This Old Shotgun

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  • Boardfeet

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    My father purchased this gun when he got home from the Pacific in 1946. He was in the 78th Fighter Squadron. This was his pride and joy for many years. In the early 1950’s he loaned it to a relative that subsequently lost it in the duck woods on the St. Francis river. They miraculously recovered the shotgun several weeks later. Dad washed it out with gasoline and continued to use it. I was born in 1959. Been on many many duck hunts with dad and this gun. It always looked awful, but it was a killing machine. In the early 1970’s one of my brothers stuck the barrel in the mud when he fell down on a hunt. He thought it was cleaned out but unfortunately when he fired the next shot, it put a swell in the end of the full choke barrel about the size of a red bean with a split in it. The gun went unused after that for nearly 20 years. When Ithaca was back in business, I believe it was in the mid 1990’s. I got the gun, unbeknownst to dad and sent it to Ithaca. They cleaned it up, reblued it, replaced the buttstock and the barrel. The Corncob fore end was cleaned and refinished, it is original to the gun. It now has a vent rib barrel with screw in Browning choke tubes. I surprised dad on his birthday with his Refurbished treasure. He said it was the best birthday present he ever got. He used it well into his 90’s. I was with him on his last duck hunt. We lost dad in 2019, he was 97 y/o. Lived by himself until about three months before he passed. He was as sharp as a tack until the day he died. He was a true American Sportsman, hunter, fisherman, and trapper. We were lucky boys to have such a father. I can hardly shoot this thing..... it kills on both ends.
    I believe the military used this gun some. It will fire every time you pump it while holding the trigger.
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    Boardfeet

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    My father purchased this gun when he got home from the Pacific in 1946. He was in the 78th Fighter Squadron. This was his pride and joy for many years. In the early 1950’s he loaned it to a relative that subsequently lost it in the duck woods on the St. Francis river. They miraculously recovered the shotgun several weeks later. Dad washed it out with gasoline and continued to use it. I was born in 1959. Been on many many duck hunts with dad and this gun. It always looked awful, but it was a killing machine. In the early 1970’s one of my brothers stuck the barrel in the mud when he fell down on a hunt. He thought it was cleaned out but unfortunately when he fired the next shot, it put a swell in the end of the full choke barrel about the size of a red bean with a split in it. The gun went unused after that for nearly 20 years. When Ithaca was back in business, I believe it was in the mid 1990’s. I got the gun, unbeknownst to dad and sent it to Ithaca. They cleaned it up, reblued it, replaced the buttstock and the barrel. The Corncob fore end was cleaned and refinished, it is original to the gun. It now has a vent rib barrel with screw in Browning choke tubes. I surprised dad on his birthday with his Refurbished treasure. He said it was the best birthday present he ever got. He used it well into his 90’s. I was with him on his last duck hunt. We lost dad in 2019, he was 97 y/o. Lived by himself until about three months before he passed. He was as sharp as a tack until the day he died. He was a true American Sportsman, hunter, fisherman, and trapper. We were lucky boys to have such a father. I can hardly shoot this thing..... it kills on both ends.
    I believe the military used this gun some. It will fire every time you pump it while holding the trigger.
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    Someone asked that I post pics of the Ithaca.......Well here it is.
    Forgot to mention, for those that are not familiar with this model. It is a model 37 Featherlight Ithaca pump. Loads and ejects shells on the bottom of the receiver. This action is so slick you can hold the release and shake the gun and it will cycle....empty of course. First gun dad bought for me was a model 37 20ga when I was about 12yo. It was stolen from my brothers truck in the late 1970’s. Broke my heart, I may buy another one day.
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    The next gun I post will be my maternal grandfather’s Winchester model 92. In 32/20 Winchester
     
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    Boardfeet

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    I honestly do not understand why no gun manufacturer has bought the patent for this action. This is far and away the smoothest pump action shotgun I have ever fired.
     

    Turkworkz

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    Our fathers were almost the same age and both served in the USAF, mine in the post Korean War era as a tail gunner in a B-29. My father owned an Ithaca 16 gauge pump with a poly choke as far back as I can remember, maybe when I was six in 1966. He called it his boat paddle. Like your dad, he hunted duck, dove, quail and other small game with it. He was a dead eye wing shot when it came to duck and dove. I can remember him adjusting the poly choke seconds before shooting depending on how close or far away his target. His gun stayed unprotected either under or behind the seat of his truck until he died almost 30 years later. Like your father's gun it always looked awful and needed cleaning and oiling. Recently, my mother gave me all his weapons. I would be curious what it cost you to have it refurbished. I think it would be a great way to honor him. Here are a few pictures:
     

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    DixieReb

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    Boardfeet, great story and a beautiful shotgun.
    Turkworks, your gun has a lot of character, nice firearm.
     

    Boardfeet

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    Our fathers were almost the same age and both served in the USAF, mine in the post Korean War era as a tail gunner in a B-29. My father owned an Ithaca 16 gauge pump with a poly choke as far back as I can remember, maybe when I was six in 1966. He called it his boat paddle. Like your dad, he hunted duck, dove, quail and other small game with it. He was a dead eye wing shot when it came to duck and dove. I can remember him adjusting the poly choke seconds before shooting depending on how close or far away his target. His gun stayed unprotected either under or behind the seat of his truck until he died almost 30 years later. Like your father's gun it always looked awful and needed cleaning and oiling. Recently, my mother gave me all his weapons. I would be curious what it cost you to have it refurbished. I think it would be a great way to honor him. Here are a few pictures:
    I have no idea what it cost to refurbish that old gun. It was some years ago, and it was in much worse shape than your fathers 16ga.
    I would probably just clean that thing up real good, oil it and put it away.
    Awesome Gun.. Thanks for posting.
    Dad was Army Air Corps..before there was an Air Force.
    He was stationed all over the Pacific. Hawaii, Midway, Iwo Jima , Saipan..
    Spent a long time on Iwo
     

    DixieReb

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    My Dad was Army Air Corps too then the Air Force afterwards, he’s been gone this coming April will be 7 years now. Their generation would never stand for the direction this country is headed now.
     

    Welldoya

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    Great story.
    I just don’t understand people that ask to borrow firearms. Go buy your own. I am very particular with my guns and after being very careful, I would be livid if I loaned one to someone and they scratched it up.
    I’ve got a couple of nice youth model firearms that were my son’s. I taught him to take care of them and their condition reflects that.
    I had a relative ask to borrow the Remington 1100 for his son. I told him I would do that but I expect to get it back in the same condition which is pristine.
    He said it’s hard for a kid to not beat up a gun while hunting. I told him my son did it.
    So he went and bought a cheaper gun. Apparently he only wanted to borrow it if he didn’t hafta take care of it.
     

    DixieReb

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    I feel the same way , no more loaning stuff out that’s costly, I’ve learned the hard way about loaning stuff to family and friends and many times I’ve been burned. I could tell some tales about my misfortunes of loaning a rifle, horse trailers, tractors and equipment trailers. All my fault for trusting people, if I want it or need it I go buy it or do with out...
     

    Boardfeet

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    I am the same way. I hate to borrow anything from anyone. If I need it, I go buy it. If it's something I cannot justify buying, then I rent one if available.
    Back when Dad loaned that gun, it was sort of understood that relatives and neighbors loaned things. Soon after the war and not long after the great depression.
    Dad trapped and sold furs to Sears and Roebuck, through the mail, during the depression. During trapping season, he regularly made $20.00 per week. He said the biggest check he ever got was $44.00. At 15 y/o he was by far the richest kid in town. My grandfather bought him ten #1 traps. Best money he spent in those days. Most grown men worked for .50 per day.
     
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