Ithica 37 experts please help

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I have a Ithica 37 trench gun ser#9909xx, I was told that it was a special forces gun brought back from Vietnam. No bird stampings on receiver. On right side of rec.it has serial number and an anvil stamp with a p(assume this is a proof mark) Left side of rec it is stamped(looks like hand stamp)C.O.F. A-7 S.F. no other marking on reveiver. It has a trench heat sheild with bayo lug (21 hole and 4 rows across)and a red plastic globe for a front sight. The muzzle seems to be turned down a little for heat sheild/bayo lug to slide over barrel. barrel marked model 37-featherlight 12ga 2 3/4 roto forged barrel. has some relief cuts on underside for heat sheilds's screw/bolts to line up...it seems it may have had another type of heat sheild replaced as there is one xtra relief cut on barrel Any info would help me,as I may purchase this one if it sounds right??????????? Thank you

 

[Black_Talon]

I have a Ithica 37 trench gun ser#9909xx,

Made in 1967, so it's in the ball-park.

I was told that it was a special forces gun brought back from Vietnam.

Yeah, they all are.

No bird stampings on receiver. On right side of rec.it has serial number and an anvil stamp with a p(assume this is a proof mark)

Correct, for an M&P-style gun.

Left side of rec it is stamped(looks like hand stamp)C.O.F. A-7 S.F. no other marking on reveiver.

I have no clue about that.

It has a trench heat sheild with bayo lug (21 hole and 4 rows across)and a red plastic globe for a front sight.

Not original, nor is it even the correct type. Correct HG/bayo lugs have 6 x 29 holes and the M&P tall brass bead on them.

The muzzle seems to be turned down a little for heat shield/bayo lug to slide over barrel.

Completely wrong, but not surprising considering someone put ("forced" ) the wrong HG/bayo lug onto it.

barrel marked model 37-featherlight 12ga 2 3/4 roto forged barrel.

Correct marking for any/all M37's of that period. What choke markings are on it? Is the bbl drilled & tapped for a bead? (look under the bayo lug) If it is threaded for a bead, it's not a real Trench bbl. If it's marked anything other than "CYL" choke, it will have the correct amount of choke at the muzzle. Measure with calipers to find out. Many Trenches were made with MOD and FULL chokes, fewer with CYL.

has some relief cuts on underside for heat sheilds's screw/bolts to line up

Correct.

it seems it may have had another type of heat shield replaced as there is one xtra relief cut on barrel Any info would help me,as I may purchase this one if it sounds right??????????? Thank you

Doesn't sound right at all. It's certainly a '67 M&P, but that's it. Value was ruined when barrel was turned down for the fake handguard.

'67 M37s are very good guns, but in the shape it's in, it's nothing but a shooter. Certainly not worth more than $150-200.

 

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Thanks for your help--sometime it was drilled and tapped on the receiver for a mouint or something------------I will offer 100---the stock seems to be very short also--seems ithica butt pad was trimmed/sanded to fit cut down stock

 

[Jack2427]

Sorry to bust any bubbles, but all of the Ithacas supplied to the U.S. Military during the VN era were blued, and had the scenes engraved on the receiver, most were marked "deerslayer". Ithaca just used what they had on hand or on the line and sold them to uncle.
The parkerized and extended mag models came later for LE/other contracts.
This does not mean that there might not have been some special orders for some government entities, but they were rare, and most of them went to Remington for 870s, or in some cases 1100s.
The standard GI Ithaca had the regular 4 shot magazine, and a 20" barrel, some were cut down by unit armorers, and some came with rifle sights, some not-depended on what Ithaca had on the line at the of shipment.

 

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any and all info Thanks

 

[Roadkill]

Sort of hate to add this in, but I had a Mod 37 parked without any markings on it except US stamped on the left side in Vietnam in 1970. No bayonet lug/heat shield. Used a gas mask bag to carry shells. I traded a Tokarev pistol for it. Used it as a dismount gun when off my tank. Lost it (literally) while busting jungle with Rome Plows. Didn't notice it was gone until evening when we set up a NDP, damn sure wasn't going back to look for it. I picked up a Mod 37 Homeland defense a while back, its an exact clone of the one I had in RVN except for the US stamp.