Ithaca M37 Vietnam Trench?

[K98kG43]

I picked this up a couple months back listed as a "WW2 Ithaca" but it's not. The serial number puts it right in the spot for the 1967 US Trench contract. It looks good parkerized with the dull stock and good looking stamps. Must of been a police gun at some point with the L.P.D. on the left side. It has the SP-30-06 marked bayonet mount that Rock Island Auction seems to think is right for Ithaca trenchs. My question is the Full Choke barrel. It has the divets for the heat shield screws and the front sight has a factory looking plug in it, but I've never seen a trench gun with a full choke. Anybody have any ideas?

[browningautorifle]

Could it be a needful conversion from a field gun? It won't have a full choke anyway, just a full choke barrel cut off. Unless you've tried to slip a dime in and it's closed up? I think you'll find it's cylinder bore.

[K98kG43]

Unless you've tried to slip a dime in and it's closed up?

I'm not much of an expert on shotguns so thanks for the tip Jim! Never heard that trick before. Anyway, I put the Dime on and it wont go in, pretty sure it started life as a short barrel, has the hole plugged with a black material where the front sight should be, just like my 1897 Trench. Think this was a riot barrel that someone put a heat shield on later? Did they make Full choke Riots? Whoever did it did so a decent amount of time ago as the parkerizing has, I'd call it "browned" together and wear areas. I don't know. Weird piece. And this serial # set around 1967 seems to be " lost" at Ithaca.

[browningautorifle]

I put the Dime on and it wont go in,

Wow...that's new. I very much doubt it's a military gun still. Riot barrels should be a cylinder bore. There are a few guys around here that can shed light, Tom Doniphon being one. They'll be along anyway.

Here's another place to ask... 1942 M37 Riot gun questions | Shotgun Forum