Uncle Scotty Stories: Ithaca Model 37

[@davek5027]

Retired from LASD. I loved the Ithaca 37. Absolutely great shotgun.

[@KennethPowell-kx3jt]

Great take on your experience with the Ithaca mod 37. The 37 can be single loaded really fast by turning the gun bottom side up with the action open take the unfired round sit it on top of ejectors and push it down with your thumb and close the action. It takes a few times to learn how but works really fast. Also the 37 can be unloaded by taking your right thumb and pressing the shell stop you can remove all four rounds and not have to run the action. When all four rounds are out open the action and chambered round comes right. Very simple and fast. The 870 is a great shotgun I have owned both the 870 and still own many 37’s. My opinion, the 37’s are a lot smoother and are much faster. Just my take on the 37. Thanks for your stories and your service. Be safe.

[@peterlindsey6428]

Our shotguns stayed in the cars in a vertical rack and I never will forget deciding to clean one (Winchester 1200) one night shift and discovering one of my coworkers had decided the barrel was a good place to dispose of 2 chicken leg bones. Plus people frequently stole the rounds out of the shotguns so I eventually got my own 12 gauge rounds and made darn sure it was checked and loaded before shift.

[@donsettie3799]

This guy has saved alot of lives😊

[@cleondubois1270]

Your stories are great. I worked for a smaller upstate NY city PD in the seventies. You would take over the car from the previous shift and had to look for the shotgun which might be hidden somewhere in the trunk. There was no standardization with shotguns and we didn't have racks as I recall. Despite the lousy budget , outdated uniforms & not a whole lot of on-going training, I got to work with some very fine police officers until I moved on.

[@ChromeArty]

Quite interesting. I've bought and sold 9 Remington 870's over the years, but an Ithaca remains in the stable. There's just something about the M37 🤷‍♂️

[@mpkk9143]

I remember too if you if you kept the trigger depressed it would fire as you pumped it. At least it was for LASD "back in the day". Love your post. Keep them comming.

[@jasonashley4579]

My winchester model 12 does that.

[@BTX406]

Great info, never really heard those negatives on the 37. I always though they were well regarded since NYPD and LAPD seemed to prefer them. I liked the way the 870s dual action bars felt, no torquing when racking. We had Mdl. 870s with #00, slug, and early 80s went to #4 buck. When we cleaned and inventoried the 870s, we found guns from the mid-60s still in service. A bit rough in the finish or scarred from riding in the stand-up rack by the passenger officer, but good mechanically. I think all the armorers had to do stake a shell holder every once in a while or take it apart if someone’s finger slipped and the loaded shell backed over the loading gate (pre flex-tab) and locked it up. We had some 20 inch guns that they cut to 18 and never went back and put a bead on. Yeah.

[@rickobrien4025]

Scotty , I went to the academy at Golden West College (in HB) back in 78' and our physical training coordinator was a guy I'm sure you're familiar with , "The Bear, Capt. Smitzen ",LAPD .Sgt. Weber , also LAPD , was our instructor on Officer Survival tactics , and I'll never forget him telling us that any copper worth his sand would have a box of slugs in his briefcase . That was in 1978 ! If those guys working North Hollywood back in the 90's would have had the same advice , slugs might not have killed those two , but it sure would've dropped them on their butts . Same deal with the Norco bank job. Our Firearms in structor, Phil McCrea ,HBPD , had all of us fire the 870's WITH slugs , (even the females)

[@randallhunsaker5766]

I got one from Rampart when they sold them off in around 2010. 😊

[@alacharger]

My first agency had Ithaca M-37s in the mid 80s. They were worn like they had been dragged down 10 miles of bad road. 4 rounds in the mag, safety on, empty chamber. Our rack was on the cage behind the driver's head (solo cars).

[@bigtruckbrad]

I always enjoy hearing your tales of years past. Those Ithica shotguns were “iconic”. You are exactly right, great bird guns. Can you tell us about the police impact weapons of the 1970’s? Specifically the use of saps, blackjacks, batons, ect…….

[@MrPotatoesLatkie]

The 5 point safety check seemed like a overly complicated process. The kind that makes sense to bureaucrats. Was the purpose to make sure it wasn't loaded?

[@mgreen7063]

I have one; an old sheriff's weapon from here in MN; and was unaware of its history with the LAPD. Thanks for the great videos.

[@flatfoot7418]

In 1982, when I started with US Customs Patrol, New Orleans, LA I was issued a shotgun. As I recall, LAPD Police Shotgun or LAPD Shotgun was engraved into the side plate. Later, we turned in the Ithaca 37s for Remington 870s. By comparison, prior to being hired by US Customs, I worked for the Jefferson Parish, LA Sheriff’s Office, Narcotics. We were issued new Benelli semi-automatic 12 gauge shotguns.

[@Paladin1873]

I bought an old ex-prison guard Model 37 for $90 around 1990 and turned it into a SBS. I still have it but never use it for anything. I like the downward ejection but not the safety or action bar release. If you prefer downward ejection, the Browning BPS operates a whole lot smoother (just don't ever detail strip one).

[@MrPotatoesLatkie]

It was also a find Deer gun, and they make a barrel with rifled sights. Ithaca called it the Deerslayer. While your department may have on had bead sights, Ithaca did make a "riot' version with the same rifled sights.

[@oldcop18]

I hated the shotgun and cannot recall when one was fired during my 30 yrs (ret. ‘97) on the job. In fact I only used it once stopping a carload of bank robbery suspects by myself, but didn’t have to fire it.

[@keithwestmoreland8877]

thank you ..so much...I love your videos.... I do sincerely wish that I could meet you I live in Nashville Tennessee I'm a former graduate naval Academy very proud...in are team Armory..in Damneck...we had a Vietnam error Ithaca Model 37 that a 20 inch pipe I've never seen a duckbill choke until then so I decided to go shoot that puppy after that no thank you

[@ronn7237]

I remember talking to the California Highway Patrol (CHP) armorers about the 37. They did not like them and liked the 870's.

[@samueldamewood5273]

Know the weapon and drill for it and they are no problem at all. I would be hard pressed to condemn the breed based on a reviewer's experience with weapons handed out day to day to the unwashed and never maintained, no matter the bona fides of the reviewer.

[@garycasamento7374]

Did you have a clam shell holster?

[@brianhoxworth3881]

What I've found strange is the safety is backwards from every other gun. Push it to the right to fire, left to safe. Is that the way it should be, or is mine modified? It's really a no go for me.

[@GypsyMoFoJoe]

@ Brian Hoxworth Your shotgun has an installed left handed safety. Both Ithaca and Numrich Gun Parts offer both R/L conversions replacements

[@Gath8mm]

SEALS liked then in Nam.

[@bernardhayes4459]

The ithaca sounds like a major pain in the ass, great video thanks

[@markjordan9357]

Model 37 best shotguns ever made....sorry about your drug problem.

[@cherylvisher8533]

Huge fan.

[@willy4018]

Ohhh yeaaahh!

[@Joe3pops]

All due respect. This isnt really a reflection on the M37 shotgun. The armed services used it through WW2, Korea, Vietnam and god knows elsewhere in Central America. The problem here is LAPD department policies. Its believed the USN SEALs still have them for ready use. Thats quite an endorsement.

[@IntlTactical]

LAPD policy and training back then was light years behind knowledge and training today. Also… a speed reload of the 870 Remington shotgun versus the Ithica 37 is beyond unfair and much more efficient and faster… come out to our range for a demo 😎 We appreciate your thoughts, thanks for contributing to the conversation!