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Posted: 6/30/2011 8:08:39 PM EDT
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So I went to a local pawn shop today. I am currently looking for a halfway decent shotgun so I can shoot trap out at the local club. I was figuring I could pick up an H&R single shot or an 870 fairly cheaply.
But they had a Ithaca 37, I don't remember exactly what type I forgot to ask. It was blued, had a ribbed barrel, and wood furniture. It was kind of beat up. They want $395 for it, should I fo? Should I barter? Should I pass? Are they decent guns? thanks cy |
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I wouldnt think twice at that price, PASS.
The local shop has one for $149, it has been on the shelves for 6months now. The 37 is a decent gun with some drawbacks, it will slamfire meaning if you hold the trigger down it will fire when a shell is chambered as you pump  . The drawback is it only handles 2&3/4" shells, the bolt locks up to the barrel to keep the weight of the receiver down very inovative for the time it came out, but nothing new today. For $270 WalMart has 870 2&3/4-3" remington express NEW.
My father has had a Ithaca 37 12g for over 30 years now, it is pretty loose now, but still works and has never had any parts replaced. It has a fixed choke barrel which again today is a handycap for a shotgun. |
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The 2 3/4 inch chamber isn't much of a deal breaker. Plenty of heavy loads in this cartridge. Perfect for shooting skeet - I always shoot 2 3/4 rounds, you really only need the 3 inch chamber for heavy turkey loads in my experience. Price sounds a little high though. Personally, I don't see the slamfire as a disadvantage either, I'd like that in a defensive shotgun. I had a Winchester 1300 with the fastfire feature - while you had to pull the trigger for each shot, the recoil of the gun would help with pump action - with practice I could deliver a tight group at close range using OO buck for multiple rounds. Not quite as fast as slamfiring a shotgun for same purpose.
Since I don't hunt turkeys, I don't buy 3 inch loads anymore - they are punishing to shoot. |
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My dad's Ithaca is prewar (WW2) and has never broken. The only thing we've ever replaced on any of our Ithaca's is that goofy looking/feeling smooth/winged forend. We put the round/ribbed forends on them for better grip in the rain/snow/cold encountered hunting in the mountains of WV (the plains of ND, the fields on IL, the brush of southwest TX, the woods of AR, etc, etc. - we lived and hunted a lot of places while I was growing up.)
$395 is a lot for a beat up M37. I've seen them lower (down to $250) for guns in fairly good shape. By the way, its another John Browning design. All forged steel and still the lightest pump 12 ga. made. I just bought and disassembled an old (preWW2) Auto 5 and its amazine how similar the two shotguns are in the way they come apart and are held together (action screws, lock screws, easy disassembly, rugged manufacture, reliable operation. |
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It is a good gun. I have owned one for years, it was my father's, so for sentimental reasons it is my shotgun. Having said that, I would go with an 870, it is a good gun that you can accessorize into anything you want it to be. The Ithaca 37 does not have the fanbase an 870 does.
The slamfire of an Ithaca 37 is cool though... |
They're cool guns. I like how they feed and eject from the bottom. They're also pretty light. Great for carrying it, but not so fun when you want to shoot it. I shot a 16 gauge one and I felt the recoil was pretty stout. You also need to take the stock off to disassemble it. If you like retro type guns, try to find a Winchester Model 12, maybe with a Polychoke on it too. Talk about a brick shit house of a gun. They don't make anything that solid anymore.
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| yeah, a bit high at that price for sure. i bought one new from Sears back in 1972. dont recall what i paid for it but it was probably around $100 i would guess. still have it and it has shot a lot of squirrels and rabbits when i was younger. has a lot of sentimental value but i dont shoot it anymore, but since reading the OP, i just might get it out this weekend and bust some clay birds... |
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Pass, While I like the 37, the ergos are off on them (for me) and I shoot an 870 much better.
A true trap gun has a stock with a high comb, lots of 870 trap guns out there. If you get serious you'll want to get an over/under trap gun, or maybe a single barrel trap gun like the Browning BT-99. |
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For that price it should be Very Good+ condition. For a while they were among the best value in a second hand shotgun, you could find some nice ones for less than $200 easy.
I have 2, one in 12 ga. one in .20. They are unique shotguns, and there is something about them that draws a following. That 12 ga. kicks with hi power shells,though. |
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Quoted: For that price it should be Very Good+ condition. For a while they were among the best value in a second hand shotgun, you could find some nice ones for less than $200 easy. I have 2, one in 12 ga. one in .20. They are unique shotguns, and there is something about them that draws a following. That 12 ga. kicks with hi power shells,though. Same The 12s set up for trap. Looking for a 16ga |
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Quoted:
Pass, While I like the 37, the ergos are off on them (for me) and I shoot an 870 much better. A true trap gun has a stock with a high comb, lots of 870 trap guns out there. If you get serious you'll want to get an over/under trap gun, or maybe a single barrel trap gun like the Browning BT-99. I also have an heirloom 37 and wouldn't take it out for trap...I can't echo the sentament for BT-99 enough. Damn fine shotgun. |
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