He explained the delay that Ithaca had faced with the patent, and presented the shotgun with much praise to Ithaca Gun Company for revisiting “one of the finest pump-guns designs ever devised”, referring to the Remington 17. The first Model 37 guns off the assembly line were sent to gun writers around the country with the hopes of reaching those enthusiasts with the funds and genuine interest in obtaining a newly introduced sporting shotgun.īob Nichols a writer for Field & Stream wrote an article titled “The Model 37 Ithaca Repeater”, which first introduced the gun to the public. All shotguns ejected shells on the left side and sent the shell across the front of a left-handed shooters face. At the time a left-handed sportsmen had no other options in a pump gun. It had hand checkering around its grip and forend and it ejected from the bottom, which made it ambidextrous and the ideal choice for left-handed shooters.
![1976 ithaca model 37 featherlight value 1976 ithaca model 37 featherlight value](https://gvx.blob.core.windows.net/item-images/value-s-361287.jpg)
It featured fine engraving on both sides of the receiver. The Model 37 was an appealing gun in many ways.
![1976 ithaca model 37 featherlight value 1976 ithaca model 37 featherlight value](https://ithacagun.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/L-Featherlight-28g-W.jpg)
In 1938 they would nearly double that amount, amassing a sales total of 8,336. In 1937 they managed to sell a modest 4,365 Model 37 shotguns. However, Ithaca felt that they had waited long enough and began production anyway. Much of the population couldn’t afford to buy anything that wasn’t an absolute necessity. The world was on the brink of war and the United States was deep into the great depression. The oversight in the patent office not only delayed the Model 37’s release, but also made the timing of its introduction less than ideal. This meant that the last of the patent licenses on the Remington 17 shotgun would not expire until 1937. The Ithaca shotgun was originally designated as Model 33, but Ithaca had changed it when they were notified that a Pederson patent on the Remington shotgun had been overlooked. The company now had a shotgun that could compete in the sporting shotgun market with the powerhouse Winchester Model 12, which as you probably already know was another of John Browning’s designs. It was based on the 1915 design of the Remington Model 17 by John Browning, which also had additional elements added by John Pederson.
![1976 ithaca model 37 featherlight value 1976 ithaca model 37 featherlight value](https://www.gunsamerica.com/UserImages/1912/945718474/wm_8302837.jpg)
Ithaca Gun Company designer Harry Howland had his prototype shotgun ready to go by 1933. That is because no one has had his design patents mimicked more than the great and iconic John Browning. Now, something tells us that even if you have just a small amount of gun knowledge, and were allowed three guesses to figure out who designed the Remington 17 shotgun, you would probably get it right. In true Ithaca fashion, they began looking into the Remington Model 17 design as the basis for their own pump-action platform. Both Winchester and Remington were finding success with their pump-action shotguns and as the 1920s were coming to a close, Ithaca recognized the need to be more competitive. However, advancements in shotgun actions began to change what sporting consumers were looking for. Again the quality of their gun showed, and they enjoyed several years of successful shotgun sales.
![1976 ithaca model 37 featherlight value 1976 ithaca model 37 featherlight value](https://gundigest.com/wp-content/uploads/Ithaca-Model-37-20-ga-featherlight.jpg)
The Ithaca Flues would go on to become the best selling American double barrel of all time.Įight years later Ithaca would incorporate with the LeFever Arms Company of Syracuse, New York, and began manufacturing the LeFever Sidelock Shotgun that was first designed by Daniel Myron “Uncle Dan” LeFever. They would slightly modify the design, which allowed them to mass-produce the shotgun, and then launched it to the public in 1908. The patent for this gun was first granted to Emil Flues in 1895 and was then purchased by Ithaca in 1907. The first gun to truly showcase the quality in their work was the Ithaca Flues break-action double barrel shotgun. The company wasted no time building a reputation as a quality firearm manufacturer, and they did so by following a pattern of redesigning, or perfecting guns patented by other builders. The Ithaca Gun Company was first founded by Leroy Smith and William Henry Baker in 1883.