Ithaca Model 37 | |
---|---|
Type | Shotgun |
Place of origin | United States |
Production history | |
Designer | John Browning, Harry Howland |
Designed | 1933 |
Manufacturer | Ithaca Gun Company Industrias Marcati |
Produced | 1937–present |
Variants | Bataan Modelo 71, Ithaca Model 87 |
Specifications | |
Mass | Varies |
Length | 760mm-1006mm |
Barrel length | 13 inches (330 mm) to 30 inches (760 mm) |
Cartridge | 12, 16, 20, or 28 gauge |
Barrels | Plain Ribbed Rifled |
Action | Manually operated, pump-action |
Feed system | 4, 5, or 7-round tubular magazine (riot, standard, and extended tube versions) |
The Ithaca 37 (or Model 37) is a pump-action shotgun made in large numbers for the civilian, military, and police markets. Based on a 1915 patent by firearms designer John Browning for a shotgun initially marketed as the Remington Model 17, it utilizes a novel combination ejection/loading port on the bottom of the gun which leaves the sides closed to the elements. Since shotshells load and eject from the bottom, operation of the gun is equally convenient for both right- and left-handed shooters. This makes the gun popular with left-handed shooters.
Q: Where is the serial number located on my Model 37? A: On the Model 37 ®, the serial number is located on the bottom right side of the receiver or on earlier models the chamber end of the receiver between the magazine and barrel. May 09, 2008 All Model 37's had serial numbers before they left the factory. The older guns have the number stamped in the face of the receiver where the barrel & magazine tube are threaded in. Also, a matching number is stamped on the underside of the barrel. Les Hovencamp www.diamondgunsmithing.com. Jan 18, 2008 Here is a chart I recovered from the old Ithaca website. Ithaca Model 37 Repeater Serial Number Listing by Year. Year All Model Guns 1937 1 to 3,500 1938 to 10,000 1939 to 18,350 1940 to 34,400 Standard Model Solid Rib. Skeet. Trap. 1941 to 50,900 70,000-71,500 80,000-80,400 88,000-88,150 1942 to 62,900 71,501-72,199 80,401-80,899 WWII. Mar 07, 2015 I never made any modifications to it, so I'm guessing that an MSP armorer or possibly the Ithaca factory added the handguard/bayonet lug. This weapon was released with 258 M1 carbines and 7 other model 37s. All of the shotguns were in this configuration and this one had the lowest serial number at.
History[edit]
Following the First World War, the Ithaca Gun Company sought to produce a pump-action shotgun to compete with the ubiquitous Winchester Model 1912. They used the Remington Model 17 as their model and made modifications—such as simplifying and cost-saving alterations of the firing pin and ejection mechanism, the work of Ithaca designer Harry Howland in 1931[1]—while waiting for related patents to expire. After gearing for production of their new shotgun as the Ithaca Model 33 in 1933, Ithaca discovered a Pedersen patent that would not expire until 1937, and production had to be delayed. In 1937, it was released as the Ithaca 37.
With the depression dragging on and war looming on the horizon, it was possibly the worst time to introduce a sporting arm. Many sporting arms ceased production entirely during the same period. While Ithaca did produce some shotguns for military use during the war, they also produced M1911 pistols and M3 submachine guns.
After World War II, Ithaca resumed production of the Model 37. Made in many different models, the Ithaca 37 has the longest production run for a pump-action shotgun in history, surpassing that of the Winchester Model 12, the original inspiration for Ithaca's entry into the market. Ithaca has suffered many setbacks in its history and changed hands numerous times. At one time, the Ithaca 37 was renamed the Model 87, although it was soon changed back in one of many ownership changes. Production paused in 2005 when Ithaca once again changed hands. Production has resumed in Upper Sandusky, Ohio.
According to an article by the Ithaca Times dated June 11th, 2003, the one-millionth Model 37 was produced in 1968; and as of 2003, more than 2,000,000 Model 37s have been produced. The Ithaca 37 is the only pre–World War II shotgun still in production.
Users[edit]
The Model 37 was used by the United States armed forces in World War II, the Korean War, and especially the Vietnam War, where it gained a great reputation for reliability in the jungles of Vietnam. The largest single users outside the US Military were the New York City Police Department and the Los Angeles Police Department. The New York City Police Department used two versions of the Model 37: one with a 13' barrel with forend hand-strap for its Emergency Service Unit and one with an 18' barrel for its Highway Patrol and solo patrol officers of designated low-crime precincts through a short-lived program spanning from the late 1970s to early 1980s. The Model 37 was issued by the LAPD beginning in the 1940s and remained in service until the late 1990s. Other users include the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and various military, police, and security agencies and prisons around the world. The Ithaca 37 remains a popular choice among civilians for both sport and personal protection. The Model 37 Featherlight has commonly been seen in the hands of farmers and hunters in the midwestern United States.
Operation[edit]
Loading the Ithaca 37 involves inserting shotshells of the proper gauge through the loading/ejection port in the bottom of the receiver and pushing them forward into the magazine until retained by the shell stop. The slide release is pressed and the slide retracted completely then pushed forward.Pulling the trigger fires the gun and releases the slide for reloading. On most models up to 1975, a second sear was installed that would drop the hammer as soon the gun went into battery if the trigger was in a depressed condition. Thus, holding the trigger down allowed the gun to fire the instant a new round is cycled into the chamber without requiring the trigger to be released; this feature was called 'slam-fire.' Otherwise, the Model 37 operates in much the same way as other pump-action shotguns.
Selected versions[edit]
- S-prefix: were manufactured for a 1962 United States military contract. S-prefixed serial numbers ran from approximately 1,000 to 23,000 with 'U.S.' on the receiver and 'P' proof markings on the barrel and receiver. The guns have a Parkerized finish with a 20 inches (51 cm) barrel and plain stock with plastic butt plate and no sling swivels. A few later contracts produced smaller numbers of guns with sling swivels and serial numbers in the high 900,000 range. Some had 'duckbill spreader' shot diverters for use by United States Navy SEALs. Others were fitted with a ventilated handguard and bayonet adapter. New bayonets were manufactured by General Cutlery, Inc. and Canada Arsenal, Ltd.[2]
- Ultralite: an aluminum receiver variation.
- Deerslayer: a version with a shortened barrel and rifle-style sighting system.
- DSPS: for Deerslayer Police Special. A military and police version
- Stakeout: short version with a 13 inches (330 mm) barrel and pistol grip stock, which was notable for being the signature weapon for Ricardo Tubbs, Philip Michael Thomas' character on Miami Vice as well as being the secondary weapon of Corporal Hicks in Aliens (although it was technically a modified hunting variant) and Aliens: Colonial Marines, where it has the words 'no fate' carved into the top, a reference to Michael Biehn's role in The Terminator. Because of its barrel length and overall length, this model is classified as a National Firearms Act 'any other weapon' and must be registered with ATF.
- 28 Gauge: 28 gauge model built on traditional size 28 gauge receiver.[3]
- Defense: an affordable 12 or 20 gauge model built for home defense purposes. 18.5' barrel with 5-round capacity or 20' barrel with 8-round capacity. Essentially the same as the Model 37 M&P's used by military and police for many years.
Argentinian variants[edit]
An unlicensed, near identical copy known as the Bataan Modelo 71 is manufactured by the Argentinian firm Industrias Marcati.[4][5][6]
See also[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ^https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2016/8/25/a-look-back-at-the-ithaca-model-37-shotgun/
- ^Canfield, Bruce N. American Rifleman (March 2002) pp. 44-47 & 92-95
- ^[1][dead link]
- ^'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 2011-07-21. Retrieved 2011-06-19.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 2012-04-05. Retrieved 2011-06-19.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 2012-04-05. Retrieved 2011-06-19.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
References[edit]
- Fawcett, Bill. Hunters & Shooters, An Oral History of the U.S. Navy SEALS in Vietnam. NY: Avon Books, 1995. ISBN0-380-72166-X, pp. 79–80, especially.
- Snyder, Walter C. Ithaca Featherlight Repeaters, The Best Gun Going. NC: Cook and Uline Pub, 1998. ISBN0-9629469-1-5
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ithaca_37&oldid=970726266'
Here is a chart I recovered from the old Ithaca website.Ithaca Model 37 Repeater Serial Number Listing by Year.
Year All Model Guns
1937 1 to 3,500
1938 to 10,000
1939 to 18,350
1940 to 34,400
Standard Model Solid Rib * Skeet* Trap*
1941 to 50,900 70,000-71,500 80,000-80,400 88,000-88,150
Ithaca Model 37 Parts
1942 to 62,900 71,501-72,199 80,401-80,899
WWII
1946 62,901 to 69,999 72,200-73,150 80,900-81,899 88,150-88,300 90,000-115,350
1947 to 157,150 73,150-74,700 81,900-82,499 88,300-88,760
1948 to 202,950 74,701-78,300 82,500-83,414 89,065-89,619
1949 to 302,500 78,301-79,999 83,415-83,964 89,620-89,969
Special serial number sequence for Solid Rib guns discontinued
310,000-310,099
1950 to 348,000 83,965-83,999 310,100-310,179
1951 to 413,000 84,000-84,169 310,180-310,404
Ithaca Model 37 Serial Numbers Location
1952 to 504,000 84,170-84,189 310,405-310,429
1953 to 544,000 84,190-84,399 310,430-310,619 509,600-509,649 509,650-509,699
All Model Guns 37-S discontinued after 1953
Special serial number sequence for 37-T guns discontinued
1954 to 574,000 ......1971 to 371,211,500
1955 to 602,000 ......1972 to 371,275,000
1956 to 652,000 ......1973 to 371,339,000 381,000,001-381,030,000
Ithaca Model 37 Featherlight
1957 to 704,000 ......1974 to 371,405,500
1958 to 727,000 ......1975 to 371,517,500
1959 to 759,000 ......1976 to 371,596,000
1960 to 777,000 ......1977 to 371,626,000
1961 to 797,000 ......1978 to 371,648,000
1962 to 820,000 ......1979 to 371,678,000
1963 to 867,000 ......1980 to 371,709,000
1964 to 891,000 ......1981 to 371,728,100
1965 to 927,000 .......1982 to 371,758,700
1966 to 966,000 .......1983 to 371,850,800
1967 to 999,500 ........1984 to 371,871,500
1968 to 1,042,000 ......1985 to 371,882,000
1969 to 371,091,500 ...1986 to 371,889,000