My introduction to the Featherlight was in the 50's. There was a chain of stores called, "Joe, The Motorist Friend" it shoulda been called, "Joe The Kid's friend!" They sold tires, batteries, oil, and automotive supplies, but they had an isle of great toys, and one entire side of the stores was guns, hunting, fishing, and archery stuff, (they also had the only Santa around at Christmas time). Yup, Joe truley was a boy's best friend!
Anyway, they always had a few Ithaca 37's on the rack, along with Model 12's and a few other shotguns of dubious background and parentage. The 37's always stood out as slim, trim, and ready to dance, whereas even the Model 12's seemed rather chunky and clumbsy to cradle in your arms.
My early hunting years saw something less that a '37, I carried around an old, "EXCEL" 16ga. single shot, (probably made by Iver and Johnson by the looks of it). It was deadly enough and I was proud to carry it around for my hunting trips into the fields and woodlands in my area until a neighbor kid got a '37 for his birthday gift, vent rib barrel, Raybar sight, and handsome walnut stocks!
It was some years and a trip half way around the world at Uncle Sam's expense before I got the Featherlight bug again, but I finally lay my hands on one I could call my own, a 1953 vintage Field grade Featherlight in 12ga. It served me well in my upland game hunting ventures, but I always craved one with a vent rib, even thought of sending the old gal to Upper Sandusky lately to have the work done and a new interchangeable barrel fitted, but then I came across a Featherlight Magnum '12 for sale with that vent rib barrel I've been craving locally and lay the cash in the owners hand!..The more I handle it, the more I like it, it seems to come up faster and more natural than even my old '53 Featherlight. I read they put a slightly straighter stock on the Magnum Model, maybe that's it. I don't need the 3" chamber, and may never buy a box of the longer shells, but I think this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship. She's also a very plainly dressed gal, function over glamor with her bead blasted finish, lack of the traditional game scenes and unadorned smooth walnut stocks, but I think I'm in love.