Ithaca Model 37 - Machining Barrel for Accu-Chokes

C

Carolina Penguin

Inactive
I want to buy an old Model 37 Featherlite with the old "corn cob" style forend grip and have the barrel machined to accept Accu-Choke screw-in choke tubes. So far as I know none of the Ithaca 37's from that era ever came from the factory threaded for choke tubes. I had a Model 37 that was stolen some 40 years ago and I've always wanted to replace it for sentimental reasons. I have lots of these Accu-Choke tubes from my Mossberg 88. To do this, the guy doing the machining tells me I need 0.850" outside diameter minimum at the muzzle. The Ithacas I am talking about were manufactured in the 1946-1967 time frame. Does anyone have one of these older Model 37 Featherlites that can measure the OD for me at the muzzle? I need to see if the idea is even feasible. Obviously I am talking 12 gauge here.
 
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You might have to go to ThinWall style choke tubes because of barrel diameter.

Barrel diameters can vary from gun to gun due to manufacturing, age, and if the gun was refinished. All of those things will made difference's in barrel diameter.
 
I have one of the 80s ithacas that left the factory with screw in chokes. they used the thin wall brand called tru choke. bob
 
If you do indeed need thinwalls, Briley is the place to go -they created them and are still the best at it.
 
Thank you, but I'm not going to invest a small fortune in more choke tubes. If I can't find one with a barrel that's at least 0.850" to begin with to make my Accu-Chokes work then I won't proceed with the project. I'd like to own an Ithaca 37 again but I'm not all that sentimental about it.
 
By the way Bobn, I have 2 Tru-Choke tubes that I've never used that might fit your gun if you are interested. One is a Turkey Choke 0.680" constriction dia. The other is a Light Modified 0.715" constriction dia. They look very much in size and appearance like the Accu Chokes but they have a finer thread pitch than the Accu-Chokes.
 
Of course, you could just leave the barrel alone and vary your ammo to get different pattern densities. All depends on what you intend to do with it and what the barrel is choked now.
 
I just had my early 1990s 87 done by Rose Action Sports, shorten to about 20" and threaded for Remington chokes (use those chokes mostly, so worth it). Different manufacturing, but my barrel was over 0.845".

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Also had it redone in NP3 Plus...

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nice 87

I like the work you had done on the shotgun. Thats a much better gun than anything resembling that made today by leaps and bounds.
 
upstate81 said:
I like the work you had done on the shotgun. Thats a much better gun than anything resembling that made today by leaps and bounds.
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Thanks...

It was a Ducks Unlimited gun that I used to donate the stock for my dad's, which had a crack in the wrist. The barrel was a little long, so made it manageable and exactly what I wanted (if they still made side saddles for them, I'd be really set). Only better thing would be if it would slam fire... just because. [emoji41]
 
Ithica

Just me, but I would not modify or cut a vintage 37. Those old school shotguns are getting scarcer, and you can obtain and cut about anything else at near any shop going.
 
NO, let him chop that vintage gun!! After a butcher gets done with it, turning a very fine handling hunting gun into a piece of junk, my vintage Ithaca will be worth a whole lot more.

If you want a gun to "improve" go get a Maverick88 or a Mossberg. A Winchester 1200 is great for that kind of work!
 
Well if you had taken the time to read my original post you would see that I already have a Mossberg threaded for chokes. As for old Ithaca 37's being any kind of vintage commodities, you know what they say about opinions and rectums. 95% of all vintage Ithacas I see are o/u trap guns, double barrels, and 10 gages.
 
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Penguin, you created a post about Ithica's, I respectfully offered an opinion on your idea. That's what we do.

Your observations on Ithicas are different than mine......I seldom see any except the newer renditions.

I did indeed read your OP, and the fact that you have Mossberg tubes does not justify in my mind cutting what many see as a collectible shotgun. But it's your gun and you certainly can do as you please.

No need for anatomy references........that's a two way street.
 
Again, my comment was directed at Jaguar (not you) who suggested I buy a Mossberg which I already own and if he had read my post (all of it) he would know that. Jaguar thinks that just one guy getting his gun machined by a "butcher" would make his "vintage Ithaca worth a whole lot more." His words not mine. Whatta douche. It seems no matter what forum you go to these days there's some wise ass idiot lurking in the woodwork trying to put other people down with inflammatory language. All I asked for was the outside muzzle diameter of one of these so called vintage guns. Still haven't heard a number. This forum has a certain kind of stink to it. I'm outta here.
 
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