doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Utility or unnecessary gun alterations?

What do you do when you come across a gun which has lost all original condition and has limited utility as it is now configured? The gun in question is a Ithaca model 37, 12 Ga. 30" solid rib pump gun, in full choke. It has been completely refinished, including a good buffing wheel attack and hot blue job. The butt stock is a replacement and is cracked. The up side is that mechanically it works perfectly, the metal is not pitted, plus the blue job was well done. The prep work was not so well done.

The restock I can deal with and is not that big of a deal. But I will just never get much use out of full choked 12 ga. pump gun. Sporting Clays and Trap shooting are not that big of an interest to me with a pump gun and I have a bunch of doubles which are fun to shoot those games with.

I bought it on impulse because of the solid rib, plus it was for a very good price. It gives me a full set of 12, 16 and 20 ga. model 37's with solid ribs. If I could get the current makers to make a solid rib, for a 28, I'd buy another 28 ga. gun from them. Solid rib pump guns are so cool to me and remind me of one I lusted for in my youth.

It is the full choke which I don't need. Spreaders are only so so effective. My son suggested that I send it out and have screw in choke tubes added. There is no collectors value because the gun is so heavily refinished already. If it were a current production it would have choke tubes as standard equipment. It's one of the older guns with non interchangeable barrels so adding an extra barrel is not an option. But it comes down to utility or what some will see as a unnecessary alteration in the end. To me it is not "unnecessary" because it gives it a lot more "utility" and versatility and could get a lot more use if it had choke tube. So I think choke tubes might have to be added. But where do you draw the line? Certainly not on money when you are working on guns most times.

Sounds like a very decent turkey or waterfowl gun as it is.

You find a deserving kid, offer it up to use for his safety training, and give it to him, upon his successful completion, with advise about spreaders, chokes, modification of same, and an introduction to shooting and hunting.
It really isn't about what "we" need anymore.

Best,
Ted

-- OR, simply have the barrel opened to Improved Cylinder...

You keep walking....you can't save every bastard child out there.

I like both Ted's and jOe's response. Both are correct.

For me, even if I 'could' get more use out it with choke tubes installed, would I. If I thought a set of solid rib guns were something to have, maybe line it up with the others, and move it down the road when an unmessed with example turns up. As a user, I couldn't see myself wanting a skeet tube in it, I'd maybe consider opening up to a fixed modified. Then again, it may not pattern full choke anymore.

If it is late enough to have interchangeable barrels buy another barrel.

It is too early for an extra barrel. I have come to the conclusion that full choked pump guns are of very little practical use for me. I'd rather have a IC or MOD choke gun. I will measure it and shoot a few patterns to see how it looks. Over choked for today's shooters. They want semi auto guns with screw in tubes.

It sounds like the perfect beater hunting gun to keep behind the seat of the truck or leave out at the hunting shack.

If it were mine I would give it the old redneck choke opening treatment of using a hacksaw on the muzzle slicing off small sections and patterning between each slice. When it patterns like you want with shells you plan to use, square up and finish the muzzle and drill it for a bead and stick one on it.

That method is the height of redneckery but it is cheap and effective.

A 30 inch LM 16 Model 37 should be a Dove Death Ray.

You could also borrow a choke reamer and open her up.