Ithaca M37 US Marked

[Mike Faires]

I picked up a Ithaca M37 this weekend that I have a few questions about. It is parkerized, 20inch barrel, full choke. The receiver has US marked on the right side low just above the front of the loading port. It has sling swivel studs in the stock and on the barrel stud, no markings on plastic butt plate, serial number range is 903xxx. My question, is this a legitimate US military issue shotgun and if so what type sling swivels are correct?

 

[Gordon]

Wow ! That sounds like a very early 1965 gun, with interchangeable barrels. I'd say certainly authentic and the M-14 web sling would be correct. No doubt made for the Vietnam era BTW.

 

[Fred Fuller]

Mike,

Nothing like what you have is described in Canfield's Complete Guide To United States Military Combat Shotguns. Serial number ranges for the Vietnam era six-digit serials are listed in the high 900,000s though he does indicate that the full range of serials is not known. And there are no riot guns listed in that serial number range, only trench guns. A trench gun without the handguard/bayonet mount should still have the screw notches on the underside of the barrel. Even so, the forward sling swivel for trench guns was on the bayonet mount, not the barrel stud.

All the Vietnam era Ithacas illustrated are marked U. S. on the right side of the receiver up front, closer to the bottom of the barrel than to the loading/ejection port. They have the Ithaca anvil just below that and the P proof mark stamped on the left side top of the barrel chamber and nearby on the left top side of the receiver. No sling swivels are noted on US riot guns in the Vietnam era, but there were some Ithaca 37 riot guns made on contract for the South Vietnamese with factory sling swivels. However, the Vietnamese contract guns were not believed to have had US military markings and their serial number range is known to have been from 50,000 to 71,999.

US contract Ithaca riot guns are distinguished by S prefix serial numbers ranging from S1000 to S23000.

I'd say further research is indicated...

 

[Gordon]

"20inch barrel, full choke"
I didn't see that in your post ! To me that throws a monkey wrench into the mix!
I had an ex LAPD Model 37 in Nam, as I remember it had sling swivels which I put an M-14 sling. My Father (!) brought it to me , worried about me on my second tour and he was doing 90 days in Saigon as a DOD contractor overseeing the fitting of the first FLIR to Mohawks. Where he got the new LAPD 37 he never would tell me and I was given a MACH V pass to carry it signed by a General. I actually brought that 37 home but gave it to a Marine friend when we were banging around Panama at the school of the Americas. I tried to find him but never have , he lived on Lake Ponchatrain La.
Any way I never saw a martial faked Ithaca, but I guess they exist. The full on the barrel indicates to me a hack job.

 

[Mike Faires]

M37

Gordon, It is not just marked "full" it is full choked, a dime will not pass the muzzle. So no hack job on the barrel.
Lee, maybe I am not understanding, "All the Vietnam era Ithacas illustrated are marked U. S. on the right side of the receiver up front, closer to the bottom of the barrel than to the loading/ejection port." The Ithaca loading ejection port is at the bottom of the receiver so that location and the bottom of the barrel are one and the same.

 

[Fred Fuller]

Mike,

The MAGAZINE TUBE is at the bottom of the receiver where the loading/ejection port is located.

The BARREL is at the TOP of the receiver...

So the U. S. stamp on Vietnam era Ithacas pictured in Canfield's book (can't find a picture on the web) is closer to the middle of the front edge of the receiver, near the bottom of the barrel (not the bottom of the magazine tube). In other words, about in line with the space between the barrel and the magazine tube.



- image from http://www.ithacagun.com/defense37s.html

Hope this makes it clearer...

 

[solvability]

After searching for a nice Police Special for a few years I lucked into one with both rifle sight barrel and plain barrel - they are excellent pumps - I am getting one for each of my daughters as HD guns.

Anyway, you got a neat gun and I would like to see some detail pictures. Does yours have the plain receiver or the engraving?

I wonder if the full choke barrel was original to the gun?

 

[Mike Faires]

Lee, You are of course correct about the location of the barrel versus the magazine tube. Too much Flu medicine that night I guess. Anyway no numbers in that location although there is what appears to be a "T" stamped upside down about an inch from the receiver at around 3 o'clock looking at it from the breach end.

 

[Fred Fuller]

Mike,

Is there a P proof mark stamped into the lefthand top of the barrel and receiver close to where they join as well?

And also, what kind of sling swivel is on the stock? Every US-issued trench gun I've seen had a fixed sling swivel inletted into the stock, secured by two screws, and not a QD-type stud like the front one shown in your picture. I don't know of the military ever using QD type sling swivel studs on shotguns from the Vietnam era or earlier, but I haven't seen 'em all by any means.

Like http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=257097968 for example. I called Remington on this one and they had no record of it being sold on government contract. Might be, might not be, I don't know.

ETA - Well gee. Guess what I just found - http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=256883016
Ithaca 37 Riot Gun Vietnam US Marked
Note the $1995.00 starting price too...

 

[Fred Fuller]

Gonna snitch a couple of pics -

P proof marks on receiver/barrel -





US mark on receiver -

 

[Tom D]

Mike, the "US" mark on your shotgun in unlike any I have ever seen on a Military contract Ithaca shotgun. I suspect it was added to the gun. And, it looks like your gun may have been refinished, but I can't tell for certain from the photos.

Lee, the US Military contract Stevens 77E riot guns used a stud type swivel on the buttstock rather than the typical inletted swivel affixed with two screws.

 

[Fred Fuller]

the US Military contract Stevens 77E riot guns used a stud type swivel on the buttstock

I've only seen the fixed bow type swivel with a single screw through the center on those - I've not seen the QD type stud on those either. Only saying I've not seen them, understand, you don't see lots of VN era Stevens US 77Es running around loose.

 

[Youngster]

I was under the impression that most, if not all, of the military issue '37 used in Vietnam were actually built in the '50s, and that later guns were simply bought off the shelf by both the government and the public. I could be wrong though.

 

[Mike Faires]

No "P" proofs. "US" is lower on the receiver and no periods. I called the seller, he stated that he bought it from a Texas sheriff he was a deputy for, stated he carried the gun in his patrol car for about 18 years until he retired, he admitted to added the QD sling swivels.

As I said it is a 1965 vintage gun, the purchase price was under $350. So worse case scenario is I got a slam fire 12 gauge for HD at a good price. Best case is maybe Bruce Canfield will be at Tulsa middle of next month and he will know more about it.

 

[Gordon]

Every U.S. property mark I've seen had the periods. I'm still confuzed on the Full choke on a riot gun. Yes in your pictures the Parkerizing seems a little thick and light colored. You did well any way!

 

[JSNAPS]

Nice purchase. Nothing better than an Ithaca 37

 

[Tom D]

Lee, I think we are talking about the same type rear sling swivel on the 77E. It has a screw on one end and a stud on the other end with a groove or cut in the top of the stud for attaching the swivel using a pin. It is not a QD type and it does not move from side to side. The swivel only swings forward towards the muzzle and backward. Every 77E I've seen had the same type rear swivel. Best, TD