These are certainly two iconic shotguns. Anyone out there with experience with both?

I've got a 60 some year old Ithaca 37 20 guage that is just flat out fun to hunt with. Weighs nothing and I hit pretty good with it. I wish it weren't a full choke, but I'm leaving it as it is.

Grandpa's got a model 12 12 guage that I carried a few times in my youth pheasant hunting, it couldn't have had more than a handful of boxes of shells through it in its life.

Can't do a good comparison as it was 12 versus 20 and its been close to 20 years since I carried the model 12. So in conclusion, my post is worthless.

I have 3 pre64 model 12's and a 50's model 37 and a '79 ultra
Featherweight. The 12's are built heavier and will undoubtably
last longer if you shoot them to death. The 37's carry so darn nice
and Ive never shot one til it broke. I love'em all but wouldnt care
for a 37 in 12 gauge. Two different but wonderful shotguns in my
opinion. 21

I have used both..plus 870's, 31's, 97's and some odd balls like the J. C. Higgins..I love pump guns..my first pump was a 37 in 20 ga. then a host of others..Both the model 12 and 37 have pluses an minuses..the model 12 is heavier and for the most part the stocks fit me better..the side ejections makes it easy to see if you have a round in the chamber, and also load singles if you are shooting trap, or run into the mother load of ringnecks..

The 37 is ligher, and the bottom ejection throws empties near your feet, and lets less junk get into the action..Personally, for hunting the uplands, I like the 37..mine is an older model with a solid rib. By next fall I will have the choke opened to modified..I like the 12 bore, due to the variety of loads I can use in it..but I do a lot of traveling and hunt a variety of game..for a specific area, a 20 might be just as good..

the simple thing is buy both...

Both are classics and each has its own personality.

Like noted above, the M-12 is heavier and a real tough work horse of a gun.

The 37 is lighter and easier to carry. It may not be as robust as a M-12, but a good action, nevertheless.

I have a first year solid rib 20 ga. M-37 with a Deluxe Polychoke. It's a really nice gun. I've had M-12's before, but traded them along the way. I could hit better with a Rem 1100, so I have several of them.

I have owned several Model 12's and several Model 37's and which one is the best depends on your taste and likes in a Shotgun . I believe the Model 12 is a better made shotgun , but like both. If i could have only one pump shotgun it would be the Winchester Model 97

About as nice a one as I've seen.

I own both and have hunted with both - I lean toward's old Winchesters, but the M37 gives nothing up as a fine, classic pump action shotgun.

what they said..........

Thanks.

I was fortunate to find it at Collectors Firerams in Houston for a good price, IIRC $275 or similar. The wood was in bad shape, the metal as you see it. I was able to restore the wood and recut the checkering.

DF

I had a great uncle who was a big time trap shooter and owned a large hardware store in our town. He always drove used cars and was very frugal. He bought his first new car, a 50's Buick Roadmaster. He was really proud of that car.

I was in the market for a shotgun as a teenager, had picked up pecans to pay for it. I liked the 37 and the M-12, so I asked my uncle which one he would choose. His comment, the Ithaca is like a Ford, the Winchester, like a Buick. So, I got the Model 12. Back then they retailed for $109. My Dad was able to get me one for $80 wholesale. Now, that was a while back...

DF

both are awesome......

I have hunted many years with both and lean towards the other member's comments regarding ease of carry and toughness.

My 37's are slick and southpaw friendly and easy to carry and swing nicely.

the 12's are rugged, balanced and also point beautifully. They all have needed a break in period and the adjuster on the barrel threads is a nice feature. I have never needed to adjust one.

Both handsomely styled and built.

Hot tip: Unless you are a savvy mechanic, do not try to disassemble either one too far!! Don't ask me how I know this....

You will definitely want to buy at least one of each!!

I like both equally well, although I did have a 37 that would shuck a live round out of the magazine tube when fired. Shame to, because it was a 16 gauge, but it went down the road.

I have owned two 37's that did the same thing and i was young and Gunsmith Illiterate, so traded them .

I think the 37 feed is more quirky than the M-12. You don't hear about M-12's doing that.

Set up right, the 37 is a wonderful action with lots of advantages. Parts can wear and become out of adjustment more often than with the M-12.

Someone mentioned the Win '97. It isn't the gun the M-12 is, IMHO. You hardly ever see a M-12 so worn than that it's not repairable. Not so with the '97. And the M-12 isn't associated with accidental discharges as much as the '97; never called the "widow maker" to the best of my knowledge.

And I have two '97's no M-12's. Not bashing the '97, just saying...

DF

I love my 37; have never had a 12, but would like to. Not to hijack the thread, but the mention of the Buick Roadhog reminded me of Dad towing me (on my sled)around town on the packed snow of the streets behind a '53. (The thing easily had as much steel as a Sherman tank.) I had a long rope tied to my sled and fed around the rear bumper and back to me. I held the end. If trouble developed, my instructions were to let go of the rope and steer for the snow bank to the right. Can you imagine how quick they would have Dad locked up if we were to do that today? Sorry, back to the (very good) topic at hand.

Dirtfarmer, you ever feel like selling that prewar 37, 20ga give me a call. I need it to round out my collection. It will fit nice between the 16ga and 12ga prewar's in my safe.

I'll build you a longbow for it

I don't collect the mod 12's, too heavy and clunky.

Started to purchase the Browning mod 12 in 20 ga. but shop wanted way too much.

My dad did the same thing for us, only with a '50 Ford, and we weren't smart enough to do the rope trick you described. Different times...

For HS graduation, my dad bought me a new 12 gauge M37 Ithaca. I still have it, pretty much for sentimental reasons for I've been a double gun man for quite a while now. Still, a couple of other shuckers went away while the Ithaca stayed- a M12 and an 870.

This debate has gone on since 1917, when Remington bought the patent from John Browning and started making the Remington 17. Ithaca didn't get into the pump gun end of the business until the patent expired, by which time Remington had introduced the Model 31. The 17 I had the privilege of trying out was one heck of a nice, light gun.

I think I would like a M12 in 12 ga for shooting a lot and walking a little, a M37 (or M17 if I could find a decent one) in 20 ga for walking a lot and shooting a little, and a M31 in 16 ga for the sake of completeness.

I have never messed with M97s much. I think they represent Browning's level of development in pumpsters in 1897, and the M17 was his mature thought after taking another 20 years to think about it. Lee Marvin did a heck of a job with his in "The Professionals" though, didn't he?

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.