Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns Ithaca 37 20 gauge vent rib

MM,

We all can't always agree.

My experience with the new Ithaca 37 is limited to the 28Ga I bought last year. Functions as well as the 16Ga Lightweight I had at one time. Blueing seems nice enough, but I trashed it around a bit Grouse hunting last year and wore some of the new off.

Agree on the grip angle in that it does seem to have more of a curve to it than the originals. If I remember correctly the choke tubes are now made by Briley. Will have to look into that.

Can't say I've ever handled a 37R. The only ones I think I've seen were run of the mil 37s and this newer one at least to me seemed to be their equal.

Also had a new 16Ga in my hands and it was much heavier than the old 16 lightweight I once had.

In 1956, I was lucky enough to win a raffle drawing for an Ithaca 37 featherweight in 12 ga/28". Modified, plain barrel. I was in college and there wasn't enough money for guns or much ammo. I worked in a convenience store evenings. I mentioned to the boss that we had lots of calls for .22 and shot shells. Big stores kept sane hours and closed Sundays then. He lit up, and asked me if I could clear enough profit from sales to keep he and I in ammo. My standard order was for eight twenty box cases. Sell six and one for each of us. Standard mark up made the store a few cents on each box and he and I shot a lot of birds and rabbits.

My gun weighed 6 lb 4 oz. Unfortunately, along about 1961 it started dropping live ammo when the pump was operated. I couldn't fix it and neither could two "gunsmiths". The second reported to be a good smith, declared it worn out. It may have had 3000-4000 rounds through it. We had a raven roost on the farm and I shot them as long as I could take the recoil every trip. There were lots of quail and dove in those days. ,

I know where I can lay my hands on a minty, IC, vent rib, 20 ultra featherweight for a very reasonable price. Question, do the aluminum receivers hold up?

Best wishes,,

Jack

I am unaware of any aluminum receivers. The Ithaca 37 is light by being trim and having no excess metal, not by substituting lesser metal. I am thinking your original gun was nowhere near worn out, but that it simply had a timing issue. Most gunsmiths do not know how to time an Ithaca. It is a bit complicated since it loads and ejects through the same opening. I have a 20 gauge that is an early 70s gun. It just got out of the shop where the rib was repaired. My other 37 is a late '40s 16 gauge. My son like my Ithacas so much that he rounded up a 12 gauge.

Some of the receivers were aluminum and some of the new ones still are. They don't wear out all that easy.

http://www.ithacagun.com/featherlight.php

Note the comment on receivers.

The dropping of a live round out of the magazine is caused by incorrect tension of the bar that holds the live round in the magazine. Hard to get it just right, but a good smith should be able to do it or Ithaca themselves may be the best place to go in the first place. They will give the shotgun a complete going over and have it running like new fairly quickly.

Have 3 Ithaca 37's two 16's and a 12. Never had a problem with dropping live shells but from what the experts over on shotgun World say it is an easy fix. Simply replace the spring on the bar that Harry is talking about. You can get them from Ithaca and they are not expensive.

Well I guess I'll post something again at odds with what's been already posted. Back in the late 70's Ithaca made an "Ultra Featherweight" model of the 37 in 20ga. 26" VR barrel available in IC,Mod ,or full chokes. they had a high gloss finish on the wood and were equipped with the extension forend. The pistol grip had a Sid Bell(artist) engraved cap on it and the rec was aluminum and the whole gun weighed 4 lbs 15 ozs. Now before anyone tells me I'm full of s**t on this I know it's true because I had one. I bought it from Scheels in SFalls SD. Mine had a full choke ,so I didn't keep it long as well as the fact that 1 0z loads were painfull. Magnum Man

No doubt it is true, I've not owned, but have seen pics of the same. The engraved grip cap was a nice addition. Bell was quite popular around that time.

Magnum Man, I'm pretty sure that is what the one I'm talking about is. It is a twenty, I think marked as you describe, had a nice grip cap, and weighs about the same as a popcorn poot. Since I'm on blood thinners and bruise easily, I may not want it.

Thanks men,

Jack