doublegunshop.com - home Forums Thread Like Summary - Why so few Model 37's For Sale?

I have been looking around for a nice Ithaca, Model 37. As most know, about 2 million were produced - about the same number produced as The Model 12, Winchester. Looking on The Gunsinternational site, there are about a dozen Model 37's for sale verses about 175 Model 12 guns.
Model 37's also seem to carry a higher price tag than a somewhat comparable Model 12. Can anyone tell me why this is so? Thanks, in advance.

Ithaca Gun in Upper Sandusky Ohio just sent out an email yesterday saying that the home defense model is back in stock and available. I suspect they are in high demand right now. The 37's you do find have gone up in price a lot as has all guns lately. Although not sure of in Canada.

Upper Sandusky makes a pretty decent 37 IME. I use one for clays when I feel the need for a 12 ga. and shucking shells. Got AAA wood for it too, it is one of my waterfowl guns. Grandpa's 37 duck gun was wood and steel good enough for him good enough for me.



Also have an Upper Sandusky 12 ga. Ultralight that comes in at 6 pounds. Only section of land in SD that didn't have a fence post to set the gun on LOL



Something special about the prewar 37's though. 1940 Trap with Knick rib





Have a 37 Skeet with a Knick rib but it came from the factory with a Poly on it. Picked up a 28" Knickerbocker bbl. on ebay a few years back but still haven't had it fitted. The Polychokes may be ugly but they work, and honestly like how it swings. One of these days will have the unmolested Knick bbl. fitted.

Most of my 37's are in 16 ga. as that is what I grew up with. And prefer to shoot even for clays. Bottom gun is a 16 ga. 1961 37RVD



Some didn't care for the King Ferry 37's. I never had any problem with them. KF 16 ga. English Ultralight Deluxe works just fine, grouse don't care for them so much.



Favorite 37's are pre 1955, in 16 ga. of course. They just work for me and work well.





The 20 ga. 37 Ultralights at just over 5 pounds had the Sid Bell grip caps on them. Sort of Garanimals for hunters LOL.



20 ga. UL deerslayer compared to prewar 37T 12 ga.



A couple of slugs through a 5 pound gun was enough to convince me that I didn't really ever need to do that again.

I never felt the need for a Model 12. Have an 870 somewhere around here, just because. Not really sure how many 37's I own but I am sure it is not enough of them.

Here's my first year of production 20 ga. M37 made in 1939. It was advertised to weigh 5.75 lbs. and this one is a little lighter by an ounce. The weight savings was partially accomplished by a square cut hollowed out section in the stock. This one was a "second" and because of the faulty set up of the roller engraver, rather than discard the partially engraved receivers, the scenes were completed by hand chasing at the factory with more than a little extra thrown in. At the time, Ithaca used high gloss bluing. This one is a keeper with its 28" modified barrel. Gil

eighbore,
I have a shot many dove with a model 17 and although I don't single shoot it I am familiar with it's function. I owned a trap range/campground and restaurant for 17 years, we threw over 600,000 targets a season. I bought the first sets of voice actuated calls in Arizona in the late 90's. Extra targets thrown by inexperienced calling and ill timed gun noises are a financial "leak" to a gun club.Ted's idea if a target is thrown inadvertantly "just call for another" is wasteful and costs the operator money. When I would see new shooters and specifically pump guns and autos they would get a quick and friendly class on when to close up their actions and don't talk to your buds on the line! New shooters like to "explain" their misses and cuss at the targets, this really confuses the 3 second time delay in the Canterberry calls.

Model 12 had a lot of collector interest 23-30 years ago and prices were very high due to demand. Today those same buyers are "old fart" sellers as my wife calls us. Model 12 demand is soft. Very few younger shooters have any interest in learning how to operate a pump gun. It is all about Beneli SBE3 and other black guns or semi autos and as they get a bit older perhaps a O/U. Graded and upgraded model 12s, which too many graded guns are in fact, still command a good price but a plain barrel Model 12 has so many competing examples that they are cheap. The only field gun which still commands a good price is a 3' duck gun in solid condition.

37 owners have always been a more of a shooting interest, versus collecting interest, so they never went up that much in price. The shooters see no reason to dump their collections right now because they never over paid for them in the first place. Plus we like to shoot them and find them a hoot to shoot at sporting clay's and in the field. When I take my 28 or 20 dove shooting there is always someone who wants to look at it and marvels how smooth it pumps and fast it handles. People are so use to seven pound semi autos that a five to six pound gun is a magic wand to them. I like the solid rib versions and have several in 12, 16 and 20. The quality of wood Ithaca used puts Winchester wood to shame as well.