What is my Ithaca Model 37 worth?
The bottom-eject pump shotgun, made continuously since 1937 and favored by left-handed shooters for the obvious reason. Mostly working guns, with earlier and specialist versions worth separating out.
Made 1937–present.
No page can price your gun, and one that offers to is guessing. What this does is show you which one you have — because that is where the money is.
How to tell which one you have
- Confirm it ejects through the bottom of the receiver, which identifies the model.
- Read the barrel for the Featherlight or Deerslayer designation.
- Establish the gauge, and whether the barrel has been cut or re-choked.
- Check the receiver for engraving or a grade marking on the better guns.
The versions that change the number
| Version | What it means for value |
|---|---|
| Featherlight 1937–present | The standard field gun and the bulk of production. |
| Deerslayer 1959–present | Slug guns with heavier or rifled barrels. Earlier ones have their own following. |
| Early production 1937–1950s | Pre- and early post-war guns, frequently in better condition than later ones. |
| Higher grades and engraved guns various | Made in small numbers and worth identifying rather than lumping in. |
What actually drives the price
- Whether it is an ordinary Featherlight or a specialist variant.
- Original finish on receiver and wood.
- Whether the barrel is original and unaltered.
- Gauge, with 16 and 20 generally less common than 12.
And the two that apply to every gun on this site: do not clean it, and keep the box and papers. Removing original finish is permanent, and on the right gun the packaging is a real part of the total.
"It is just an old pump gun"
Usually true, and occasionally not. Ithaca built graded and engraved versions alongside the plain ones, and the early guns survive in better condition than most because they were bought by people who looked after them. Worth a look before the whole rack goes out together.
The bottom-eject design is unusual. Does that help or hurt?
It helps. Left-handed shooters actively look for these because nothing ejects across their face, and that demand is steady. It is one of the few design quirks in American shotguns that adds rather than subtracts.
Getting a number for yours
Send photographs and we will tell you what we will pay for it. We buy nationwide — a single firearm ships to us prepaid and insured, and for a collection we come to you. More on what separates one Ithaca from another.