doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com OT: My First Ithaca 37

Ah yes. That makes more sense. I was recently reading about Fox guns and the different barrel weights used (and sometimes marked as such) and thought 'hmmm'. Overactive imagination I guess. Thanks for clarifying guys.

I have an Ithaca Model 37 Deerslayer that my wife gave me on the day I made Captain. Moments after she presented me with it at Squadron Hq the S1 clerk came bursting in to tell me that my XO had just shot himself with a 1911. That is a total other story for another time but to this day I still feel that the best thing I could have done for the US Army would have been to take that 37 back to my troop and finish the job that he started!! The bottom line on that gun is that it has been used for deer hunting probably three times with only one occasion resulting in the harvesting of a deer with a slug, but it has sure killed a lot of quail!! One of the slickest little pumps I have had and now one of only two that I still possess.






















O

I finally got the safety out tonite (stock bolt was being a bear to remove). I am sure there is a better way to remove the safety, but I had to strip down the entire trigger assembly to get it out. Oh well, it needs a good cleaning anyways.

You did it the right way. Cleanliness is next to Godliness.

Good luck with the new gun(s).

Best,
Ted

Caleb,
It's been awhile since I've removed an M37's buttstock, but rather than use a screwdriver, a 12 point socket will fit over the square bolt's end. It's a lot easier to apply torque to the socket than with a flat bladed screwdriver which will tend to slip out of the notch. I don't recall the size of the socket, but while the bolt is out, you can "trial and error" for fit. Gil

Thanks Gil, you nailed it on the head... 7/16" to be exact. That's how I got the bugger out. It looked like it was starting to rust to the wood. When that happens, it's near impossible to break it free - at least in my limited experience. When I reassemble it, I'll probably wax the smooth shank of the through bolt (not the threads) to prevent that from ever happening again.

Are you going to have the choke opened or have tubes installed? Last year I bought a 20ga m37 with a Full choke and took it to a shop with a pull-through gauge to confirm the constriction. With cheap shells the gun does not seem to shoot so very tight (I have not patterned it to check though) and it's worked fine on Pheasant and quail. Unless you're restricted to hunting dense cover and need an open choke it might be worth patterning to check just what the barrel can produce now.

KGB & others,

The safety has been swapped...no issues. The Raybar front sight has been swapped for a bead and the choke has been opened to just a hair over cylinder. The gun will be doing duty for woodcock and grouse when I feel like carrying something different than a double. Thanks for all the interest and discussion...

If I ever need work on my Ithaca�s I will definitely take it to Les. Matt B. always speaks highly of his work. GunBlack also. Trying to get together with him to shoot next week. I�m going to have to get an Ithaca SXS if I continue to shoot with him. Not my foxes.