Hi, I recently prchased an all original 1943 Ithaca M37 with 30" full choke plain barrel 12 gauge. It is in nice original condition from the blueing to the buttplate. (Bought it from an 84 yr old gunsmiths estate) action is smooth and tight and it doesn't look like it was shot much aside from safe storage and minor handling marks.
My question is were these WW2 Ithacas stocks and fore ends finished with an oil finish? I've heard later they may have gone to a Laquer finish on the furniture. Both stock and fore end have a very mild sheen to them but the fore end looks a little "dry". Should I use some boiled linseed oil to protect the wood? any opinions and advice would be great. I will post pics later as I am at work.

Also does anybody know what the #4 means above the barrel serial #?

Welcome to the Ithaca Owners Forum trammd !!

Not sure about the WWII oil finish...but I'm sure someone here will chime in soon enough !!

Stay tuned...

IF it was made in '43 it was definitely a government gun. There were no civilian sales of Ithaca's after February of 1942. Alot of those guns, (30 inch barrels, full choked) were sent to the springfield armory where they received the government treatment, namely the cartouches typical of US military small arms.
The 4 is for full choke and while I am not an expert on stocks It is most likely an oil finish, but I could be wrong.

you can use linseed oil, though I prefer tung oil or tru oil. just go very slowly, very light coats and let it dry between coats.

[i] where they received the government treatment, namely the cartouches typical of US military small arms.[/i]

What does this mean?

it would have armory markings from the US gov

none that I can find. What would they look like? and where?

Better Pics of the Gun....

A cartouche is generally stamped into the wood of a rifle / shotgun stock or handgun grip.

After inspecting a rifle, the inspector would use a metal stamp to place a mark on the outside of the rifle stock as a guarantee the rifle had passed inspection

during WWII the typical mark would be a stamping that looks like a flaming round bomb and "P" marks on the receiver and barrel