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. It comes with rare "L&C/1942" marked leather sling.The Ithaca 37 is based on a 1915 patent by the famous weapons designer John Browning, marketed as the Remington Model 17. The buttstock correctly does not come with any cartouches of proofs. It has the earlier factory varnished walnut stock with checkering on the side of the pistol grip and a ribbed pump handle. The receiver is correctly smooth on the sides with no hunting scenes. The barrel has the 12 ga-2 3/4 inch chamber markings. It has a single brass bead sight on the bayonet adaptor. The two line Ithaca factory barrel markings are clearly visible on the left side behind the heat shield.
Ithaca 37 shotgun sght serial#
It is correctly serial numbered on the right front edge of the receiver and right, rear underside of the barrel (both matching). Col Roy Bowlin from the Rochester NY district. Ordnance Shell and Flame proof, followed by "RLB" which are the initials for the U.S. In this example that consists of a "P" firing proof, followed by the small U.S.
Ithaca 37 shotgun sght serial number#
These original Ithaca trench shotguns can only be identified by the serial number range and the Ordnance inspection proofs found on the left side of the shotgun. The barrels were fitted with the early, short, 6 hole sheet metal handguard which had a bail sling swivel on the bayonet lug and standard sling swivel on the lower underside toe area of the buttstock. They had an all blued metal finish with an Ithaca factory commercial varnish on the pump handle and buttstock. These WWII Ithaca shotguns were originally manufacture for use as military guard guns and eventually were used in the Far East as effective weapons during the jungle fighting. There was an additional Ithaca contract let during Vietnam, however they were produced in a considerably higher serial number range consistent with the 1962-69 commercial shotgun production.
There was only a very small number of original Ithaca trench shotguns manufactured during WWII, all in a documented serial number range of "57820" to "61450", with this example being numbered "57972". This is probably the rarest of the WWII US Army trench shotguns and probably only second to the rarest of all the trench shotguns, the WWI Remington Model 10 trench shotgun.
This is an extremely rare WWII military trench shotgun that was manufactured by the Ithaca Gun Company for the US Army, circa 1943/44.