Ithaca Model 37 Featherlight D.S. Police Special

The Ithaca Model 37 Featherlight D.S. Police Special

(This ain't your Walmart Tacticool Lead Spreader)

This particular gun was made around 1987, and it is a beauty. I've been on the hunt for a Model 37 since I was old enough to purchase my own firearms. Many years ago I had the chance to pick out a good used Combat Shotgun from a big pile of police/prison/military trade ins, they had 870's, Model 37's and 590's, and I went with a classic 870, a choice I don't regret, but with the prices of the 37 these days I wish I had bought a few. 

This model is the D.S. Police Special, it stands for Deer Slayer Police Special, a very robust offering of the ruggedly reliable Deer Slayer (rifled barrel, iron sights) in a parkerized finish. This is a no nonsense combat shotgun with an 18 inch barrel.  

There is something to be said for the old school walnut stocks, I don't care for plastic on my gun and this M-37 has a flawless stock and fore grip, it has the desirable Pachmayr "White Line" recoil pad, which is a must for a session shooting slugs and buckshot.

Solid Iron sights give this gun a bit more accuracy at range than a bead. The 18 inch barrel makes this gun light and highly controllable in a home defense scenario and it is well suited to use in hallways and room clearing.

The corn cob/ring tail fore grip is ideally suited to this gun, and I can shuck shells into the gun without feeling like I'm grasping a subway sandwich.

This gun is built like a tank, and it uses a fixed (non-removable, threaded) barrel. The design dates from the early 1900's and shells are loaded and ejected from the bottom port on the gun, allowing this gun to be used equally well by both right and left handed users. 

The model 37 boasts the longest production run for a pump shotgun in history, and its' design is still as viable today as it was in the early 1900's. The higher production costs have caused this gun to fall behind in sales to the 870 and 590, but it does not lag behind in performance or reliability.

The M-37 is designed to be "slam fired", meaning that if you hold the trigger and pump the gun you can fire the shotgun each time the pump stroke puts a new shell in the chamber.

This shotgun is all business, it's lean classic and powerful, I wouldn't feel a bit under armed with this gun on a dark night. No frills, shell caddies or flashlight lasers here. 

From the trenches of WWII, to its use by the Navy Seals, Police departments and Military, this is one trench gun that is still makes the grade, its fit and finish match any 870 Wingmaster I've used. This gun combines real world practicality with a good dose of collect-ability, and I don't see this venerable pump shotgun falling out of favor any time soon.