The Model 37 has remained in continuous production since its introduction. To the OP, if the barrel fits the gun well, send your barrel to Guncat to have it cut. Designed by John Moses Browning, and originally manufactured in 1937, the Model 37 Featherlight has stood the test of time, providing generations of sportsmen with a reliable firearm for all types of hunting. But many manufacturers put them on, correct? Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. The new value of an ITHACA 37 shotgun has fallen ($296.59) dollars over the past 12 months to a price of $682.75 . They used the Remington Model 17 as their model and made modificationssuch as simplifying and cost-saving alterations of the firing pin and ejection mechanism, the work of Ithaca designer Harry Howland in 1931[2]while waiting for related patents to expire. May 4, 2008. "a few variances in this data will be found". 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. Due to the growing popularity of the Winchester and Remington slide-action shotguns, Ithaca Gun Co. sought a gun of this type to keep pace with its two major competitors. . *Interchangeable barrels began with serial number 855000. If I understand right, there is no problem with a gun not having a serial # if it was made before '68. And here I thought it was probably contracted by the CIA for some black op. Now, dba, Ithaca Gun Company of Upper Sandusky, Ohio. It will chamber a 16 ga shell but I haven't tried to fire it. Any of these that came to the factory for service were converted back to the original shell stops at no charge. Ithaca Model 37 Military and Police (M&P) Ithaca Model 37 DS Police Special. Material was supplied by Walter C. Snyder and is copyrighted in his name. Thanx! The early guns will have serial numbers on the very front of the receiver in between where the barrel connects to the receiver and the magazine tube. 1880 to 1885. If it has no number, It's been removed and therefore, according to federal law, it is a felony to possess it..Bushrod. Mar 13, 2023 #3 duckbuster5901 Elite Refuge Member 1849982 - Model 37 . Ithaca Model 37 Law Enforcement Weapons. If the gun has been reblued, then the numbers could have been polished off. Ithaca Hi Grade Model 37 $3,000 Grade. The older guns have the number stamped in the face of the receiver where the barrel & magazine tube are threaded in. Ithaca stamped the serial numbers on thousands of 37s just where the OP found his, on the front edge of the receiver. All Model 37's had serial numbers before they left the factory. The problem is if a serial # is removed from a gun, even one made well before '68. NY: Avon Books, 1995. Ithaca Model 37 Restoration Icarryone 114K views How to Store a Home Defense Shotgun Olde English Outfitters A simple stock repair you can do on your own Part 2 USOG 98K views Ithaca. Some fake Vietnam-era Model 37 trench guns with bogus USSF (purportedly United States Special Forces) markings have also been observed. All Model 37's had serial numbers before they left the factory. Nonetheless, the Model 37 continued to be a popular law enforcement arm, and many are still in use today.Military shotguns are extremely popular with todays military arms collectors, and prices are rising at a rapid rate. began preparations to procure shotguns for military use. Privacy Policy. Ithaca also produced shotguns for military use in the mid- to latter half of the 20th century. Its procurement and issuance from 1942 through the late 1960s is ample testimony to the value of the Ithaca Model 37 to our armed forces. Area Code: 423. Beginning in November 1962, Ithaca received the first of a series of government contracts for (Model 37) Shotgun, 12 Ga. Riot Type, Slide Action, 20" Barrel, in accordance with Military Specifications MIL-S3443, Type IIIA. The per-unit cost was $36.61, which included a cleaning rod and web sling. Ithaca Model 37 The Dave McCracken Memorial Shotgun Forum The Firing Line . This has made the Ithaca popular with left-handed users, who may fear hot shells being thrown at them by other guns. Cookie Notice Good luck. 1886. In addition to the riot guns and trench guns, the government procured 4,534 long-barrel Model 37 training shotguns between June 1941 and September 1942. The Model 37 was a pump action shotgun based on the Remington Model 17 pump shotgun. 48. Many of the company's assets were purchased by Ithaca Acquisition Corporation in 1987 and moved to King Ferry, New York, where it operated until May, 1996.. Leroy . By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. The serial number will be on one of two places on the gun. I think the other page got jumbled at that point because of the four asterisk situation described at the bottom of the page. Shotguns have had a long, but often unheralded, tenure of service with Americas armed forces. *Originally Compiled by The Ithaca Gun Co., October 1960. You said the gun had no serial number, Right.. This feature appealed to many buyers, and the Model 37 soon became known for its craftsmanship and reliability. While Ithaca did produce some shotguns for military use during the war, they also produced M1911 pistols and M3 submachine guns. Naval Operations Support Group ordered an additional 3,000 Model 37 Shotguns, Riot Type, Special Purpose, 12 ga. from Ithaca at a contract price of $37.60 each. Joined: Jun 2005. You did not tell me anything I did not already know, and you did not contribute to the thread in a positive way. If a gun found today is not in this serial number range, it is not a genuine World War II-production Model 37 trench gun. In late 1942, Ithaca began production of the M1911A1 .45 ACP pistol under government contract. Numrich Gun Parts Corporation 226 Williams Ln. Year of Manufacture. These later Vietnam-era Model 37 trench guns were very similar to the World War II trench guns except for having a Parkerized finish (rather than bluing), a different serial number range and different type of martial markings. There is a patent number on the barrel, Patent No. Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 11:03 pm Go to the Ithaca gun web sight and find the serial number list. To fulfill the initial contracts, many of these 20" plain-barrel shotguns were taken directly from civilian production inventory and stamped with martial markingsgenerally a U.S. stamp, the Ordnance flaming bomb insignia and a P proofmark on the receiver or barrel. As previously stated, the 37s are all Featherlights. If the "37" denotes the model.fabulous. Not sure about the 2 on the end. Many of these early riot guns had highly polished blued metal with commercial-type engraved game scenes on the receiver and finely checkered high-grade wood. Ithaca Model 37 serial numbers/dates of manufacture - 24hourcampfire Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread Hop To BP-B2 IC B2 IC B3 CTV Who's Online Now 586 members ( 10gaugeman, 1936M71, 12344mag, 204guy, 1beaver_shooter, 160user, 59 invisible), 1,527 guests, and 1,134 robots. My Dad said that his uncle gave it to him. The Ithaca was an improvement on the former design because it emphasized simplicity of form and function. I didn't write down the serial number. . WESTERN ARMS MODEL LONG RANGE DOUBLE GUNS. 2448 - 4104. Is this 37 a later model with the elongated trigger guard? Value of a Ithaca gun model L-37 20 ga 2 34 patent 1849982 serial 178174? Double check on this, but suggest you add a note for 1962 that Ithaca started with truly replace/switch barrels at # 855,000. Factory records reflect that two additional Model 37 trench guns were sent to the New Cumberland (Penn.) Serial Number. Ithaca model 37 serial number location. The later guns are on the side of the receiver above the trigger. I do remember as a kid firing it up on the farm in Pennsylvania. [7] 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". As the supply of World War I M1917 bayonets became depleted, contracts for new bayonets of this pattern were given to two firms; General Cutlery and Canada Arsenal. With the depression dragging on and another war looming on the horizon, it was possibly the worst time to introduce a sporting arm. Skeet Model numbers were 80000 - 89999, and the Trap Model numbers were 88000 to 89000. The Model 87 data came from the serial number records of the Ithaca Acquisition Corporation. Jan 11, 2008. The special serial number block for the Model 37R was discontinued after 1949. I wanted one so bad for a while. 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. In the spring of 1942, the government placed orders for 1,420 Model 37 trench guns designated in Ithaca factory records as Model #37, 12/20"- Riot Type Shotguns with Bayonet Attachments. While the term trench gun was never official government nomenclature, it is useful terminology to differentiate the models fitted with bayonet adapters from the plain-barrel riot guns. To that end, the U.S. Army Ordnance Dept. As discussed, one of the rarest examples of the genre is the World War II Model 37 trench gun, but all of the Ithaca military shotguns are highly desirable acquisitions for a collector. Ithaca Gun - (FirearmsGuide.com) - Here you can find serial numbers for all Ithaca guns manufactured from 1880 - 1986. If the serial number is NOT listed, here, it is NOT in ITHACA GUN COMPANY records. The value will depend on . The Model 37 was issued by the LAPD beginning in the 1940s and remained in service until the late 1990s. Except for the serial number marking format, the guns were similar to the earlier S-prefix Model 37 riot guns.In the mid-1960s, Frankford Arsenal experimented with a spreader choke for shotguns that would produce a wider pattern of shot dispersion to increase the hit probability. This research resulted in the development of the so-called duckbill choke which produced an elliptical shot pattern. Also, a matching number is stamped on the underside of the barrel. 1937 ~The John Browning designed Model 37 is put into production at Ithaca. Moody?? I just found the serial number page when I was attempting to establish the year of manufacture for my own 37. Call Ithaca at 1 877 648 4222 and they. 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