Staff at LGS were concerned about lack of serial number on my Ithaca 37

[bushmaster1313]

The staff of my local gun shop take their FFL responsibilities very seriously.

Recently, I had the seller of an Ithaca Model 37 trap gun send it there for transfer to me.

The staff told me they were concerned that they couldn't find the serial number. They said they could only find three digits and a "T."

 

[snowman]

Not being knowledgeable about such things, I'll take a guess: you just bought a very, very early 37 Trap model??(And they were so used to seeing 5 & 6 digit numbers that they didn't recognize this one??)

Regards,
Andy

 

[bushmaster1313]

Not being knowledgeable about such things, I'll take a guess: you just bought a very, very early 37 Trap model??(And they were so used to seeing 5 & 6 digit numbers that they didn't recognize this one??)

Regards,
Andy

Bingo!
Over a million Ithaca 37's out there.
To Ithaca fans, a three digit 37T is like a first year Registered Magnum, only a lot less expensive.

 

[mc5aw]

You should have told them the buying price was so low, three digits was all you could afford.

 

[Road Rat]

Dang...now you must educate them on the 1968 "Gun Law" produced by your federal government!!!

 

[bushmaster1313]

Unfortunately, it's a shooter not a collector piece.

Wait, I meant, fortunately, it's a shooter not a collector piece!!!!

 

[shouldazagged]

Any 37 that shoots is a good thing to have. A three-digit T is simply a few steps up.

 

[phonejack]

The original barrel will have the same number. It will be located next to the number on the receiver. Back then the barrels were fitted to the receivers, hence matching numbers.

 

[bushmaster1313]

Barrel has same number with an "R" for rib.

 

[G-Mac]

So, how old is it?

 

[2152hq]

That's got to be the first month or so production of Model 37's (May or June(?) 1937
All the 37's regardless of grade (Field, Skeet, or Trap) were serial numbered in the same bloc at that time.
They made something like 3700 or 3800 guns total in all grades in the 6 or 7 months of production in 1937.
Not till just before WW2 did they set aside separate serial number blocks for the Field, Skeet, Trap, and Solid Rib guns.

They all had individually fitted bbl's till 855,000 ser# (sometime in 1963).

Great find!
The early Ithaca 37 Skeet and Trap guns are a joy to shoot at clays. They remain a reasonable buy in todays market generally but people are catching on!


added:

"...Barrel has same number with an "R" for rib...."
The 'R' on the bbl may indicate the gun made a trip back to Ithaca's Repair/Service Dept at some point. A simple capital R was their marking for such. SxS's usually got the mark stamped into the inside of the forend wood or sometimes into the bottom of the bbl(s) under the wood.
If it is, it could have been for anything,,from a major repair to a simple change of front bead sight.

 

[Big Stick]

Ithaca 37 trap gun is a sweet shooting piece!