My 37 was made in the '70s. It's got a 26" modified barrel. I ordered a 20" slug barrel from Ithaca last month but haven't received it yet. I've shot about 4500 rounds from the gun in the 11 years I've owned it. It's held up fine and I'm very comfortable with it. However, if I was buying a new self defense shotgun, I'd go with a Remington 870 Express. The Remington is cheaper and as mentioned previously, has more available accessories. It is a pound or so heavier than the 37 though. On the 870 I owned, I had a Choate magazine extension and the gun was pretty heavy. They're both excellent designs; you can't go wrong with either.