They may not truly trust a semi-auto and are comforted by the simplicity of a pump. Some shooters prefer the manually-operated pump because they want to be more in control of the gun’s operation. The recoil-operated autos are cleaner but some, especially the older long-recoil designs, have more of a kick than either the gas guns or pumps. Gas-operated actions are dirtier due to the burnt powder that accumulates and they generally require more maintenance and cleaning. They tend to be heavier and are not as easy handling in the field. There are several different types of semi-auto actions, but all have a more complicated operating system that can be more troublesome than a pump. The same can be said for the semi-auto, but the self-loading guns aren’t for every shooter.
#ITHACA 37 SHOTGUN MODERNFIREARMS HOW TO#
America has been called a nation of riflemen, and those who learned how to shoot with a rifle are likely to be more comfortable sighting down the rib of a shotgun with one barrel. Many shooters prefer the sighting plane of a single-barrel shotgun. It’s the go-to gun for those shooters who prefer its simple design over the more complicated autoloaders and the pricey doubles and over/unders. Generation after generation, the pump-action remains a favorite scattergun for a variety of reasons. The pump, or slide-action, can do any job well. Its popularity is widespread with all types of shooters and for any shotgunning applications, including hunting, competitive shooting, self-defense, law enforcement and the military. The pump-action shotgun has been the favorite choice of many American hunters for well more than a century.
What to know about the classic Ithaca Model 37 pump-action shotgun: Production paused in 2005 when Ithaca once again changed hands.A survivor of 80 years on the shotgun scene, the Model 37 remains a dependable and classic option for hunters and sporting shooters. At one time, the Ithaca 37 was renamed the Model 87, although it was soon changed back in one of many ownership changes. Ithaca has suffered many setbacks in its history, changing hands numerous times. Made in many different models, the Ithaca 37 has the longest production run for a pump-action shotgun in history, surpassing that of the Winchester Model 12 that had originally inspired Ithaca to produce pump-action shotguns. While Ithaca did produce some shotguns for military use during the war, they also produced M1911 pistols and M3 Grease Guns.Īfter the second World War, Ithaca resumed production of the Model 37. Many sporting arms ceased production entirely during the same period. With the depression dragging on and war looming on the horizon, it was possibly the worst time to introduce a sporting arm. After gearing for production of the Ithaca Model 33, they discovered a Pedersen patent that would not expire until 1937 along with the introduction date, they changed the model designation to 37. They settled on waiting for Remington Model 17 patents to expire. The Model 31 would eventually be replaced in production by the less expensive to make Remington 870 which is still produced to this day.įollowing the World War I, the Ithaca Gun Company was searching for a pump-action shotgun to produce, primarily to compete with the ubiquitous Winchester Model 1912. The Model 17 was a 20 gauge of trim proportions, which Remington later redesigned and refined into the popular side-ejecting Remington Model 31. The Ithaca 37 is based on a 1915 patent by the famous weapons designer John Browning, marketed as the Remington Model 17.