Gun Review

I just love pumpguns. They are so participatory. So very American. So macho. Popular, too. The pump is the largest-selling shotgun action in the US. Mind you, I have nothing against the less-physically demanding actions, but watching someone really handle a pump brings an extra something to our sport. For the most part, pumps are inexpensive, reliable and extraordinarily durable. The better pumps can be made to balance quite well. They are virtually maintenance-free, and they function in the worst possible weather conditions.
    When we think of classic pumpguns, it is usually of Winchester Model 12s and 42s, Remington 870s and Ithaca Model 37s. The Ithaca M37 has been around since 1937, and it had an interesting start. John Browning may not have invented water or fire, but in the gun world he might as well have. The Ithaca Model 37 was mostly one of his.
    In 1913 Browning filed for patent protection on a new bottom-loading, bottom-ejecting pumpgun. He sold the rights to Remington, which named it the Model 17 but didn’t start production until 1921. In the intervening time, Remington inventor John Pedersen patented some improvements to the design. Remember Pedersen? He was the one whose “Pedersen Device” converted the 1903 Springfield bolt-action military rifle to a semi-auto. He also invented the .276 Pedersen cartridge, which almost replaced the .30-06. Remington sold 73,000 Model 17s before production ended in 1933, when the company went to the new side-ejecting Model 31 pump.
    Ithaca was looking for a pump about then. The company intended to introduce a slightly modified Model 17 as the Ithaca Model 33 when the Browning patents expired in 1933. When Ithaca learned about the additional Pedersen patents, it held off until those expired in 1937. The Ithaca Model 37 has been in production ever since, longer than the run of the Winchester Model 12 or Remington 870.
    But Ithaca’s road hasn’t been without its detours. Founded in 1883, the company changed hands in 1967, 1987, 1996, 2005 and 2007. In 1987 Ithaca Acquisition, Inc., changed the name of the Model 37 to the Model 87. In 1997 Ithaca Gun Company, LLC, changed it back. Today the new Ithaca Gun Company, Inc., located in Sandusky, Ohio, owns the rights and continues the manufacture of the Model 37 on modern computerized machinery.
    The company currently produces M37 pumpguns in several configurations. There is a short-barreled ribless Defense model plus two Deerslayer slug guns—one for a scope and one for iron sights. For bird hunters the company makes the Model 37 in 12 and 20 gauge with either Featherlight steel or Ultralight aluminum receivers.
    Our review gun was introduced at the 2009 SHOT Show as the latest addition to the line: the 28-gauge Model 37 Featherlight. It is the first 28-gauge in M37 history. It has a true 28-gauge-sized receiver that, according to Ithaca COO Mike Farrell, has no parts interchangeable with the 20-gauge receiver. Ithaca says that each M37 Featherlight 28 is made to order, with a delivery time of four to six weeks. It comes in three grades. The A grade, with plain wood and modest machine engraving, costs $999. The AA grade has nicer wood and full-coverage, hand-chased engraving for $1,589. The AAA version has full fancy wood and full-coverage hand-chased engraving with gold inlays for $3,499. We were sent three test guns, all A grades, but one had upgraded wood.
    The 28-gauge Featherlight receiver is solid steel machined from a single billet. Other than the brass front bead, recoil pad, plastic butt cap and magazine plug, I couldn’t find any part on the gun that wasn’t walnut or steel. The action appears identical in function, if not in size, to those of earlier 37s. It is bottom loading and bottom ejecting, lacking the customary side port that most other pumps have. Lefties and the usual duck-blind “peltees” on the right can rejoice.
    Mechanically, the gun is intriguing. The M37 shell carrier has two spring-steel prongs. They rest at the top of the action on either side of the bolt when the gun is in battery. After firing, the pump stroke pulls back the bolt. The dual extractor claws on the bolt engage the rim of the fired shell and extract the hull from the chamber. As the hull comes free, the split carrier prongs sweep downward, ejecting the hull out the bottom of the receiver. The action is timed so that the loaded round in the magazine is released just as the carrier bottoms out below the magazine. The magazine spring pushes the new shell out and it is cradled between the two carrier prongs. Pushing the forend forward sweeps the carrier and shell upward to the entrance of the chamber, where the closing bolt pushes it home. This process has been working well for more than 70 years, but it does require properly regulated timing.
    The M37, like the Winchester Models 12 and 42, uses a single action bar. Remington uses two, claiming less binding. In practice, I found the M37 smoother than the recent 870s I’ve tried, though not as smooth as my well-worn Winchesters.
The triggers on the three sample guns varied. One had a 2- to 3-pound pull, which is much too light for a pumpgun. One was 4H to 5 pounds, and the other a touch heavier at 4I to 6G pounds. These last two felt about right. All were marvelously crisp with no take-up and almost no overtravel. The trigger-blocking safety in the rear of the trigger guard was a little sticky but worked correctly.
    M37 28-gauge barrels come in 26" or 28" lengths, and an extra barrel costs $249. The barrels are heralded as “solderless.” The rib supports are machined integrally with the barrel tube, not soldered on. Ithaca claims that this method avoids the heat warpage common to soldered rib posts. The rib slides over the posts and is held on with a single Torx bolt about 6" from the receiver and by a stop at the muzzle. The flat, steel, 9/32"-wide untapered rib has an upper surface machined to eliminate glare. At the muzzle you can choose a simple brass bead or Ithaca’s own 1/2" red glowworm.
    Ithaca claims “lengthened forcing cones to reduce recoil and shot deformation.” When I measured them against the Connecticut Shotgun RBL 28 and the Perazzi 28, I did, indeed, find the M37 cones to be about 13/8", a good 1/2" longer than the Perazzi’s and RBL’s.
    The M37 barrel is attached by inserting it into the receiver and giving it a quarter-turn to engage 1/2" of machined receiver threads. This secure mounting is required because the bolt locks into a notch in the top of the receiver, not into a notch in a barrel extension as on the 870. The Winchester M42 uses somewhat the same approach as the 37, but it has the advantage of a replaceable threaded section that can adjust for wear.
    The M37 28 comes with three Briley screw chokes designated Improved Cylinder, Modified and Full. A Skeet choke is available but not included. The chokes are 2" long, with the designation notched on the rim and printed on the body. All were conical to about H" of parallel at the muzzle. I measured three sets of chokes, and they were very consistent, more so than the barrels. One barrel bore was .548" and jibed perfectly with the chokes to provide nominally correct constrictions. The other barrel IDs were .005" larger, making all the chokes about one designation tighter than their markings. The chokes threaded into the barrels very smoothly but, when seated, all protruded about 1/64" for an odd cosmetic effect.
    The stocks on our three guns all measured 13-7/8" x 1-5/8" x 2-1/4", though Ithaca’s own Website claims 14" x 1-1/2" x 2-3/8". The test stocks had no cast and very little pitch. Although this height is about “average American production gun,” the length is short by today’s standards and even shorter than the 14G" listed for the 12- and 20-gauge Feather-lights. However, the large, fairly tight pistol grip moves the hand forward and makes the stock seem a touch longer than it is. The butt is finished with a black 1" Pachmayr Decelerator pad. The pad was efficient but sticky, and it was not particularly well fitted on any of the guns. It appears that the pad is compressed during the grinding process and then puffs out slightly when finished.
    Wood-to-metal on the guns was fine at the stock/receiver joint but a touch too proud on the forends. The 18 lines-per-inch mechanical checkering was borderless, simple, clean and correct. The stock finish appears to be a matte synthetic with an appropriate stain and complete filling of the grain. Farrell said that surface nicks were easily repaired.
    The wood figure on our first two A-grade samples was quite plain. As mentioned, the higher AA and AAA grades get fancier wood. One nice thing is that you can order your Grade A with the upgraded wood used on the AA and AAA guns for an extra $175 and $350. Our third A-grade had the fancier walnut, and it transformed the gun. Get the glitzy wood. You deserve it.
    The forend on the M37 is a relatively tiny 6" in length. That’s even shorter than those on the original Winchester 12s and 42s and a good bit shorter than the extended forends on the 870s. The short length forces the left hand to stretch quite far forward. Some will find this uncomfortable; some won’t notice. It is a matter of personal preference, but that’s the way the 37 has been doing it for more than 70 years.
    The engraving on our A-grade guns was appropriate for the price. The minimal machined receiver engraving was in a restrained, tasteful scroll pattern. The AA grade has upgraded wood plus distinct full-coverage woodland hunting scenes with a setter and flushing birds on each side of its blued receiver. The AAA grade has full fancy wood and the same engraved scene, but with the dogs and birds in 24-karat-gold. Farrell said that he and CEO David Dlubak told master engraver Bill Mains, “Do anything you want. Just get our dogs on there.”
    The sides of our A-grade receivers were medium-gloss blue, whereas the top was an anti-glare matte blue. The gold-colored trigger inside the dainty trigger guard was a nice touch, as was the engine turning of the cast-metal slide inside the action. The medium blue of the barrel set off the matte low-glare rib. However, when held to the light, the outside of all of the test barrels were anything but smooth, clearly showing machining waves under each of the integral rib posts.
    The Model 37 28-gauge Featherlight package includes the aforementioned three screw chokes, a flat stamped choke wrench, a Torx wrench for rib removal, a separate Hoppe’s trigger lock, a magazine plug to reduce capacity from four to two, a one-year guarantee and the most basic two-page manual I’ve ever seen.
    The shooting performance of the M37 28-gauge was interesting. The first two guns we were sent didn’t work. The timing was off on both but in different ways. One would eject the fired hull and the second cartridge at the same time. The other usually would fail to fully eject the fired hull. Farrell said that he was aware of these issues on some guns and said that it was due to slightly incorrect parts sizing from outside suppliers. The third gun we were sent functioned perfectly.
    Frankly, I would not be too concerned about these issues, as there is always a bobble or two in a new production gun. The design is proven beyond a shadow of a doubt—and there is that one-year warranty.
    The third gun was everything you could ask for mechanically. The action was slick and fast. It does have a disconnector, meaning that you can’t just hold the trigger back and pump the way you can on a Winchester Model 42. Still, it doesn’t hinder quick pumping the way the disconnector on the Browning Model 12 reproduction 28-gauge does. Our M37 could be cycled quickly, and it was much smoother than the actions on the Browning BPS and recent Remington 870s I’ve tried.
    Loading was even more of a pain than it is on 12- and 20-gauge M37s, because the bottom loading/ejection port is 28-gauge size and thus even smaller but my fingers have stayed the same size. The loading drill on the 37 is to put two into the magazine and then pump to chamber the first round. On an 870 you just throw one in the side port, close the action and put one in the magazine. Much easier. For hunting it won’t matter, but for volume practice on clays, wear gloves or you’ll get blisters trying to fit those shells into the magazine.
    Shooting the gun was a mixed bag. The gun was difficult for some shooters to control. At 5I pounds on my digital scale, its light weight and neutral balance made for extremely responsive—some might say whippy—handling. One tester commented, “It feels like I’m shooting my kid’s gun.” Another fellow who owns one reported that he ran a straight at skeet the first time he shot his, so it really is an individual thing.
    The 28" barrel weighed 1.6 oz more than the 26" and made things a bit steadier. If it were my gun, I’d experiment with adding some weight inside the magazine tube. The short stock and sticky recoil pad also caused issues for some shooters.
Ithaca does offer complete customization of this gun. For an added price, the company will custom-make a stock to your requirements in any grade of wood you can afford. Custom engraving is also available.
    Shooting lightweight guns, especially with the added movement of a pump, is an acquired skill. This isn’t a case of good or bad. It’s a preference issue. It is what you get used to and train with. If you put in the practice, this gun would be lots of fun for small upland birds. The Ithaca 28-gauge Model 37 Featherlight is certainly an attractive gun, and it is built on a true 28-sized action. It offers enough options to set it up the way you wish, and the design certainly has stood the test of time. As production settles in, it would be worth a look if you are man enough to handle an American pumpgun.

Author’s Note: For more information on the Model 37 Featherlight, contact Ithaca Gun Co., 877-648-4222; www.ithacagun.com.

Check out Bruce Buck’s “Technoid Talk” blog at www.shootingsportsman.com.