My Ithaca firearm survived _____________

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PostPosted: Sun Sep 18, 2011 12:09 am
My Ithaca firearm survived _____________ (fill in the blank and give us a little story of what your Ithaca went through and how it is doing now!)

.270 WIN
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 18, 2011 3:15 pm
My Ithaca survived my brother.

My brother bought his first and only firearm back in 1973 an Ithaca Model 37.In all those years except for some oil I would put on the outside of it before he left home and moved away, the shotgun saw no care at all.He used it ,brought it home,put it in a cornor and did not bother it until he wanted to use it again.Never a thought to any care.

I remember one time he came home from gunning and the action was so full of sand you could hear it grind when you worked the action.I asked him if the shotgun let him down that cold day.He said, never a problem.I just shook my head in amazement.

A few years ago I obtained the shotgun, as my brother no longer goes hunting,so he left the shotgun in my care.It still works well and I hope to get it out on a few duck hunts this year.



Just wanted to add the lastest to the story of my brother's Ithaca.This past Saturday a buddy and I were duck hunting.I had the Ithaca and as luck would have it we upset the canoe.The shotguns went to the bottom and I did not recover them until about 24 hours later.Dried the Ithaca off then farther dried it with WD 40.Let it set then wiped off the WD 40 and applied Stag Gun Oil.Other than taking the barrel off I did not take anything else apart.Shotgun working fine.
Last edited by 28 gauge on Mon Oct 24, 2011 5:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
PostPosted: Sun Sep 18, 2011 9:02 pm
Well, after that story...I want to see how it looks now....!!
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 18, 2011 9:27 pm
I love reading these stories!!!
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 24, 2011 4:14 pm
:lol:
I have an Ithaca model 37 standard grade with corn cob forend, beautiful walnut stock, 30" plain barrel and a Deluxe Ventilated Poly Choke attached to it.
My uncle bought this shotgun new in 1947 and at that time Ithaca was installing Poly Chokes on their shotguns at the factory in Ithaca NY if the gun was ordered that way.
I have the original bill of sale from Ithaca in 1947 $78.00 for the shotgun $12.95 for The Deluxe Ventilated Poly Choke installed.
My uncle left me this gun with original bill, original box, original paper work as it was the gun he taught me to shoot with.
This gun has done plenty of hunting and has taken its share of deer, pheasant, rabbits, ducks, geese, and sporting clays.
It was always kept in mint condition, cleaned, oiled and stock done with paste wax.
It is a beauty for something 64 years old, and I intend to keep it looking like it is.
This gun has never been repaired and I would estimate it has over 8 thousand rounds out of it and still works great.
Without the hunting my uncle and I would put 200 rounds out of it a week at the clay range.
The model 37 is a great shotgun.
I have done quite well in life and have bought some expensive shotguns, but still love the 1947 Ithaca Standard Grade Repeater the best.
Fred
PostPosted: Sat Sep 24, 2011 6:14 pm
Well...let's see some pix of that beauty Fred !!
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 06, 2012 5:28 pm
I have my dad's 20 gauge. He got it for Christmas in 1957. Nothing fancy, just a basic Model 37 with a 28 inch barrel and a modified bore. He took great care of it and it looks nearly new. Last year I installed a new stock and forend from the factory, replaced the stock recoil pad and put on an old Sunburst pad with a pair of black and white spacers to make it a bit longer. I still have the originals but it looks great and shoots even better for me. I still take it out and it is my favorite field gun.
--Jim

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PostPosted: Mon May 21, 2012 1:06 am
I bought my M37 new in 1967. It was my main gun for over 30 yrs. I shot competative trap with it for about 5 yrs. Couldn't afford a dedicated trp gun. How many thousands of rounds? Shot deer, upland and waterfowl with. Many days in the rain and gritty goose pits.
One day hunting with my bother in law he missed a ruffed grouse and it flew across a swamp and landed in a tree. I told him I'd go across and get it. I walked across on a windfall log, as I climded over the root wad on the far end I was surprised to see a bees nest between my legs. Well they swarmed on my and I dropped into the swamp to escape. I had angry bees all over me. When I came up for air the rest where hovering about 6 in. above the water. I had to go quite a ways under water before they left me alone. In the process I had lost one shoe and dropped my gun. I went back a while later and got them.
When I got home all I did was dry my gun and wipe it down with a little oil.
I now use my M37 20ga for upland. A few of my older hunting buds now use it as their 870s are getting to heavy for them.
I have never had this gun apart to clean it, I have only wiped it down with oil and cleaned the barrel. Its taken a licking and its still ticking.
T.W.K.

.270 WIN
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 20, 2012 12:00 am
My Ithaca firearms survived "TWO DIVORCES" Boy now that is a really LOADED statement. When a guy is settling up with his "soon-to-be" ex, a lot of things are put on the table. I never had an issue of "she" wanted them. I never had an issue of I had to sell to raise the cash. The third and current wife (Dam well be the last) doesn't mind the Ithacas. We get along great. She buys a new sewing machine, I buy an old Ithaca. See, we are both happy. Yep she has a lot of sewing machines!! Just adding my little take on the subject. Don

.270 WIN
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 31, 2012 8:22 pm
My Ithaca M-37 survived 50yrs of duck hunting. It's a standard 12ga. M-37 with a 30"bbl and full choke made in 1953. I bought it from an older gentleman a few years back who, due to health issues no longer had a use for it. The finish on the buttstock was lacking a bit, but overall is in very nice condition, obviously well cared for during it's years of waterfoul hunting. I stripped the old flaking finish off the wood with a chemical stripper and applied several coats of "Truoil", now the old gal looks like the belle of the ball again.

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PostPosted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 9:47 pm
Growing up with five older brothers we shared two Ithaca 37's, thirty five years ago. Both guns were from the early 70's. I always wanted one of my own so about a month ago I purchased a used Model 37 that was manufactured in 1975. The gun was a field grade but it also came with a deerslayer barrel. It was a little rough and the stock was cracked quite a bit and I planned on restoring it after deer hunting season.

Well, on the very first morning of the deer hunt I was getting ready to leave the deer stand and unloaded the gun to get ready to move down. Just that quick the stand collapsed and the gun fell straight down and hit the latter barrel first bending the muzzle so much it was unusable at that point. The gun was scratched and it broke the stock almost in half. I was crushed. I couldn't believe it. I was sick to see my gun like that then realized my deer hunting season was over too.

After some thought on repairing and restoring the gun I decided to send back to Ithaca in Upper Sandusky, OH. What better place to have it worked on than by the people who know it best. I haven't gotten it back yet and can't wait to see it again. My only regret is I didn't think to take any before pictures before sending out for repair.

.270 WIN
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 11:01 pm
I'm sure you'll get it back better than expected. All my dealings with them are 100% positive. Welcome to the forum.

.22LR
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 31, 2013 12:47 pm
This is my 1940 16 GA model 37. It has not had to survive being dropped or drowned like some of the others have .
When I bought the gun it was in Washington state . So what it has survived is being made in New York then somehow making it to Washington , then to me in Ohio over a course of 73 years and doing this with just one small mark on it .
There is a thin spot in the bluing on top of the reciver from what looks to be a rub from being cased or covered in some way .
So this one has survived 73 years of age , at least 2 trips across the USA and apparently always been in the hands of someone that used it very little and took very good care of it .

Image

.270 WIN
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 31, 2013 4:01 pm
That's impressive, someone loved their '37!

Copper BB
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 31, 2015 6:34 pm
With its single extractor. serial number 20xx picked it up at a gun show recently for $170 the buttstock is kaput, but the rest is in good shape considering its age.
PostPosted: Fri Apr 03, 2015 10:31 am
How about a few pictures GmT...!?

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