Ithaca M37 - WWII or Vietnam?

[Jim]

The source of the info is the Ithaca WWII Military contract shipping records. The vast majority of the Ithaca shotguns shipped to the Military during WWII were long barreled shotguns.

Great source that! Are those available for view on-line (I rather doubt it) How does one get to see such? If you have access or notes, can you tell me if a number 90241 (my '45 gun) would be on such a listing?
I'd appreciate the info, book name, whatever.

[Tom Doniphon]

No, the info is not available online. The shipping records are all from 1941 and 1942. The highest numbered Model 37 shotguns in the records are in the 800,000 range, and there are only a few of them. The high numbered guns all have long barrels.

[Jim]

No, the info is not available online. The shipping records are all from 1941 and 1942. The highest numbered Model 37 shotguns in the records are in the 800,000 range, and there are only a few of them. The high numbered guns all have long barrels.

Do you mean 80,000?

[Tom Doniphon]

Sorry. Yes, I meant in the early 80,000 range.

[scosgt]

Do not depend on the current Ithaca company for serial number info. They are NOT the manufacturers, they bought the name, after several other investors had done so.
That appears to me to be a VN era gun, except that I am confused by the serial number. As stated, WWII era guns did not have a serial on the side of the receiver. As well, the VN ear trenchguns with the S numbers were in a strange serial range.

[scosgt]

I seem to recall Pat Redmond telling me many years ago that they used "WWII" serial numbers for the VN military guns, but put them on the side of the receiver. I think the actual serial number of the gun would be the number on the side, the S number is a "special" number that ran from 1-25000 for the contract. I think the actual serial they used was from an unused block from the end of WWII.

I do think the gun is VN military. There is NO SUCH THING as a 60000 serial M37 with the serial on the side of the receiver, all the serials up to at lest 300k were on the front of the receiver. I think the VN military guns were the only exception to that rule.

Forget about that "69000 WWII range". NO such thing. The Trap and Skeet grades got a whole different serial range, they were in the 80000 range for WWII production.

[Jim]

Do not depend on the current Ithaca company for serial number info. They are NOT the manufacturers, they bought the name, after several other investors had done so.
That appears to me to be a VN era gun, except that I am confused by the serial number. As stated, WWII era guns did not have a serial on the side of the receiver. As well, the VN ear trenchguns with the S numbers were in a strange serial range.

Granted. However, they do have such records from the original company as remained. At least a good staring point.

[scosgt]

Granted. However, they do have such records from the original company as remained. At least a good staring point.

No, they don't. All the military contract records were turned over to the Gov't many years ago. The records that are available, of which I have a full copy, were found in the National Archives. The current Ithaca Gun CO does not have the military records. In fact, what they do have they may have gotten from Walt Snyder, who wrote the book.

In fact, I stopped by Ithaca in Ithaca, NY back around 1981 and toured the museum. THEY did not have any of the WWII or VN records. They were all turned over.

[Jim]

OK. Thanks for the clarification.
May one ask how you came by a whole copy? Secondly, have you considered publishing (if not otherwise restricted) the thing? I am confident plenty of folks would be interested in having such.

[Promo]

Sorry to dig out my old thread, but I finally purchased the rifle for a very fair price (couldn't do wrong at that price ).

It came with a heat shield which I believe is wrong for the M37 with 4 rows of 19 holes each. I suppose that one it came is for the 1897, since it is W marked on the bayonet lug? Have to ask the seller, I know he has a second heat shield aswell - maybe that one would be the correct one for the Ithaca..

Regarding the rifle, I was able to find out that it was imported with a ton of other stuff by a (long gone) company called Trigon in 1994 from Vietnam, therefore it might also saw service there.