In a corner with my Ithaca

[Enfielder]

My uncle died years ago and left me his model 37. Great shotgun but he put a bulge in the barrel right behind the mounting lug. I have another model 37 that I use for fowl and this one has been cut off and relegated to safe dust.
I don't really know what to do with it. It now wears a 18.5 barrel and has that damn bulge in it. It's safe to shoot shot but I'm not interested in slugs through it. There it sits. I have a small collection of guns that I need to get rid of and can't because of flaws that devalue them pre to bad. Even the LGS wants nothing to do with it.
Any ideas what to do with it that doesn't involve spending twice the value on a new barrel?

 

[Frostbite]

Sell as is, divulge everything, cry a little on your loss and move on.

 

[sparkyv]

Putting a new barrel on her would bring her value up quite a bit. That's what I would do. Note that older model 37s have to go back to the Mothership to get handfitted.

 

[243winxb]

Sell to a parts house. https://www.gunpartscorp.com/sell-your-parts OR

Sell at auction or on gunbroke with a good description of problems.
http://www.horstauction.com/gunsale18may.html

 

[jaguarxk120]

Contact Les at Diamond Gun Smithing. Les was the master smith when Ithaca was still in New York. He can fit
a barrel to your gun, the older guns (before 855,000 serial no.) barrels are matched to the receiver.
If you send the gun back to the factory they will machine the receiver and fit/press in a bushing that will
take a new style barrel. This cost is very large bucks.
The best way is to find a older barrel from ebay and have Les fit it to your receiver.
Remember those older guns handle and shoot better than much of the new offerings of today.

 

[Enfielder]

Contact Les at Diamond Gun Smithing. Les was the master smith when Ithaca was still in New York. He can fit
a barrel to your gun, the older guns (before 855,000 serial no.) barrels are matched to the receiver.
If you send the gun back to the factory they will machine the receiver and fit/press in a bushing that will
take a new style barrel. This cost is very large bucks.
The best way is to find a older barrel from ebay and have Les fit it to your receiver.
Remember those older guns handle and shoot better than much of the new offerings of today.

I know Les very well. He does all of my long gun transfers if I buy out of state.
I've talked with him about it, but the cost of a barrel plus the cost of the machining adds up to more than the gun is worth. I throw money away on motorcycle, not guns.

 

[Stumper]

If the bulge doesn't affect function (which is how I am picturing the described bulge location) why not just shoot it?

 

[entropy]

You could sell it, or load it up with buckshot and leave it by the bedside. That's where my 37 sits with it's 18.1" barrel. (It was an evidence gun, and I measured the barrel exactly like the ATF does, three times to be sure.)

 

[P5 Guy]

Isn't there a way to roll the bulge down?

 

[jaguarxk120]

What year was this gun made??

Please check the serial number against the number chart at Ithaca gun company.
It would be a shame to destroy a very old gun that should be restored.

 

[J-Bar]

Swap it for something you like at a gun show.

 

[herrwalther]

If the bulge is not too large, have a gunsmith check it out and see if it is safe to fire. Personally I would shop around and get a new barrel for it and keep it.