need model 37 info

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Copper BB
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Apr 06, 2014 9:00 am
PostPosted: Thu Apr 10, 2014 8:56 am
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

.22LR
Posts: 28
Joined: Tue Aug 30, 2011 2:31 pm
PostPosted: Thu Apr 10, 2014 9:04 am
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.
PostPosted: Thu Apr 10, 2014 10:25 am
It may well be a DSPS...a Deerslayer Police Special... a military and police version of the Model 37 Featherlight.

Copper BB
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Joined: Sun Apr 06, 2014 9:00 am
PostPosted: Thu Apr 10, 2014 1:49 pm
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.

.22LR
Posts: 28
Joined: Tue Aug 30, 2011 2:31 pm
PostPosted: Thu Apr 10, 2014 3:42 pm
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.

Copper BB
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Joined: Sun Aug 23, 2015 4:15 pm
PostPosted: Sun Aug 23, 2015 4:50 pm
ithaca373 (800x274).jpg
ithaca373 (800x274).jpg (183 KiB) Viewed 21381 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.
PostPosted: Mon Aug 24, 2015 11:10 am
Nice looking specimen Blu...!!

Copper BB
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 28, 2019 8:49 am
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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PostPosted: Wed May 01, 2019 4:05 pm
Anyone alive here? Do we shut off the lights?

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Yeah it’s a bit quiet at the moment, a bit like those westerns with the tumbleweed blowing across the street :)
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