doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Why so few Model 37's For Sale?

I have been looking around for a nice Ithaca, Model 37. As most know, about 2 million were produced - about the same number produced as The Model 12, Winchester. Looking on The Gunsinternational site, there are about a dozen Model 37's for sale verses about 175 Model 12 guns.
Model 37's also seem to carry a higher price tag than a somewhat comparable Model 12. Can anyone tell me why this is so? Thanks, in advance.

I'd sure like to hear Walt Snyder's views on this. I like the muzzle forward feel of the M12's, something I don't find in a M37. Perhaps that is just me.

Model 12 had a lot of collector interest 23-30 years ago and prices were very high due to demand. Today those same buyers are "old fart" sellers as my wife calls us. Model 12 demand is soft. Very few younger shooters have any interest in learning how to operate a pump gun. It is all about Beneli SBE3 and other black guns or semi autos and as they get a bit older perhaps a O/U. Graded and upgraded model 12s, which too many graded guns are in fact, still command a good price but a plain barrel Model 12 has so many competing examples that they are cheap. The only field gun which still commands a good price is a 3' duck gun in solid condition.

37 owners have always been a more of a shooting interest, versus collecting interest, so they never went up that much in price. The shooters see no reason to dump their collections right now because they never over paid for them in the first place. Plus we like to shoot them and find them a hoot to shoot at sporting clay's and in the field. When I take my 28 or 20 dove shooting there is always someone who wants to look at it and marvels how smooth it pumps and fast it handles. People are so use to seven pound semi autos that a five to six pound gun is a magic wand to them. I like the solid rib versions and have several in 12, 16 and 20. The quality of wood Ithaca used puts Winchester wood to shame as well.

Not trying to steal the thread but a Win 12 doesn’t hold a candle to a Remington 31 for smoothness.

Shooting clay target games with a bottom ejecting gun is trouble, all the extra shucking can cause auto release voice calls to go off. If shooting a pump gun or auto at trap the side loaders are much easier to handle.

Going to respectfully disagree -- while I'm not young anymore, I'm not quite at old fart status yet and folks in my friend group love my model 12 (a late production field gun, 60 or 61, I don't recall.)

I went to a model 12 specific shoot here in northern Indiana and there were quite a few people around my age, and several younger.

These guns evoke a time when this country made the best stuff in the world, and while they were mass produced, there was still a good bit of hand finishing. Also, some parts were machined from billet that had no reason to be and exude quality in comparison to everythiing "new" that my generation has experience with. I'm talking about things like the cartridge cutoff that in a modern gun would be stamped.

Every time I tear mine down I sort of marvel at the fact that it's as over built and over engineered as it is, simply because they wanted to build the best pump rather than a pump at a price point.

I had a 1928 field with the slimmer furniture that I never should have sold. Lesson learned.

All the extra shucking? What extra shucking? After the shot, I generally just slide a round into the magazine, wait my turn, and just before I call for my bird, cycle the action. It doesn’t get much easier than that.

I have never seen a gun set off a voice activated trap. And, if it does, so what? Call for another bird. The voice activated traps are fading away at my club, as there is an abundance of kids willing to work as pullers for some comp on their high school trap leagues.

I don’t think one design of pump is “easier” than another, you are either knowledgeable about how it works, or, you aren’t. You can say you prefer one to the other, but, that is different.

Best,
Ted

I have owned both in the past although they are seldom seen in the U.K. I did like the bottom eject facility of the model 37 and felt it a little more strongly made. Only pump I now own is an old Winchester 1893 model. I do shoot it from time to time with black powder re-loads but it's a pig to clean not being a take down model. Lagopus…..

If you find yourself in a warm corner, you know where the empty hulls are from the 37. Right by your feet.

Best,
Ted

Model 12s are truly great guns, and for all the reasons mentioned above. Model 37s are popular now because they are also well made (at least the earlier versions) and they tend to fit more folks a little better (certainly better in an ambidextrous fashion anyway). They are also way lighter, making them more attractive for the upland game hunting crowd. When you own several pump guns, the more useful versions seem to the be last ones you let go of...

With that said, I did list two Model 31s over on 16ga.com. Both are the "L" models, one is a 20, the other is 16. I guess I could list them here as well, as long as nobody objects? The pumpgun market has clearly evolved in the last few years. I'm seeing some pretty unbelievable prices for the better and more-rare options. They are clearly very effective bird guns in the right hands. When is the last time you saw a good Model 17?