What's Your Favorite Pump Gun! - Page 3

Rifletom · May 29, 2020, 07:03 PM

I'm in agreement here with Virginian. My '75 Wingmaster in 20 ga is my absolute favorite pump shotgun. Butter smooth. I've taken it on more upland hunts than I can count. The 37's aren't bad, just ain't a Wingmaster. No history with an Express.

2wheelwander · May 29, 2020, 07:18 PM

For me its an odd one. A Smith and Wesson 916 my Dad gave me years ago. 18" barrel, factory long capacity tube. That shotgun has cleared out entire rabbit populations and even a few deer. Not fancy, not pretty, pretty much a truck gun, but it handles very well, butter smooth. Rough around the edges but I'd rather carry that than a tacticool'd 870 with Wilson ghost ring tritium sights on it.

Those Smith 916's rock.

The Rattler · June 13, 2020, 11:19 AM

Let’s face it: all of the old standbys mentioned are very good guns. My favorite, however, is the Ithaca 37. What a dandy gun.

Romulus · June 17, 2020, 12:55 AM

Ithaca 37

oldshotty · June 26, 2020, 07:14 PM

Ithaca 37

Wag · June 26, 2020, 08:33 PM

870 Marine Magnum. Great shotgun, though I'm not much of a shotgun guy. The only thing I don't care for is that its quite heavy. Still a great shotgun.

--Wag--

Double K · June 26, 2020, 11:44 PM

20 gauge 870 laminated, maybe the most versatile gun there is, I have a three barrel set, 26" remchoke with imp cyl,modified and super full turkey chokes, 21" rifled barrel and 18" rem-choked home defense barrel.
Here it's dressed for turkey hunting with scope, sling and cartridge holder.

darkgael · June 27, 2020, 06:53 AM

I just reread this thread. Makes me want to go buy another shotgun.
One thing that makes me shake my head, though, concerns the Ithaca 37 (my own fav.) It is mentioned a lot...a lot. Why did it go out of production?

jaguarxk120 · June 27, 2020, 07:32 AM

It's not out of production. It has become a limited production gun, with
a high price. What you pay for a new Ithaca, one can buy several guns in the $188
price range when on sale.
Todays younger shooters are looking for something that goes bang.
Quality, workmanship, and nice wood are secondary now.
Remember if it's cheap and can be converted to 10 round shooters, thats what
counts now, sadly!!

Virginian · June 27, 2020, 09:11 AM

Not that many ever loved the 37. Threads like this bring them out of the woodwork, drooling about "all machined parts." Their sales numbers were always way behind Winchester, Remington, and Mossberg even back when they were price comparable. There's nothing bad wrong with them, but most people prefer a side eject, save for lefties.

Brit · June 27, 2020, 05:46 PM

I shot an Ithaca 37 at the NYPD range on City Island, visiting Lt Mcgee, I was on my way to visit the S&W factory.
As a firearms Instructor, running my company for 25 years in Ontario Canada, I suppose I was not a bad shot! Lou added me to one of the Emergency teams, they were a man short. The Ithaca 37 I was given to shoot the shotgun portion, had seen many miles of use! Not sure of the barrel length but less than the legal length for sure. Just a bead sight.
Holding the trigger back and just pumping, it was a machine gun! When they saw my love of that old warhorse, they made sure it got left behind!
The 870 I brought down with me from Canada, had a 14" barrel on it in Canada, the length that was legal there, factory barrel too! But swapped it for an 18" model. With the one-piece pistol grip plastic stock. Slick. Extended tube.
On my visit to the NYPD range, the recruiting class were 100 stronger, 50 on the turning target range at a time, huge! I am awaiting delivery of an older model Ithica 37. The way you can hold the mod 37 upside down, load it sight unseen, rack and go.

Jim Watson · June 27, 2020, 06:12 PM

I have a sawn off Model 37 for home defense, but the BEST pump I ever saw was the Remington Model 31. My Neighbor the Gunsmith had a trap model that was very fine.

jaguarxk120 · June 28, 2020, 01:24 PM

You do not have to hold the Ithaca upside down, just (with action open) hold a shell on two fingertips. Then lift it upward into the action pushing the lifter forks up.
at one point the shell is in front of the bolt, then slide the forearm forward.
Be careful not loading your fingers too, the bottom extractor is very sharp.
This is a learned maneuver, but the gun is loaded and no one knows you did.

Bake · June 29, 2020, 05:10 PM

Not being a hunter, my Winchester Model 12, 28" fixed choke [Mod], has never been in the rain, or mud. These old "Paper Shell" barrel/chokes are "super" tight. I've shot higher scores from the 26-yard line than I shot from the 16-yard line with this shotgun.

If the weather looks bad, I got a Remington "Wingmaster" that gets treated Like a "Redheaded Step Child". I've got almost a dozen different barrels for it and at least a couple of buttstocks

The Rattler · June 30, 2020, 07:57 PM

Ithaca Model 37 is my favorite, although Model 10, Model 97, Wingmaster, and 870 Express are very good too.

cpt-t · June 30, 2020, 11:06 PM

The Ithaca 37, Win Model 12, 870 Rem, and 500 Mossberg are all favorites of mine. But with out any doubt at all, my Win 97`s are my all time favorite Pump Shotguns

June 17, 2020, 12:55 AM	#54
Romulus Senior Member Join Date: January 18, 2001 Location: Kettle Moraine country Posts: 897	Ithaca 37 __________________ I knew Thomas Jefferson, he was a friend of mine...Governor Clinton, you're no Thomas Jefferson Ti faccio vedere come muore un italiano

June 26, 2020, 07:14 PM	#55
oldshotty Junior Member Join Date: September 7, 2018 Posts: 12	Ithaca 37 Last edited by oldshotty; June 26, 2020 at 09:36 PM.

June 26, 2020, 08:33 PM	#56
Wag Senior Member Join Date: October 22, 2010 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 988	870 Marine Magnum. Great shotgun, though I'm not much of a shotgun guy. The only thing I don't care for is that its quite heavy. Still a great shotgun. --Wag-- __________________ "Great genius will always encounter fierce opposition from mediocre minds." --Albert Einstein.

June 27, 2020, 06:53 AM	#58
darkgael Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2006 Location: Homes in Brooklyn, NY and in Pennsylvania. Posts: 5,473	I just reread this thread. Makes me want to go buy another shotgun. One thing that makes me shake my head, though, concerns the Ithaca 37 (my own fav.) It is mentioned a lot...a lot. Why did it go out of production? __________________ “Auto racing, bull fighting, and mountain climbing are the only real sports ... all others are games.” Ernest Hemingway ... NRA Life Member

June 27, 2020, 09:11 AM	#60
Virginian Senior Member Join Date: February 11, 2012 Location: Williamsburg, Va. Posts: 1,528	Not that many ever loved the 37. Threads like this bring them out of the woodwork, drooling about "all machined parts." Their sales numbers were always way behind Winchester, Remington, and Mossberg even back when they were price comparable. There's nothing bad wrong with them, but most people prefer a side eject, save for lefties. __________________ What could have happened... did.

May 29, 2020, 07:03 PM	#51
Rifletom Senior Member Join Date: February 11, 2011 Location: So-Cal Posts: 786	I'm in agreement here with Virginian. My '75 Wingmaster in 20 ga is my absolute favorite pump shotgun. Butter smooth. I've taken it on more upland hunts than I can count. The 37's aren't bad, just ain't a Wingmaster. No history with an Express.

May 29, 2020, 07:18 PM	#52
2wheelwander Senior Member Join Date: January 9, 2018 Posts: 539	For me its an odd one. A Smith and Wesson 916 my Dad gave me years ago. 18" barrel, factory long capacity tube. That shotgun has cleared out entire rabbit populations and even a few deer. Not fancy, not pretty, pretty much a truck gun, but it handles very well, butter smooth. Rough around the edges but I'd rather carry that than a tacticool'd 870 with Wilson ghost ring tritium sights on it. Those Smith 916's rock.

June 13, 2020, 11:19 AM	#53
The Rattler Senior Member Join Date: August 14, 2013 Posts: 111	Let’s face it: all of the old standbys mentioned are very good guns. My favorite, however, is the Ithaca 37. What a dandy gun.

June 26, 2020, 11:44 PM	#57
Double K Senior Member Join Date: June 16, 2020 Location: Colorado Posts: 486	20 gauge 870 laminated, maybe the most versatile gun there is, I have a three barrel set, 26" remchoke with imp cyl,modified and super full turkey chokes, 21" rifled barrel and 18" rem-choked home defense barrel. Here it's dressed for turkey hunting with scope, sling and cartridge holder.

June 27, 2020, 07:32 AM	#59
jaguarxk120 Senior Member Join Date: February 28, 2008 Location: Michigan Posts: 2,619	It's not out of production. It has become a limited production gun, with a high price. What you pay for a new Ithaca, one can buy several guns in the $188 price range when on sale. Todays younger shooters are looking for something that goes bang. Quality, workmanship, and nice wood are secondary now. Remember if it's cheap and can be converted to 10 round shooters, thats what counts now, sadly!!

June 27, 2020, 05:46 PM	#61
Brit Senior Member Join Date: January 29, 2005 Location: Orlando FL Posts: 1,934	I shot an Ithaca 37 at the NYPD range on City Island, visiting Lt Mcgee, I was on my way to visit the S&W factory. As a firearms Instructor, running my company for 25 years in Ontario Canada, I suppose I was not a bad shot! Lou added me to one of the Emergency teams, they were a man short. The Ithaca 37 I was given to shoot the shotgun portion, had seen many miles of use! Not sure of the barrel length but less than the legal length for sure. Just a bead sight. Holding the trigger back and just pumping, it was a machine gun! When they saw my love of that old warhorse, they made sure it got left behind! The 870 I brought down with me from Canada, had a 14" barrel on it in Canada, the length that was legal there, factory barrel too! But swapped it for an 18" model. With the one-piece pistol grip plastic stock. Slick. Extended tube. On my visit to the NYPD range, the recruiting class were 100 stronger, 50 on the turning target range at a time, huge! I am awaiting delivery of an older model Ithica 37. The way you can hold the mod 37 upside down, load it sight unseen, rack and go.

June 27, 2020, 06:12 PM	#62
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,535	I have a sawn off Model 37 for home defense, but the BEST pump I ever saw was the Remington Model 31. My Neighbor the Gunsmith had a trap model that was very fine.

June 28, 2020, 01:24 PM	#63
jaguarxk120 Senior Member Join Date: February 28, 2008 Location: Michigan Posts: 2,619	You do not have to hold the Ithaca upside down, just (with action open) hold a shell on two fingertips. Then lift it upward into the action pushing the lifter forks up. at one point the shell is in front of the bolt, then slide the forearm forward. Be careful not loading your fingers too, the bottom extractor is very sharp. This is a learned maneuver, but the gun is loaded and no one knows you did.

June 29, 2020, 05:10 PM	#64
Bake Senior Member Join Date: November 11, 2012 Location: San Joaquin Valley, Calif. Posts: 482	Not being a hunter, my Winchester Model 12, 28" fixed choke [Mod], has never been in the rain, or mud. These old "Paper Shell" barrel/chokes are "super" tight. I've shot higher scores from the 26-yard line than I shot from the 16-yard line with this shotgun. If the weather looks bad, I got a Remington "Wingmaster" that gets treated Like a "Redheaded Step Child". I've got almost a dozen different barrels for it and at least a couple of buttstocks __________________ 1. The pattern board is your friend, use the Dam thing!!! 2. The maximum range of a firearm and/or cartridge, is usually measured in miles, and means nothing. 2a. The effective range of a firearm and/or cartridge, is usually (the ability of the shooter) measured in yards, and means everything. Last edited by Bake; June 30, 2020 at 10:14 AM.

June 30, 2020, 07:57 PM	#65
The Rattler Senior Member Join Date: August 14, 2013 Posts: 111	Ithaca Model 37 is my favorite, although Model 10, Model 97, Wingmaster, and 870 Express are very good too.

June 30, 2020, 11:06 PM	#66
cpt-t Senior Member Join Date: January 20, 2012 Location: South Central Kansas Posts: 125	The Ithaca 37, Win Model 12, 870 Rem, and 500 Mossberg are all favorites of mine. But with out any doubt at all, my Win 97`s are my all time favorite Pump Shotguns __________________ THE PRICE OF FREEDOM IS NOT FREE: