Ithaca 37, Front Sights, and Ghost Rings

Skofnung · July 25, 2002, 08:22 PM

Hello.

I have an old Ithaca 37 D.S. Police Special that I would like to fix up. It has rifle sights on it, but the rear sight (dovetailed) is missing. I could make or buy another rear sight for it, but I would rather get a ghost ring setup for it. So, I have three questions.

1) Who makes a ghost ring rear that will fit on an Ithaca reciever?

2) The front sight is a funky contraption (a steel ramp) that has a removable blade that is made of an orange plastic much like a hi-viz light collector, only its triangular. The blade that is on the gun is a little beat up, and I would like very much to replace it. Do any of you know what kind of sight this is, and where I can find a replacement blade for it?

3) Would this front sight work with a ghost ring rear?

Thank you

Skofnung · July 26, 2002, 10:08 AM

No one knows the answers to my questions? Have I stumped ye olde experts?

Where can I go to find an answer to these questions? Are there any Ithaca experts out there?

Thanks again

Al Thompson · July 26, 2002, 12:42 PM

And the answers you seek are best given by folks who make the sights. The Benelli/Remington/Mossberg clan is pretty much 99.9% of the serious social shotguns.

www.brownells.com is pretty much Mecca for parts. They have replacement factory sights for your DS.

MMC has a Ghost ring set-up that will fit your M37. Mec-Gar also lists Ithaca's for guns they will fit.

Best bet is to check MMC (http://www.mmcsight.com/index.html) and see what the cost is to have them install it.

DML · July 26, 2002, 09:54 PM

I installed ghost ring sights on an Ithaca 37 once. I won't do it again. There are two problems.....

1. The extractor rides in a groove that is dead center in the top of the receiver. The two screws that mount the rear sight would be in this rather thin area. There is enough meat to hold them, but it's not an ideal situation. Either MMC or LPA would work.

2. The barrel does not index to the receiver like most pump or semi-auto shotguns. If you don't lock the barrel down very tight, it can slop around and change windage.

The Ithaca 37 is a good shotgun, but it is best left alone.

Romulus · July 26, 2002, 10:21 PM

DML, my observation, owning both 870s and an Ithaca is that the barrel to receiver lockup is much tighter on the Ithaca since it's a threaded fit, not merely a slip fit...

...can a ghost ring sight be epoxied on a receiver?

Skofnung · July 26, 2002, 11:38 PM

Thanks for the links Gizmo99.

DML, you may have just saved me a big chunk of change. I knew where the extractor was, but I thought that the reciever was thicker than you describe. I do not want ro risk hurting this this gun, as it belonged to my father. Thanks for pointing this out.

I guess I will just replace the rear barrel mounted rifle sight, and order a new front sight insert from Brownells. There is nothing wrong with rifle sights in my mind, I just wanted to try something new.

Thanks for the heads up fellas.

DML · July 27, 2002, 01:39 AM

Romulus:

The problem is that the barrels on the 37s that I have seen do not index on a fixed point. They can be rotated left or right to the point where the extractor groove doesn't line up with the receiver.

If you check the barrels on Remingtons and Mossbergs you will see a notch that indexes the barrel. On Remingtons the notch mates with the ejector.

A rear sight can be mounted on the Ithaca receiver. It just a bit touchy IMHO.

DML · July 27, 2002, 02:45 PM

Erick:

This is off the topic, but I have installed about 200 Scattergun front sights and, to the best of my knowledge, none have come off. I have seen a few that did come off and without exception the failure was due to NOT FOLLOWING THE DAMN INTRUCTIONS!

Most guns that are sent to me to have MMC sights installed and already have Scattergun front sights require a torch to remove the front sight. I just reinstalled one that I removed awhile ago just to see if I could knock it off with a hammer. I beat on it until the barrel squashed and it didn't budge. I will try to post a picture later.

July 25, 2002, 08:22 PM	#1
Skofnung Member Join Date: April 29, 2002 Location: Atlanta Area Posts: 49	Ithaca 37, Front Sights, and Ghost Rings Hello. I have an old Ithaca 37 D.S. Police Special that I would like to fix up. It has rifle sights on it, but the rear sight (dovetailed) is missing. I could make or buy another rear sight for it, but I would rather get a ghost ring setup for it. So, I have three questions. 1) Who makes a ghost ring rear that will fit on an Ithaca reciever? 2) The front sight is a funky contraption (a steel ramp) that has a removable blade that is made of an orange plastic much like a hi-viz light collector, only its triangular. The blade that is on the gun is a little beat up, and I would like very much to replace it. Do any of you know what kind of sight this is, and where I can find a replacement blade for it? 3) Would this front sight work with a ghost ring rear? Thank you

July 26, 2002, 12:42 PM	#3
Al Thompson Staff Alumnus Join Date: May 2, 1999 Location: South Carolina Posts: 3,611	The problem is that the gun is older.. And the answers you seek are best given by folks who make the sights. The Benelli/Remington/Mossberg clan is pretty much 99.9% of the serious social shotguns. www.brownells.com is pretty much Mecca for parts. They have replacement factory sights for your DS. MMC has a Ghost ring set-up that will fit your M37. Mec-Gar also lists Ithaca's for guns they will fit. Best bet is to check MMC (http://www.mmcsight.com/index.html) and see what the cost is to have them install it. __________________ http://www.scfirearms.org/

July 26, 2002, 09:54 PM	#4
DML Senior Member Join Date: November 24, 2000 Location: Aridzona Posts: 257	I installed ghost ring sights on an Ithaca 37 once. I won't do it again. There are two problems..... 1. The extractor rides in a groove that is dead center in the top of the receiver. The two screws that mount the rear sight would be in this rather thin area. There is enough meat to hold them, but it's not an ideal situation. Either MMC or LPA would work. 2. The barrel does not index to the receiver like most pump or semi-auto shotguns. If you don't lock the barrel down very tight, it can slop around and change windage. The Ithaca 37 is a good shotgun, but it is best left alone. __________________ Experience is what you get when you were expecting something else.

July 26, 2002, 10:21 PM	#5
Romulus Senior Member Join Date: January 18, 2001 Location: Kettle Moraine country Posts: 897	DML, my observation, owning both 870s and an Ithaca is that the barrel to receiver lockup is much tighter on the Ithaca since it's a threaded fit, not merely a slip fit... ...can a ghost ring sight be epoxied on a receiver? __________________ I knew Thomas Jefferson, he was a friend of mine...Governor Clinton, you're no Thomas Jefferson Ti faccio vedere come muore un italiano

July 27, 2002, 01:39 AM	#7
DML Senior Member Join Date: November 24, 2000 Location: Aridzona Posts: 257	Romulus: The problem is that the barrels on the 37s that I have seen do not index on a fixed point. They can be rotated left or right to the point where the extractor groove doesn't line up with the receiver. If you check the barrels on Remingtons and Mossbergs you will see a notch that indexes the barrel. On Remingtons the notch mates with the ejector. A rear sight can be mounted on the Ithaca receiver. It just a bit touchy IMHO. __________________ Experience is what you get when you were expecting something else.

July 26, 2002, 10:08 AM	#2
Skofnung Member Join Date: April 29, 2002 Location: Atlanta Area Posts: 49	No one knows the answers to my questions? Have I stumped ye olde experts? Where can I go to find an answer to these questions? Are there any Ithaca experts out there? Thanks again

July 26, 2002, 11:38 PM	#6
Skofnung Member Join Date: April 29, 2002 Location: Atlanta Area Posts: 49	Thanks for the links Gizmo99. DML, you may have just saved me a big chunk of change. I knew where the extractor was, but I thought that the reciever was thicker than you describe. I do not want ro risk hurting this this gun, as it belonged to my father. Thanks for pointing this out. I guess I will just replace the rear barrel mounted rifle sight, and order a new front sight insert from Brownells. There is nothing wrong with rifle sights in my mind, I just wanted to try something new. Thanks for the heads up fellas.

July 27, 2002, 02:45 PM	#8
DML Senior Member Join Date: November 24, 2000 Location: Aridzona Posts: 257	Erick: This is off the topic, but I have installed about 200 Scattergun front sights and, to the best of my knowledge, none have come off. I have seen a few that did come off and without exception the failure was due to NOT FOLLOWING THE DAMN INTRUCTIONS! Most guns that are sent to me to have MMC sights installed and already have Scattergun front sights require a torch to remove the front sight. I just reinstalled one that I removed awhile ago just to see if I could knock it off with a hammer. I beat on it until the barrel squashed and it didn't budge. I will try to post a picture later. __________________ Experience is what you get when you were expecting something else.