doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Lightest pumpgun ever made?

Yup. If you are looking at one, pay particular attention to the area where the barrel meets the receiver. I've never heard of catastrophic failures, but, if I had one that was cracked, I'd quit shooting it.

Best,
Ted

I've read reports of cracks in the area where the magazine tube meets the receiver. Do a Google search on "31L cracks" and you'll find some discussion.

Jay

Ted, their new 28 gauge is perfect for your wife and son. However, be aware and don't ever pick it up and use it because you'll fall in love with it too and they may never see it again!
I love the old Model 37 but sometime they are a little tooo light, these new ones are perfect in weight.

I sure wish Walt would pipe in here.

Mr. Gunflint, I will do just that.

As to weight, the law of diminishing returns applies here as well. You get much under 5 1/2 pounds (empty) and things can get dicey pretty quickly. For grouse hunting, where it's poke and shoot as often as not, lighter isn't as big an issue. But... for any kind of crossing shots, getting a good smooth swing can be a challenge. It's all too easy to just slash through the shot and then check your swing because the gun has very little mass (& therefore, inertia). I am much happier with a loaded gun that weighs somewhere near 6 pounds. And, the longer the barrels at that weight, the better.

Mr. Gunflint: Thank you for that warning! I had no-idea that cracking was such an issue with these guns. Who made the Aeromet receivers, Manufrance?

Lloyd, I've never heard of anyone other than Remington making frames for their guns. Jay

ALL Ithaca 37s post 1950 are steel safe with modified or more open barrels. You can call Les at Diamond Gunsmithing (last of the original Ithaca smiths)to confirm that if it makes you nervous.

I wouldn't sweat the crack that developes on the 31Ls as it is usually by the magazine tube and the ones I've seen have been quite small. I would be shocked if they ever opened up with field loads. Of course this is only my opinion and there has to be someone out there who knows more than I do ;-)

One of my hunting partners owns an Ithaca English Ultra that he bought when they first came out in the '70's. He killed over 500 grouse with it and "retired" it when he felt he had shot it out.
I much prefer the steel frame English guns and still own three of them (2-16ga,1-20ga).
The Kings Ferry plant was a 2 hour drive for me and I've been there on many occasions. They made a Supreme Grade 16ga. English gun for me around 2000. It has since gone down the road simple because I didn't need 3 16ga. Model 37's.
The "problem" with the Ultra's is that they are too light for me. They don't swing well and recoil is a real problem.
The steel receiver guns weigh 6lbs. in 20ga and 6 1/2lbs in 16ga. That's light enough for me.

I now have two 6-lb pumpguns. One is a Model 17 w/the 28-inch tube, and the other is a Model 12 from 1914 w/the 25-inch tube. My 6 1/4-lb pump is a 26-inch tubed 16 bore nickel steel Model 12. Perhaps I'm looking to improve on something that doesn't need to be improved? I'm intriged by the Model 31 lightweights and the Ultra Ithacas, but is there really room for improvement here?

It sounds like the price you pay for a gun lighter than 6lbs is an aluminum receiver that is either prone to cracking and/or wear problems, or is so light as to detract from good handling.

Lloyd,
In the grand scheme of things, few of us here have enough time left to wear out an aluminum receiver pump of the Ithaca 37/Remington model 31 persuation. Further, if you are after a light weight pump, the Mossberg 500 in 20 gauge has an aluminum receiver AND the barrel extension that keeps bad things from happening to pump guns with aluminum receivers. It is also a very lightweight pump gun. They sell them in .410, also. None of us has the time left that would be required to wear one of those out, either, even though some would turn their noses up at the suggestion.

What this really comes down to, is do you need a lightweight pump. Some guns are made to be shot a lot, and carried a little, others are made to be carried a lot and shot a little. In between there, falls the 50s vintage (I deliberately pick that era as the wood has more modern dimensions and is typically plainer, and sometimes lighter than 40s and earlier wood )Ithaca 37s with a plain barrel, that weigh in at 6 1/4-6 1/2 pounds, or a typical Remington model 17-you can get away with shooting them quite a bit, if you watch your loads, and you can carry them quite a bit as well.

Either you have mountains to climb when you are hunting, or, you don't. Most of us shoot better with a little more weight on the gun, but, I'm not too interested in a 7 1/2 lb 870 16 gauge, either. If I recall correctly, Mr. McIntosh made the case that most 28s should be no less than 6 lbs, and perhaps a bit more. Few of us (noted in various posts above) shoot sub 6 lb guns very well.

I'm a big fan of pumps, for a lot of reasons, and some of my best shooting has come out of that already mentioned King's Ferry 37 12 gauge with the 3" chamber, when it has the 30" barrel attached. This is a gun that is nearing 8lbs, and I simply HATE the fact that I shoot it so well. I believe I shot that Remington 17 just as well, 30 years ago, but, going from a size 28" waist to a 32" waist, getting bifocal glasses, watching and enjoying several generations of Setters come and go, and a few more aches and pains to deal with in the morning has, I suspect, corrupted that.

Youth is wasted on the young, is it not?

I suspect you will discover that if you put in the time required to practice with either of your pump guns, you will find both perform more than satisfactory for you. I would love to practice more, now, but, making a living keeps getting in the way of that. I do have at least one up-and-comer that I will make the time for, and he will start with a pump.

Good Luck.

Best,
Ted