Ithaca Model 37 DS Police Special - Help please

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PostPosted: Mon Apr 29, 2013 5:48 am
Hello all,

First post on the site, so please forgive my lack of knowledge and naivety. I am from the UK and have recently purchased a Model 37 DS Police special. I have shown some pictures below. These are very rare here in the UK and little is known about them, so I thought I would come to the source for some answers.

I was told this is a 1982 model, I have shown the serial number below. Is there anyway to confirm this? I have already tried out its slam fire function, it has it and it works :D

Would this model have a fixed or removable barrel? The shotgun is a fixed choke barrel, would anyone know if these were fixed to cylinder bore or full bore?

In order to comply with UK law the shotgun's mag tube has been restricted to 2+1. If there anyway I can find out more about its history? Would this shotgun been issued to a US Police force during its time and which one?

If someone could also tell me more about its history in general please (the DS Police Special) particularly, or link me to any other web pages.

What year builds are considered better than others, I know Ithaca has been taken over in various forms over the years.

I have managed to shoot this shotgun a few times, all I know I love it and its very special to me now! Definitely one to keep.



So hello and welcome, and thank you in advance for any replies.

Mark



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PostPosted: Mon Apr 29, 2013 6:42 am
Hello Mark,

I too am in the UK (see my thread about the 'Old Ithaca 37').

I have a FAC so mine has not been restricted, but, as you can see from the photos, they had to extend the barrel to conform to the law.

We may need to have a get together for UK 37 owners. My friend also bought an ex-US Army Vietnam era military 37, so that's three of us.

Good luck with your gun. Now if only I could have your long (unrestricted) tube on mine I guess Practical Shotgun would be easier for me.

All the best
Sandy

P.S. I would be interested to know where your proofing stamps are?
Last edited by SandyM on Mon Apr 29, 2013 10:06 am, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Mon Apr 29, 2013 7:29 am
Yes your 37 is a 1982 model. It has a slug barrel on it. It is most probably a smooth bore as a rifled bore is less common in those years. It can use both slugs and shot. I wouldn't advise shooting stell out of it, but then it isn't a waterfowl barrel. The barrel should be easly removed. (crank the forearm back to the reciever, screw in the magazine cap till the barrel tag is free, turn the barrel quarter turn, and remove. Very easy. Inside your magazine tube there shoud be a plug, that limits the mag to just 2 shells. If you remove the end cap, becareful as there is a spring in there and it will be tight. You model is a Mag model and that means it takes 2 3/4" and 3" shells. The new models are all that way, but yours it was a option. As far as better years than othes. Depends on one's tastes. Any 37 from 1963 (serial number 855,000) or newer can use interchangable barrels. That is the biggest change in the gun since 1937. Yours is a great gun and hope you enjoy it for many years. Donald
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 29, 2013 11:39 am
there is a difference between military models and police specials.

police specials will not carry any special proofmarks
they are essentially civilian guns in all respects.
deerslayer/police specials don't carry any choke designation, they are made to shoot slugs and buckshot.
the barrel should be removable as don stated.
the main feature of the police special is its extended magazine tube.

a typical m37 including military guns holds 5 rds 4 in mag tube and 1 in chamber
in the states they come with a duck plug that can limit capacity to 2 in mag 1 in chamber for hunting.
in other countries I've seen a metal pin welded in the mag tubes to limit round capacity.


the police special was designed for home defense and police use
it is parkerized, has an extended 7 rd mag tube and fits 1 in the chamber.
not all were police issued ,normally a police issue would have some kind of cataloging numbers on it somewhere.
the m37 has been made over 70 years ,and honestly they are all of equal quality .there have been tool or production probs over the years , but there are no "lemons"
some claim kingsferry guns are suspect , but a functioning gun is a good gun regardless
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 29, 2013 1:45 pm
Ithaca37UK wrote:First post on the site


Hello, Mark, and welcome aboard.

I am from the UK


Ditto.

have recently purchased a Model 37 DS Police special.


I have two of these, myself. In addition, I have a "standard" (blued) M37. (By the way, my older DSPS has a serial number that is 26 away from yours.)

I have already tried out its slam fire function, it has it and it works


When you disassemble it, you'll find that gun has *two* sears that provides for this feature. (My 1975 M37 does *not* have this extra sear since, although older than the DSPSes, it's a *civilian* model.)

Would this model have a fixed or removable barrel?


Definitely *removeable* - in my opinion, it's one of the gun's best features.

The shotgun is a fixed choke barrel, would anyone know if these were fixed to cylinder bore or full bore?


When I asked Ithaca this question, they told me that it'll be True Cylinder but under-bored at 0.690". (Because it's a *slug* barrel.)

In order to comply with UK law the shotgun's mag tube has been restricted to 2+1.


I think that, for the benefit of non-UK readers, I should point out that Mark is probably talking about a *permanent* crimping of the magazine tube.

In the UK, shotguns can be unrestricted and held on a Firearms Certificate (FAC) or restricted to 3-shot on a Shotgun Certificate (SGC). The former are known as "Section 1" while the latter are "Section 2".

Mark, before disassembling your gun, read this:

http://stevespages.com/pdf/ithaca_3787.pdf

Note that you must take the stock off *before* undoing the trigger plate screw.

Finally, note that it *is* possible to imports parts directly from Ithaca. (I did so, myself, last year.)

Regards,

Mark.
Came late in life to shooting but is making up for lost time...

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PostPosted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 9:49 am
Thank you all for taking the time to reply! I think that pretty much everything I asked covered :)

Sandy - Where are you based in the UK? I'm in Berkshire, its seems a little combing through the forum there is more UK Ithaca owners than I expected. Next time I have the gun out I will try and take a look for any UK proof stamps and where they are located. As for the magazine, its very much staying on my DSPS but I don't think it would fit on yours anyway as the barrel mounting lug would be in a different position.

Donald - Big help thank you. Yes mine is a smooth bore barrel. I have no managed to get the barrel free. When I first got it, I stripped it and cleaned it. However the end cap was very tight and I couldn't get the yoke split to move. Which made me think I might have a fixed barrel. However with confidence knowing I have a removable barrel I was a little more stubborn with removing it and came away fine. The barrel was spotless anyway but managed to give the mag tube a good clean and not the follower moves much more smoothly. There is no magazine plug in the UK. The restriction has to be permanent, so the magazine is crimped at the proof house to gain its legal status within the UK on a section 2 shotgun.

Twistedoak - Great info, I don't think mine has any further catalogue numbers on it. So would I assume it wouldn't have been police issue then? Do you know any further checks I can do to know its history? Does anyone know the sort of numbers the DSPS was produced in a 24" barrel. Are they common place in the US but just rare in the UK or are they sort after full stop?
I'm sure all are great, and someone always ends up with a "Friday afternoon" gun at some point, however its reassuring to know its not a Kingsferry all the same.

Chaos - I see you shoot PSG, where about do you do that? I have a Benelli M2 also and have always been interested to try it at some point. However I think it would be pricey shooting slugs all day long. Is your standard M37 a 28" barrel then? I assume our DSPS are parkerised then??

So when you say its "under-bored at 0.690" does that mean its wider than cylinder as in some super skeet guns or slightly tighter than cylinder? Thank you for the link, however I was lucky enough to get a print out of that manual when I bought the gun. Didn't have any trouble stripping it, just a stiff barrel end cap was the problem but now sorted.

Could you tell me the process you went through in order to get parts direct from Ithaca, incase someway down the line I need to. Was this through a RFD or direct yourself?

Thanks again :)
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 2:25 pm
Ithaca37UK wrote:I see you shoot PSG


Indeed, I *do*.

where about do you do that?


I'm a member of the RSC:

http://romseyshootingclub.co.uk

We shoot mainly near Basingstoke, although many of our members attend meets such as those held at Shield Shooting Centre, near Dorchester.

If you're interested in having a go at PSG, you could join the Romsey Shooting Club as a probationary member. (There's no fee but you'd have to provide certificate numbers and photos.)

Here, would be a good place to glean info about the sport:

http://four4islands.org

I have a Benelli M2 also and have always been interested to try it at some point.


Benellis are a good choice of gun if you want to *win*. However, *some* of us only shoot for *fun*:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tMzWufzQ30U

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=erC-cNQ52zM

However I think it would be pricey shooting slugs all day long.


PSG is generally shot using birdshot with some buckshot and a *little* slug. (Although there *are* competitions that are shot using *only* slug.)

Is your standard M37 a 28" barrel then? I assume our DSPS are parkerised then??


My "posh" M37 has been cut to 24"(ish).

My DSPSes are identical to *yours*, I assume and so, "yes", they are Parkerised.

So when you say its "under-bored at 0.690" does that mean its wider than cylinder as in some super skeet guns or slightly tighter than cylinder?


As far as I'm aware, they'll be .690" all the way down since they're designed to shoot slug. (Hence, the iron sights.) If you stick one of those brass "choke gauges" into the muzzle, I'd guess that they'd show "full choke" or something. They'd be wrong.

Thank you for the link, however I was lucky enough to get a print out of that manual when I bought the gun. Didn't have any trouble stripping it, just a stiff barrel end cap was the problem but now sorted.


Just so long as you took the stock off, *first*. :)

Could you tell me the process you went through in order to get parts direct from Ithaca, incase someway down the line I need to. Was this through a RFD or direct yourself?


A couple of years ago, I wanted a sling swivel for my M37, but no dealer or trader was willing to import one for me. (Who has Ithacas over *this* side of the Pond?)

*Last* year, *both* of my DSPS guns broke their firing pins within three weeks of each other. Again, no-one was prepared to help so I conducted a capaign of whingeing towards Ithaca and, eventually, they relented. (Ithaca's staff went "above and beyond the call of duty" on my behalf - they support customers *very* well.)

I sent them my SGC and FAC numbers and, I assume, they checked my bona fides with my local police.

At any rate, I ordered $95 worth of parts which cost me £120 by the time postage, VAT and HMRC fees had been added.

I'm *still* having problems with my main (S.1) M37, but things *are* getting better. For example, after fitting new extractors and springs, I no longer have any extraction failures.

Regards,

Mark.
Came late in life to shooting but is making up for lost time...
PostPosted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 3:56 pm
Welcome to the Ithaca Owners Forum !!

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PostPosted: Sun Feb 16, 2014 10:04 pm
Hello, you asked for information on the DSPS, I bought mine in 1971 for $100, there was special pricing for members of the NYPD. At the time there was a group called the Black Liberation Army and many Police Officers were being shot at and killed, Ithaca offered this discounted price to Police Officers only. From Nov 1970 to Nov 1975 I was a member of the NYPD Emergency Service Unit, on our big truck we carried 8 Ithaca DS Police Specials in addition to 2 S&W 9mm Machine Guns and 6 Remington Sniper rifles. There was also another unit called the Stake Out Unit, they used amongst other firearms Ithaca 37s that had the barrels cut to 18 inches, a canvas strap was affixed to the front slide to prevent your hand from going in front of the barrel. It was one of their favorite weapons because of the ability to slam fire the gun. In later years I was assigned to the Robbery Squad and every unit had a Ithaca DSPS assigned, this lasted until the mid 80's when due to political reasons the NYPD limited the discretion of Detectives to carry the shotguns and required that a Captain be physically present when the guns were being used. What caused this order was that a Emergency Service Police Officer shot and killed a mid aged black woman who was going to attack him with a giant butcher knife, after many political demonstrations the Department took away the Detectives shotguns but left them with the Emergency Service Units- who knows. The DSPS is a great gun for deer hunting or whatever you are going use it for.

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PostPosted: Wed May 20, 2015 12:53 pm
Hi, I am also in the UK, I have a really nice Mod 37 DS Police. Mine has had the mag tube restricted, to hold on a shot gun certificate. I have a full firearms certificate, so I want to buy a new (unrestricted) mag tube for my 37. I have contacted Ithaca in the US but got no joy, I think ITAR screws it all up for me. Is there anyone who knows where or how I can get a new mag tube in the UK? Thanks, Marc
PostPosted: Wed May 20, 2015 5:01 pm
Welcome to the Ithaca Owners Forum gr12868 !!
PostPosted: Wed May 20, 2015 5:02 pm
Welcome to the Ithaca Owners Forum Double-Ugly !!

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