1943 M37 Riot Gun

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.410
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PostPosted: Sat Feb 09, 2013 3:40 am
...well, it didn't start out that way.

Another $200 gunbroker find. A 1943 vintage Ithaca Model 37 that has been well used over the years. At some point in its life someone had the FULL choke barrel shortened and had a big ole Cutts compensator added to it. Just what to find when you're looking for something to cut down... there is no way I'd cut a gun in original condition... something that has already been "converted" ...cut it without hesitation. The finish on the wood is in sad shape, but the wood itself is in great shape. The bluing is thin and down to bare metal in some places, but there is no rusting/pitting on the outside and the bore is in great shape; couple small dents on the barrel, but nothing to write home about. All-in-all a great gun and in fantastic shape for being 70-years old. It is missing the screw for the yoke and some of the other screws are a bit boogered. The action feels like it might have some old bubblegum inside it. The "plan" is to get the action all apart and cleaned, couple new screws and maybe refinish the wood, but the main thing is to shoot it and have fun.

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.270 WIN
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PostPosted: Sat Feb 09, 2013 1:30 pm
It certainly would dress up quite a bit with refinishing the wood. I always like having a riot gun around myself, but some of thise 1950's-1960's additions, (while somewhat ugly) are interesting and bring back memorys of hunts long gone bye.
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.410
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 11, 2013 4:12 am
She's a dirty girl!

70-years of filth built up inside... there's little pieces of grass in among all the muck. Couldn't seem to get any good pics of the inside of the receiver, but here are a couple of the trigger pack before being taken apart. Everything is disassembled and bathing in some Hoppe's No. 9 tonight.

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.270 WIN
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 11, 2013 5:06 am
Yeah, you're right. There's quite the crud in there! If the Hoppe's doesn't cut it, try soaking it in diesel or kerosine.
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 11, 2013 7:58 am
That definitely needs a trip to the ultrasonic tank. But you know what? That things been worked hard but it is still in very good condition with just a good strip and clean and a little finish work on the stock. How many guns can do that?
--Jim

Copper BB
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 15, 2013 2:36 pm
I saw this one and considered bidding. Do you think it was an actual "riot gun" or conversion? Did actual "riot guns" have the roll-stamped engraving on the sides? In learning mode.
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.270 WIN
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 15, 2013 3:00 pm
highly doubtful
its most likely an old hunting gun thats been cut short.

but yes trench guns have the roll engraving and civilian wood .
the things to look for are the service proof marks ,and if the barrel is fixed.
the foregrip was later changed to a honey dipper and the stock dropped the checkering till post war
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.410
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 22, 2013 7:47 pm
Its coming along... getting cleaner.

pyungshin wrote:I saw this one and considered bidding. Do you think it was an actual "riot gun" or conversion? Did actual "riot guns" have the roll-stamped engraving on the sides? In learning mode.

It is not a "real" Riot Gun and is cut-down as I'm the one who had it cut-down. It is my understanding that the only Ithaca M37 to come about before, during or shortly after the war without the roll marked "game scene" were the 1422 M37 Trench Guns built during the war (I'm no expert and could very well be wrong here, just my understanding). Those Trench Guns are extremely rare as only a small number were made and after the war military did not "support" them. Military shotgun models were whittle down to the Winchester Model 12 and two different Stevens models, the 520 and 620.

I don't hunt though and just enjoy the military "type" shotguns. That being the case I look for guns to "cut down" meaning I look for guns that have already been modified (like this one with a Cutts comp added sometime in its life) or guns that have been damaged and are only "salvageable" by cutting them down. Even in the rather poor condition that this one is in, if it had been in original factory condition I'd never have cut it down, rather kept it for a full restoration. That's not the case though. At one point in time a previous owner had the barrel cut and added the Cutts compensator (not a factory option on this vintage of gun), having a gun in original factory condition is out of the question at that point as its already missing about eight inches of barrel. Its too bad really as guns like that and this old are tougher to find every day. Its just fine for me though as I'm wanting to make it into a Riot Gun. The cool part about turnng it into a Riot Gun is that is exactly what the government did during the war with many shotguns... There weren't enough to go around so under the blanket procurement program "agents" were sent out across the country to buy used guns from gun stores to be used in the war effort. If I could find a "real" war-era Riot Gun I'm fairly certain I could not afford it, but for a small sum and the right gun, I can sure make my own.

twistedoak wrote:highly doubtful
its most likely an old hunting gun thats been cut short.

but yes trench guns have the roll engraving and civilian wood .
the things to look for are the service proof marks ,and if the barrel is fixed.
the foregrip was later changed to a honey dipper and the stock dropped the checkering till post war

The WWII "Trench Guns" all had that "honey dipper" forend and the smooth stock. Believe all 1422 were 1942/43 vintage guns. That I know of, Ithaca didn’t have a fixed barrel Model 37 up until fairly recently.

The gun second from the bottom is a WWII M37 Trench Gun... they were blued and had no roll marked game scene.

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...of note, second from the top is the "other Holy Grail" of martial shotguns... the WWI era Remington Model 10 Trench Gun, that and the WWII era M37 trenchie are the two rarest Trench Guns out there.
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.410
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 15, 2013 11:53 pm
Back on track - few ounces of Hoppe's No. 9, some time to soak and a ton-o-scrubbing later and she has cleaned up fairly well...

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PostPosted: Sat Mar 16, 2013 12:25 pm
Lookin' good!
--Jim

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