1976 Vintage Ithaca 37 Deerslayer

[OMCHamlin]

So I lucked out and found a gun I'd been looking for a good long while, an Ithaca Model 37 Deerslayer. It's in very nice shape. Would another Ithaca 2 & 3/4" chambered barrel, say a 26" modified or similar, fit on there? I was thinking that these were not as interchangeable as Remingtons or Mossbergs.

 

[ColbyBruce]

There is a serial number range where the barrel threads were changed. GOOGLE that so you do not buy an older barrel which won’t fit your gun. Broome’s Firearms in Fitzgerald, GA has hundreds of barrels; they likely have what you need.

 

[cmansguns]

OP,

I don't really know for sure but depending on where exactly you are located on the Eastern Shore, we are probably less than 75 miles apart so we could meet and see if my Model 37 Deluxe (1962) 2-3/4" 12 ga. Full choke long tube (30") would swap with a Deerslayer.

I still have my original hang-tag that is the take-down instructions, and if you still have yours it may give a clue.

When I was a teenager in the woods of southwestern new York deer season meant only shotguns and I had my Model 37 and my buddy had a Deerslayer, same year, but we never tried swapping barrels so I still don't know after all these years. Around our small farm town in those days, almost everyone had an Ithaca and I do recall old timers discussing the benefit of having the 2 different barrels for the same frame gun, thus doing duplicate duty for less money than 2 separate guns.

Like everything else that John Moses Browning invented it sure seems likely that his invention of the Ithaca Model 37 (first produced by Ithaca in 1937) would have a basic assembly that would allow this type of swap.

The original Model 37 was discontinued by the original Ithaca Gun Company in 1967 so I also don't know about a 1976 produced gun as to whether there were any design or manufacturing changes that would affect swapping.

 

[OMCHamlin]

I have done a little reading, so far, I've found that all pre-855,000 guns were pretty much com pletely hand fitted, and fitting would be required for one of those.
My gun is S/N: 371587xxx, which puts it in 1976, and I am getting some mixed signals, "yep, it'll fit, no prob" to "still requires some fitting, 9 times outta 10"
Hope I can find a positive answer.
This may not be a big deal though, the wife is swimming around it like a hungry great white circling a teeny-bopper on a paddle board, so it may become hers, one barrel or two...

 

[sfcjcl]

My Ithaca

Picked this up in trade, Ithaca 37 Featherweight with the case. 28” barrel, full choke, vent rib. Mine was made in 1970 according to the serial number and my understanding is that any barrel made after 1970 will work, though some fittment may be needed.
Does anybody recognize this case???

 

[Drm50]

The steel receiver guns need the barrels fitted. The later guns
with alloy cast recievers are interchangeable. There is #sn
information on this barrel stuff, but that is easiest way to determine barrel adaptions. Like anything else there are exceptions.

 

[2152hq]

On a Model 37, if the guns ser# is over 850,000 (mid 1963), the gun has the universal fit bbl. Meaning any bbl from any other Model 37 of the same gauge and frame type (Field , VentRib, Solid Rib, same chamber length) will fit the gun.

Prior to #850,000, each bbl was hand fitted to the individual frame. This because the the bbl threads were not machined to 'time' or clock precisely enough for the bbl to draw up tight and have the headspace be correct.
Bbl's on the guns from 850.000 and before have those fitted bbls numbered to their frames to keep them together.
** You can take a bbl from another gun from those early production fitted pieces and place it on another frame (mismatched parts). It will lock into position seemingly all OK. It will feed, function, extract,,ect.
BUT, the headspace may and most probably will be off spec. In some instances waay off to the dangerous point..

After #850,000 they changed mfg'r methods and started a universal fitting process that did away with the hand fitting. From there on any bbl (same gauge, ect) will fit AND headspace correctly on any other frame.

A bbl from 1968 will work just fine on a 1978 gun and the other way around and so forth.
It's just the 850,000 Ser# guns and before that need their specific # bbl for their frame to be safe.

(FWIW,,the '37' in the ser# of the MOdel 37 after 1968 is really a prefix demanded by the GCA68 law.
The prefix was needed to ID the Model of the firearm within the ser#.
The rest of the ser# is a continuation of the old sequence of the production number.)

The case is I believe a 60's or 70's Ithaca accessory. Sold or provided with their high grade guns of the era. You could still order high grade Model 37's and Single BBl Trap guns at the time.

The case is a modern version of the hard case that Ithaca sold in the late 1800's to the mid 20th century with their high grade SxS's and SBT guns.
Even has the same Ithaca banner/ribbon in the upper right corner of the inside of the lid.

 

[cmansguns]

Update from cmansguns;

I checked my Ithaca Model 37 Deluxe (1962) and the above posts are right on the money. My serial number is 8000xx and is steel receiver, and the barrel is serial numbered the exact same as the receiver so then the answer for me anyway) is just like 2152HQ posted............mine was hand fitted and hence no barrel swaps.

 

[tpole]

Push comes to shove and money is not a huge issue, call Les at Diamond Gunsmithing or Ron Sharp at Sharps Guns in Ontario. Les worked at the old Ithaca factory and is still in Ithaca, perhaps Ron did as well. In any event, they're familiar with the problem and can probably get it done.

 

[OMCHamlin]

Push comes to shove and money is not a huge issue, call Les at Diamond Gunsmithing or Ron Sharp at Sharps Guns in Ontario. Les worked at the old Ithaca factory and is still in Ithaca, perhaps Ron did as well. In any event, they're familiar with the problem and can probably get it done.

Well, I wouldn't say money is a huge issue, but I may try and simply haul this old gun around with me to gun shows/gunshops and just see if they happen to have a used barrel or two to try-fit and see. That is, of course, based on a presumption that if it fits and locks up okay, I'm good to go. I'll have to dig into whether or not there is a headspace factor to consider as well.

 

[ParadiseRoad]

...always liked the bottom eject model 37...

...my Father in Law had a nice old one...

...it got passed down to someone who couldn't wait to get it to the pawnshop...

 

[ExRanger714]

You are probably aware, unlike my Dentist who blew a hole in his wall, that gun may well slam-fire if you work the action while holding the trigger back. Seems like the cutoff was 1975 but better safe than sorry.

 

[ParadiseRoad]

You are probably aware, unlike my Dentist who blew a hole in his wall, that gun may well slam-fire if you work the action while holding the trigger back. Seems like the cutoff was 1975 but better safe than sorry.

...I was unloading the one in my post and must of done exactly that...

...fortunately it was pointed up in a cornfield...

 

[2152hq]

Well, I wouldn't say money is a huge issue, but I may try and simply haul this old gun around with me to gun shows/gunshops and just see if they happen to have a used barrel or two to try-fit and see. That is, of course, based on a presumption that if it fits and locks up okay, I'm good to go. I'll have to dig into whether or not there is a headspace factor to consider as well.

There is no headspace factor on a universal fit barrel for the Model 37.
They are just that,,universal fit.
That is for any Model 37 above ser# 850,000

Yours is (37) 1,587,xxx,,,way over that.

If the spare bbl you look at has a ser# stamped on it,,it is a fitted bbl from a gun made in the 850,000 and before era and I would pass on it for your gun. Even though it may fit on the frame and appear all OK. These were NOT universal fit bbls.

 

[OMCHamlin]

There is no headspace factor on a universal fit barrel for the Model 37.
They are just that,,universal fit.
That is for any Model 37 above ser# 850,000

Yours is (37) 1,587,xxx,,,way over that.

If the spare bbl you look at has a ser# stamped on it,,it is a fitted bbl from a gun made in the 850,000 and before era and I would pass on it for your gun. Even though it may fit on the frame and appear all OK. These were NOT universal fit bbls.

Thanks all, I think in total, I now have a solid answer to this question!

 

[ExRanger714]

FWIW and IIRC interchangeable barrels have interrupted threads so a 90 or 120 degree turn (1/4 or 1/3 turn) allows it to disengage from the receiver and slide forward and then out to change. Seems like non swapable receivers and barrels have continuous threads and are screwed into the receiver

 

[OMCHamlin]

<sigh>... Allllright, NOW I see why I got a smoking deal on this 37, it must need a new extractor. Anyone have any references on bolt removal for extractor replacement?

 

[ColbyBruce]

Numrich Arms most likely has a schematic on their web site