The Ithaca Model 37 is a workaday pump that’s at home in just about any conditions. Though they are some of the most proven classic slide actions on the market, Ithaca Model 37s in perfectly serviceable condition sell for a bargain even today. On our South Dakota pheasant adventure, we saw more than one scarred Ithaca in window gun racks, each of which has bagged countless birds over the years, a testament to the gun’s longevity. In fact, the Model 37 has been claimed as the longest-running production pump-action American shotgun.
Over the years, the Model 37 could be had in the bread-and-butter 12 gauge, built for over 100 years, as well as 20 and 28 gauge. There have even been Home Defense, Deer Slayer, Turkey, Women’s/Youth, and Waterfowl variants. Whether choosing the standard Model 37 or the lighter Featherlight series, know that you’re shooting a finely crafted, USA-built, slide-driven shotgun with a lineage spanning a century. Not many shotgun manufacturers can say that.
Hunters and shooters wanting to follow in LaVern’s big footsteps and create their own well-loved heirloom Model 37 have a choice of buying used or new, as the Ithaca Gun Company is still in operation. While new production versions retail from $1,199 to $2,154, used model 37s can be found for half that amount – or less – with plenty of life left.