleaned and oiled. matter of fact i bet it hasnt been cleaned in 40 years..

My first pump experience was my grandmothers 37 20g, believe they (grandparents) purchased a matching pair (12 & 20) in the 40's.

Loved that shotgun and a few years ago finally convinced my uncle to pass it along to me.

Have a 12g Model 12 that my now passed away Stepfather purchased new when he got back from the war. Never did care for the gun, but proud to have it.

I would say both guns have their advantages. If you are in the duck slough I would go for the 3 inch model 12 it has the weight to tame heavy loads and will eat shells with mud on them. I have used the mag model 12's for years they swing nice and work. The 37's I would say are more of a upland gun nice and light, 37's can get little mule like when shooting magnum ammo. I shot some of the magnum 1 1/4oz copper plated 4 shot in them and I knew it. They both have adavantages I guess it depends on your type of hunting. Big heavy loads or hot reloads in the duck swamps mod 12 hands down. Target or field loads and lots walking I would choose the 37.

This is a fine argument to have, both are great guns. I lean heavily toward the Model 12, especially in 16 gauge. My 16 is an original field grade, 28" barrel, modified choke, weighs 6 1/2#. I can't imagine a better chukar gun. I also like the heavier ribbed 12 gauge Model 12s; they point beautifully for me.

Maybe the greatest reason to prefer the Model 12 is that it looks so nice next to a Model 42...

I'm way late on this discussion, but I'd choose the Ithaca 37. It is designed for hunting and has far better ergonomic design. The Ithaca can be mastered by a novice in basically one range session as to loading, unloading the magazine without action manipulation, and blind reloading "on the fly." No other pump is easy like that.

I own more than a few of them, and I actually have one 12 gauge from 1949 that has never been cleaned internally. It is very well used and still works fine. I'm trying to keep hunting with it to see how long it can run (kind of a dumb torture test, if you will).

A big difference to me is the location of the safety between the Winchester (front) and Ithaca (rear). I find the Ithaca much easier to use when actually hunting.

Only have the Ithaca in 12 ga and yeah, magnum loads will get your attention. I think a 20 ga. model 37 would be great if you had hills to climb and relatively small birds and ground game (grouse, quail, rabbits, etc) to hunt. A model 37 in 12 ga. with mild loads, maybe even 2 1/2 inch shells, would be a little heavier but might work almost as well. Or a 16 ga, if you can find one. The advantage of a modern 37 (serial number over 855,000 if I remember correcly) is that the barrels can be changed, so you could buy a short barrel for quail & woodcock. Can't comment on the model 12 as I have on personal experience with it.

I have owned and used both. All the comments so far ring true. If I had my choice I would take a 20 (or better yet a 28) ga Model 12. Best of both worlds in my opinion.

Thought I was the only one. 16Ga Model 12's would be perfect if they had moved the safety back. Most don't care, but the 37s safety is where it should be. Much like the old tang safety Rugers and Savage 99s, who got it right twice.

I notice John Browning seems to be getting all the credit for the Remington 17/Ithaca 37 in this thread. Didn't John D Pedersen have something to do with them?

The Pedersen patents were what made it the Model 37 instead of the (I think) Model 34.

I agree with gunut, what they said. I have both and shoot the m12 most as it happens to fit me a bit better than the M37. It could just as easily been the other way around.

I've duck hunted with both and I like the smooth slide on the 37 and the reaching power of the model 12 when the ducks stop decoying. I want a model 1237.