doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com 1940 Ithaca 37R before and after restoration

1940 Ithaca 37R 12 gauge before and after restoration.
This is the first year of the 37R.

Stock was in need of repair and refinishing. Metal was truly excellent and slick but the finish was rubbed out from honest use in several places and there was an ugly scratch on the receiver.

Thus, a candidate for a full period correct restoration.

Thank you Frank Vallone of Sycamore Hill Designs for masterful work. (I had to check the serial number to be sure he hadn't slipped me a brand new gun!)

Also thank you to Walter Snyder for advice regarding the counterintuitive pre-war finish (highly polished receiver-low gloss barrel)

Interestingly, before restoration the 37R looked awful but took excellent pictures.


Lou

Before:


Two other before (note, the crack in the head went all the way through to the other side)


After:

Before:

After:


Other after:

Bushmaster,

Very nice. You are now entrusted with the job of wearing the finish back off. I wish you and your "new" partner many good days afield.

That is one beutiful restoration and I think the "doubles only" members who post here can appreciate it.
As I was viewing this a thought struck me: My wife and I are going thru cabinets and gathering no longer needed or useful things for a garage sale. It's amazing to me how quickly things become obsolete anymore. One of the very few things I can think of from the Fortys that still can be readily used for it's intended purpose is a firearm. I expect that Bushmaster will put this Model 37 back into his hunting battery and it will get some regular use. Other items such as cars are certainly restored and collected from this period but I doubt if anyone would use a 1940 Cadillac as a regular driver.
Jim

nice refinish, looks nice... but it was in collectable condition when you bought it....now its a real pretty shooter...

My thoughts as well, Gunut. I liked it better before.
JR

Did you look? The recoil pad was very poorly fitted, and the head of the stock was pretty well oil soaked. It wasn't in bad shape, but, it needed help.
Relax, it isn't like it was a rare, or, one off collectable. Why isn't it "collectable" now, what ever the hell that means when talking guns that don't top 5 bills, generally, anyway? How many years did they build Ithaca 37s? Longer than most of us have been alive. How much does a 37 cost? Not a bunch. Might as well have some fun, and get it looking and working right-shooting an oil soaked stock doesn't improve it.
I like the redux' better, myself. Just the fitting of the pad is 10 times nicer.
Best,
Ted

I agree with Ted. The gun really benefitted by the getting the oil out of the stock as well. If I were a buyer, I would look more to this gun than I would have before. Now, not everyone does as I do and that is OK. Life it too short to have an ugly gun. Not that it was ugly before, but it is much more attractive now.

The "curators" of absolutely everything, including our thinking, would mandate that you preserve its residue of originality so they will have the opportunity to buy it at 40% original, remuddle it, and turn it later at "looks like 95% original but can't be certain". Uh-boy!

jack

No one is saying that the gun could not be repaired....[pad looks crushed and dried] a different pad could have been fitted,.. [oil soaked head of stock] head of stock could of had the oil cleaned out and toucked up to protect the wood...but that 37 was a long way [as a pre war, first year SR gun] from needing a complete redue.....but it is bushmasters 37 and his money....

edited to explain better

In which case it would have been "refinished" as well...what's the difference?