I’ve always liked the Ithaca Featherlight shotguns: handy, reliable and easy to shoot, they’re just more fun than their heavier Police Riot guns — not that the latter are terrible, of course, as their thousands of users will attest. Anyway, this one just came in to Steve Barnett’s emporium, and it’s a sweetie (right-click to embiggen):
…and of course, this line will have prettier wood than the Riot guns:
Exquisite. I could see lots of happy-happy joy-joy bird-hunting with this one in my hands.
I heartily second your sentiment.
A decade or so ago, I was given a plain-jane M37 “Tootsie Roll” model (so named because of the forend contour/grip grooves). 12 GA, full choke, 30 inch plain barrel. It was free because it had somehow come to grief, partially separating the barrel mounting lug and raising a dent inside the barrel. Believe it or not, I found the exact replacement barrel I wanted on Ebay. 28 inch, vent rib, modified choke. Alas, I am embarrassed to admit I have not shot it yet. I really need to get my rear in gear and go chase some doves.
I’ve owned a 16ga Featherlight for 5 years, and it almost immediately became my favorite bird gun. Light, reliable, and left hand safeties available from the current iteration of Ithaca. Not as pretty as that one, though. No vent rib on mine, was heavily used by the previous owner(s) and nowhere near that lovely wood figure. I couldn’t buy that one, as I know how hard I am on hunting guns and one that pretty deserves someone who would appreciate it for it’s appearance. Mine was beat up before I got it, but is still functioning perfectly. It also cost me a tenth of what Barnett’s is looking for, mostly because the shop was too lazy to even attempt cleaning and lubing my 37 before putting it on the rack for sale. First time I tried it, cycling the pump felt like it was filled with epoxy resin.
those old Ithacas sure are pretty.
Dad had a fancy limited edition model 51 Featherlight that had gold inlay of the scroll work on the receiver and vent rib barrel. That gun and his Delta Elite were the only two missing when he passed away.
This was my first gun. My Dad took me to a pawn shop in 1970 and we got a mint 37 in 20 gauge ($80) to hunt quail. I haven’t hunted quail in 5 years and will likely never hunt again, but I’m hanging on the 37 just in case I do.
I have a plain old 16 ga model 37 from 1940 that my Dad formerly owned. Has the engraving, but with a plain stock and no rib. It has a slug barrel as well with some type of early orange plastic front sight. Took a lot of birds with that gun. And works great for me since I’m left handed.
I also have a new model 12 ga 37HD with a 20″ barrel that’s a monster.