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need model 37 info

PostPosted: Thu Apr 10, 2014 8:56 am
by marble57
I have a Model 37 made in 1965, according to Ithaca Corp., it seems to have been made to be used for police or possibly prison guard duty, or maybe even just some sort of home defense model from back then, the gun has no roll markings on the receiver, no checkering on the buttstock, is totally parkerized and has a 20" full choke barrel. I thought someone in the forum may be able to tell me more about it's history, what these guns were marketed for when produced. Here are two pics I took of it.
http://i1056.photobucket.com/albums/t37 ... 90dfe4.jpg
http://i1056.photobucket.com/albums/t37 ... cf90a6.jpg

Re: need model 37 info

PostPosted: Thu Apr 10, 2014 9:04 am
by Jaguarxk120
You might want to get your calipers out and check the diameter of the muzzle. If it is less than .729 then it is choked.
The barrel may be marked full but could have been shortened later in it's life, or due to production requirements a standard full choke barrel was shortened at the factory.

Re: need model 37 info

PostPosted: Thu Apr 10, 2014 10:25 am
by SHOOTER13
It may well be a DSPS...a Deerslayer Police Special... a military and police version of the Model 37 Featherlight.

Re: need model 37 info

PostPosted: Thu Apr 10, 2014 1:49 pm
by marble57
Thanks for the advice about the choke, Jaguarxk120, I'll dig out my calipers and check that...interestingly enough there was no front sight bead on the barrel when I bought this gun back in 1990, so I took it to my local gunsmith and he installed one for me, the orange kind that you see on a lot of 37's, not a bead...so you may be correct that the barrel may have been cut, I'll have to check it to see if it is choked.
Shooter 13, I know what you mean by the DSPS but in all of the pics of those guns that I've seen they actually have DSPS marked on the barrel, so I didn't think it was one of those, but maybe they made some that didn't have that stamped on the barrel...
I do love the gun, I have 5 different 37's now, most in hunting styles, 2-12's, 2-16's and a 20 ga, and this little shorty is my favorite.

Re: need model 37 info

PostPosted: Thu Apr 10, 2014 3:42 pm
by Jaguarxk120
If there was no front sight on the barrel, that is a very good indication the barrel was shortened by some one.
Check the muzzle very closely there may be tooling marks from what ever was used to shorten the barrel.

Re: need model 37 info

PostPosted: Sun Aug 23, 2015 4:50 pm
by blu
ithaca373 (800x274).jpg
ithaca373 (800x274).jpg (183 KiB) Viewed 21383 times


Here is my recently acquired 37 featherlight 12ga. with a 20" barrel 7rd. in the mag tube, 2 3/4 chamber. It says full on barrel has a 9 digit serial I think 1984 ,rifle type front sight no rear sight, sling attachments ,walnut furniture. And it does slam fire. And was easily manageable to slam fire once you had your slide control smooth. Was very surprised, since what I have read was rds were all over .Not so ! Great shotgun ! Keeping this one.

Re: need model 37 info

PostPosted: Mon Aug 24, 2015 11:10 am
by SHOOTER13
Nice looking specimen Blu...!!

Re: need model 37 info

PostPosted: Sun Apr 28, 2019 8:49 am
by hiltongrizzly
blu wrote:
ithaca373 (800x274).jpg


Here is my recently acquired 37 featherlight 12ga. with a 20" barrel 7rd. in the mag tube, 2 3/4 chamber. It says full on barrel has a 9 digit serial I think 1984 ,rifle type front sight no rear sight, sling attachments ,walnut furniture. And it does slam fire. And was easily manageable to slam fire once you had your slide control smooth. Was very surprised, since what I have read was rds were all over .Not so ! Great shotgun ! Keeping this one.
Nice. Want to sell? Lol I need a home defense gun

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Re: need model 37 info

PostPosted: Wed May 01, 2019 4:05 pm
by hiltongrizzly
Anyone alive here? Do we shut off the lights?

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Re: need model 37 info

PostPosted: Wed May 01, 2019 5:33 pm
by impala59
Yeah it’s a bit quiet at the moment, a bit like those westerns with the tumbleweed blowing across the street :)
Hope in time folks will return as there’s some great contributors on this site. We suffered with an over eager and inflammatory moderator who is now gone, but many stalwarts of the site were upset and offended by his attitude and have not yet returned. I, for one, hope they do come back and return the site to its vibrant, informative, former self