My new factory custom Ithaca 37 Featherlight (HUGE picture warning!)

[TooBigToFit 2]

Just figured I'd share it with all of you. And yeah, this is cross posted on PAFOA. I started wanting it as an NJ resident, and got it as a PA resident, so that's why it's on both forums. Enjoy, and feel free to ask questions!

 

It had to be THE gun, THE shotgun. Graduated from college, got my dream job, and moving out of NJ, I needed to celebrate. It had to be special, and it was going to be the Ithaca 37.

 

 

Ithaca, for those that don't know, is now located in Upper Sandusky, Ohio. They're a friendly bunch, and will do pretty much whatever you want on your shotgun (as long as you can afford it, of course). Engraving and gold inlays, woodwork, stock dimensions, and a whole lot more. I ordered the Ithaca 37 Uplands Combo (it's a smoothbore/rifled barrel combo) with...

 

• 28" vent rib smoothbore barrel
• 24" rifled barrel, with open sights
• AAA grade wood, with a LOP of 13 7/8"
• Hand engraving enhancement
• Receiver drilled and tapped for scope mount

How about a couple more pictures?

 

A look at the engraving on one side. This, as silly as it sounds, was one of the reasons why I chose the Featherlight. I have a soft spot for English Setters, they're absolutely wonderful dogs. The hand enhanced engraving is where they'll take the standard factory engraving (which is machined into the receiver), and do hand engraving to add extra detail. Sadly (not to discredit the engraver that did this receiver, it was a beautiful job), Bill Mains, Ithaca's hand engraver, passed away nearly 2 years ago.

 

The other side of the receiver depicts a duck scene.

 

A closer look at the stock. The shotgun feels like it fits great.

 

The vent rib barrel is pretty neat. If you look in the picture, you can see a screw in the rib. The rib itself dovetails into the posts on the barrel, and is presumably replaceable by removing that screw. The posts that support the vent rib are machined out of the same material out of the barrel, instead of being soldered on. Ithaca calls this the Solderless Barrel System, and touts that it produces straighter barrels since they are never exposed to heat. Fiber optics on the front are listed as being manufactured by Truglo.

 

The rifled barrel also has fiber optic sights (adjustable of course), manufactured by Marble Arms. All of the barrels (vent rib and smoothbore) are connected to the receiver by a thread. Drop them in, and give it a quarter turn, then tighten the magazine cap (or loosen? depending on which way you're looking) so that it snugs in the barrel.

 

The rifled barrel installed on the gun.

 

The bolt has some attractive machining. Loading shells is almost addictive, each one smoothly going in, without having to worry about pinching your fingers on a shell lifter. The action is also smooth. I will say it had issues loading shells from the magazine at first, but after several shells and snap caps, it's been perfect.

 

Grip cap of the gun.

[RecessedFilter 222]

A real beauty! Enjoy it and congrats on the purchase.

[Parker 213]

Beautiful gun. Enjoy it, M37's are special. 12 or 20?

I've mentioned this before on another post here last year. William Baker, Ithaca's founder, saw to it that a Setter was engraved on most of their guns over the years, for he had a deep passion for them. You will also find English Setters engraved on higher grade Parker's, L.C. Smith's, and Lefever's. All the gentlemen who started these gunmaking companies were English Setter fans. Besides English Pointers, English Setters were the original gundog and are one of the oldest gundog breeds in existence today.

Now go find an Ithaca Flues or Field grade, a Lefever Grade B or C, high grade L.C. Smith, or a Parker GH grade and you'll have a nice collection of soulful shotguns engraved with English Setters to add to your collection.

 

*If you want to see some real fancy engraving, Google-search Ithaca Model 37's known respectively as the "$3,000 Grade" and the "$5,000 Grade."

[fishnut 2,358]

Yeah nice gun. I like the wood and the jeweling and the setters too. I have an Ithaca Flues 16g with the setters engraved on it also. Hope you like Pittsburgh more than I did. To be fair though I lived 40 mins east if the city but I spent a bit of time in the city on the weekends.

[TooBigToFit 2]

Beautiful gun. Enjoy it, M37's are special. 12 or 20?

 

I've mentioned this before on another post here last year. William Baker, Ithaca's founder, saw to it that a Setter was engraved on most of their guns over the years, for he had a deep passion for them. You will also find English Setters engraved on higher grade Parker's, L.C. Smith's, and Lefever's. All the gentlemen who started these gunmaking companies were English Setter fans. Besides English Pointers, English Setters were the original gundog and are one of the oldest gundog breeds in existence today.

 

Now go find an Ithaca Flues or Field grade, a Lefever Grade B or C, high grade L.C. Smith, or a Parker GH grade and you'll have a nice collection of soulful shotguns engraved with English Setters to add to your collection.

 

*If you want to see some real fancy engraving, Google-search Ithaca Model 37's known respectively as the "$3,000 Grade" and the "$5,000 Grade."

 

It's a 12ga. I'm curious as to how much it weighs. Their website lists 7.6 pounds for every 12ga Featherlight barrel length, which can't be right. 

 

Yeah nice gun. I like the wood and the jeweling and the setters too. I have an Ithaca Flues 16g with the setters engraved on it also. Hope you like Pittsburgh more than I did. To be fair though I lived 40 mins east if the city but I spent a bit of time in the city on the weekends.

 

I'm live and work north of the city, but I like it so far. People calling soda as pop kinda throws me off though.

[W2MC 1,699]

Absolutely gorgeous!  Congratulations and use it well!

[Vlad G 345]

I dig the locking screws on the receiver. It is a feature more guns should use.

[jm1827 284]

Wow- very nice, good luck!

[lunker 274]

I love my Ithaca 37 20 gauge. It is my bad weather bird gun.

[Bt Doctur 188]

same here , my 12 is a dedicated scoped deer gun(receiver drilled and tapped)  and the 20 is my small game one.

Cant beat the bottom feed and bottom eject either

[Parker 213]

I dig the locking screws on the receiver. It is a feature more guns should use.

 

One note: Those carrier lock screws on either side of the receiver have a tendency to "disappear" because sometimes they vibrate loose. Put a drop of Loctite on each one and they'll stay in place.

 

It's a 12ga. I'm curious as to how much it weighs. Their website lists 7.6 pounds for every 12ga Featherlight barrel length, which can't be right. 

 

 

I'm live and work north of the city, but I like it so far. People calling soda as pop kinda throws me off though.

 

Old 12 ga . Featherlights with plain barrels were listed with a weight of 6 3/4 lbs., ventilated rib barreled ones a bit more. With dense wood and a vent-rib barrel, the new ones seem to weigh more than the old ones and could top 7 lbs. or more for a 12 ga.