The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > The Hide > The Dave McCracken Memorial Shotgun Forum

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old May 13, 2010, 07:55 AM   #1
kx592
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 9, 2009
Posts: 645
Helping a bud out...Ithica 37 model cleaning

I can field strip 500's and 870's and inertia's with my eyes closed but never touched a bottom eject shotgun and my buddy has a 70's model 37 that has never been cleaned in years. I would love to strip it with him to clean it. anyone have any online manuals or just a quick summary of the process and i can probably figure it out. thanks!
kx592 is offline  
Old May 13, 2010, 09:14 AM   #2
Joat
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 31, 2008
Location: Dayton, TX
Posts: 383
Google is your friend
Try THIS Or THIS If they don't get you there, I have better instructions somewhere, I just have to find them.

Joat
__________________
All things being equal, fat people use more soap. (I know I am one.) High speed, low drag does not even come close to describing ME.
Joat is offline  
Old May 13, 2010, 09:55 AM   #3
jaguarxk120
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 28, 2008
Location: Michigan
Posts: 2,618
Make sure you have the proper fitting screwdrivers for the screw slots they are narrower than what you will find else where.
jaguarxk120 is offline  
Old May 13, 2010, 11:37 AM   #4
oneounceload
Junior member
 
Join Date: April 18, 2008
Location: N. Central Florida
Posts: 8,518
and DON'T use your typical hardware store screwdrivers - hollow-ground gunsmith-type won't bugger the screws
oneounceload is offline  
Old May 13, 2010, 12:29 PM   #5
Joat
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 31, 2008
Location: Dayton, TX
Posts: 383
I wouldn't say that you can't bugger the screws using the right screwdriver. I'll admit it takes a lot more effort.

J
__________________
All things being equal, fat people use more soap. (I know I am one.) High speed, low drag does not even come close to describing ME.
Joat is offline  
Old May 14, 2010, 08:55 PM   #6
banditt007
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 19, 2006
Posts: 694
just glancing through.... seems like kind of a pain to break the thing down? What does everyone that owns these have to say about the cleaning/break down?

My winchester 1300 is a joke to break down, and the Remington 870's aren't bad at all. This Ithica seems to be a lot more intensive.
banditt007 is offline  
Old May 14, 2010, 09:23 PM   #7
jaguarxk120
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 28, 2008
Location: Michigan
Posts: 2,618
If you take a hard look at the Ithaca 37 you will find that It took a craftsman to build it. People that were gun makers not gun assemblers.

The engineering that went into newer guns is for quick assembly with parts that came out of a punch press. Thats why some of todays offerings are a joke compared to what was made years ago.

By the way the 1200 and 1400 series of guns was a exercise in how cheap you can build a shootable gun. Only lately has that record been broken by some of the imported offshore stuff.
jaguarxk120 is offline  
Old May 14, 2010, 09:53 PM   #8
Hog Buster
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 26, 2009
Location: Pointe Coupee, Louisana
Posts: 772
I own and use Ithaca Model 37s, and yes they’re a PIA to strip and clean. Thank God they don’t need it often. Most times a good spraying with solvent, followed with several blasts of compressed air does the trick. Barrel removed, stock up, so the crud can be washed and blown out.

If you just have to take it apart, have fun. There’s not enough words in my vocabulary for me to write the book it would take to explain how to strip it, but you are in luck. Joat is right, Google is your friend, his second link is about all you need to accomplish this feat. Again be careful with the screw heads, they’ll be very tight and can be marred easily. A word of advice, you may have to loosen the screws in the rear of the receiver in order to remove the stock. Enjoy....
__________________
Those who beat their guns into plows, will plow for those who don't.-Thomas Jefferson

Last edited by Hog Buster; May 14, 2010 at 09:59 PM. Reason: spelling
Hog Buster is offline  
Old May 15, 2010, 12:01 AM   #9
banditt007
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 19, 2006
Posts: 694
jaguar, i agree that 1300 is all stamped metal, and i've had a few problems, the newest being failure to extract. The extractor is hanging up, as well as not having much spring tension. deburring/polishing and swapping springs had no effect. Its kind of a mystery i've had several people look at it, and they can't figure out why it wont work. I'm just going to buy a good used bolt assembly. It was my first gun so i have to keep it, but after other issues and now this, its staying as the informal clays gun and nothing beyond that......end rant. Lets keep it on topic.....
banditt007 is offline  
Old May 15, 2010, 09:10 AM   #10
jaguarxk120
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 28, 2008
Location: Michigan
Posts: 2,618
Hog Buster is very right about they don't need it often. To put a time period in it I would venture to say about every 10-15 years. The action is protected because of bottom ejection. Basicly after a good internal cleaning, a good wipe down with a oiled rag on the metal surfaces should be good to go.
jaguarxk120 is offline  
Old May 15, 2010, 10:35 AM   #11
Hog Buster
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 26, 2009
Location: Pointe Coupee, Louisana
Posts: 772
The time line for stripping and cleaning that jaguarxk120 states is probably correct.

I have one purchased in the early 60s and it has had 50 to 60 thousand rounds ran thru it and only been stripped down twice. I also have one that was purchased in the 80s that has maybe 20,000 rounds thru it and has never been stripped down. I’ve never had a failure to fire from any of my Ithacas and never any malfunctions.

Unlike most of the trash on the market today these guns were made to last. I just hope that the new version of the Model 37 is as good as the old. If someone out there has a new Model 37 I’d like to know what they think.
__________________
Those who beat their guns into plows, will plow for those who don't.-Thomas Jefferson
Hog Buster is offline  
Old May 15, 2010, 12:14 PM   #12
jaguarxk120
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 28, 2008
Location: Michigan
Posts: 2,618
One thing we failed to mention is the barrel needs a regular cleaning though.
jaguarxk120 is offline  
Old May 15, 2010, 08:22 PM   #13
kozak6
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 16, 2005
Location: AZ
Posts: 3,113
That's true of all shotguns, though, and the Ithaca's barrel is easily removed if you wish to clean from the breech end.
kozak6 is offline  
Old May 28, 2010, 03:13 PM   #14
dgludwig
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 12, 2005
Location: North central Ohio
Posts: 7,486
Quote:
Hog Buster is very right about they don't need it often. To put a time period in it I would venture to say about every 10-15 years.
That's good news! At my age, I'll probably never have to clean mine ever again.
__________________
ONLY AN ARMED PEOPLE CAN BE TRULY FREE ; ONLY AN UNARMED PEOPLE CAN EVER BE ENSLAVED
...Aristotle
NRA Benefactor Life Member
dgludwig is offline  
Old May 28, 2010, 03:48 PM   #15
DPris
Member Emeritus
 
Join Date: August 19, 2004
Posts: 7,133
Not all of the new Ithacas allow barrel removal. The lower-end Defense model has a fixed barrel.
Denis
DPris is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 03:14 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.08044 seconds with 8 queries