Beautiful & Mean: The Chopped Ithaca 37 Riot Gun

Try taking one on an all day dove hunt and going through 6 or 7 boxes of shells.
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Prior to switching over to my SKB's for doves, I did that on many occasions. In a tee shirt yet too.

Ive been beat up more trying to shoulder and shoot overly long shotguns (and rifles) with recoil pads, than I have with steel butt plated guns. Even when they are cut and fitted to give a proper LOP, they still tend to hang up on clothing, and pounding you.

I much prefer butt plates on a proper length stock, to any recoil pad.
 
It's not bubba'd- it's merely been repurposed…

I picked one up a few years ago for $140. Same story- cuts compensator, and the stock had been cut off for someone's wife or kid. But it was slick- really slick.

Same plan as yours- lop it off to 21" or 22" inches- and hopefully some choke tubes. A new recoil pad for sure. That way it can be a do-it-all; defensive and upland field gun.
 
Here are the changes to the original:

1. Cut barrel to 18.5" (measure twice, cut once);

2. Install brass bead;

3. Leave rest of metal original;

4. Leave corn cob pump handle original;

5. Replace original uncheckered stock with $25 dollar hand checkered vintage stock being sold online.

6. Cut online stock so length of pull will be 12.5" with pad;

7. Refinish online stock with elbow grease, sand paper and Tru-Oil:

8. Sand white grip cap that came with the online stock and find out it is genuine ivory.

9. Stain ivory grip cap with black tea.

10 Install reproduction Ithaca pad (I should have tried to buy a new old stock pad)
 
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"Prior to switching over to my SKB's for doves, I did that on many occasions. In a tee shirt yet too."

You must be a better man than I, then. My 37 fits me almost perfectly, as confirmed by a stock maker with whom I used to work, and after about 3 boxes of shells I simply don't want to shoot it any more.
 
Yes, this is a ruined gun
How could I have been so stoopid
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it's ok join the club, I turned the one I bought into a quasi deerslayer, cut to 20" and installed a FO front sight and a Williams receiver sight.
 
Let's back off on the histrionics, hair pulling, and chest beating over how Bushmaster ruined a priceless, rare, antique shotgun made of unicorn fluff and unobtainium...

The Ithaca 37 is quite common and doesn't have nearly the cachet of a Winchester Model 12 or a similar gun. It's got, at best, moderate collector interest.

And, it's Bushmaster's gun to do with as he sees fit.
 
I like it! Nice work! I would put it in my Super Duty and make a sweet truck gun out of it. Its way cooler than the 88 thats riding in there now;)
 
I recall something written by a worker at Holland and Holland.
He said the American idea of keeping a shotgun "as built" is ridiculous.
Each Holland and Holland is made to order,to the customers tastes,and more importantly,to fit the customer.

Suppose,the eventof the original customer's death,another gentleman comes to possess the original Holland and Holland.To keep it original entirely misses the point.It makes the same sense as wearing the man's custom tailored suit...though he is only 20 lbs heavier and four inches shorter.

No.its time to adjust LOP,bend the stock,etc....And Holland and Holland would hope the customer would bring them the gun to have that done.

In regard to the Ithaca and other older shotguns:It was not built to run steel shot.Steep forcing cone,nature of the chokes,lack of chrome bore.

I'd find out the gentler -for -shotgun non-toxic loads .

Modern shotgun hulls have been cheapened.The brass on older shotgun hulls had a much better rim for the extractors to grab.

Ithas been my experience that the Ithaca struggles at times extracting cheap shells.Yes,the extractors can be optimized.Don't be surprised.

So the OP took an Ithaca that already had a ghastly Poly-choke pickle attached .The sin was already commited.No harm was done to the already altered barrel.M+P type short,cylinder bore shotguns are certainly one of the 37's variants.
So,no harm done.OP,there is a serial number range of very early 37's that will not accept interchangeable barrels.In the 70's,I could have told you.Check it out,and then its not hard to find an un altered original barrel on e-bay or elsewhere.Maybe $125 ,or less.Then you have a dual purpose outfit,change barrels in seconds.That IS a benefit if you get to go for pheasants!

Due to non-toxic shot,I'd go no tighter than mod choke,and best to have a long forcing cone cut.

Rather brilliant of you to buy a replacement stock to cut to the LOP that suits you.Shows respect for the originality of the gun,and you understand a shotgun must fit.

Well done,nice shotgun.

IMO,your critics owe you an apology.
 
The 37 is my favorite pump gun/riot gun. I think you did a great job.

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Win Model 12

I would do the same to a Win Model 12, and will when the "right" one presents itself.
Once a poly or cuts (non-original) or a refinish has been done the collector value is gone.

I can stop by my local Cabela's and see a long row of well cared for Model 12's.

The fact that the gun is being used again, is reason enough.

The number 1 rule is don't ruin a classic. Check SN's and originality.

#2 rule is no Bubba's allowed, do it right or pay some one to do so.

Winchester made over 2 million Model 12's, due to a fire destroying the factory records collecting them is not for the novice or feint of heart.
 
A good thing about an Ithaca 37,at least in the correct SN range,if you just understand how,the barrel comes off in under 10 seconds,no tools,and another barrel goes back in in under 10 seconds.

Last time I checked ebay,there were barrels from Deerslayer to 30 in full choke.Once again,research SN ranges.Not ALL 37 bbls interchange for all shotguns.

There is still an Ithaca web site where you can buy a variety of barrels.They even offer fitting for earlier shotguns.

I'm saying if someone has an original,uncut bird hunting Ithaca and wants a HD shotgun,Great!!There is no reason to cut it.Just get another bbl and leave the original alone.Then,essentially,you have the use of two shotguns.

If,as the OP's,its already been cut,nothing to worry about.
 
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