16 Gauge Ithaca Model 37 Featherlight Field Grade Pump-Action Shotgun, 28" Full Choke, mfg. 1953
This 1953 Ithaca Model 37 Featherlight Field Grade is a U.S.-made, bottom-loading and bottom-ejecting 16-gauge pump shotgun with factory engraving and pre-disconnector slam-fire capability. Its 28-inch fixed Full-choke barrel, walnut furniture, and blued carbon-steel receiver make it a desirable example for collectors seeking a mid-century field gun that combines practical design with classic aesthetic details.
Condition
Overall Condition: Fair – extensive signs of prior use and handling.
Bore Condition: Good – clean, well-maintained, minor wear marks.
Specific Condition Notes: The walnut stock and corncob fore-end show scattered scuffs, scratches, and dings, including a few deeper gouges. The pre-disconnector trigger occasionally fails to reset during normal firing.
What’s Included
- Ithaca Model 37 Featherlight Field Grade 16 Gauge pump-action shotgun
The Model 37’s bottom-eject design directs spent shells straight downward, keeping the shooter’s line of sight clear and making the shotgun comfortable for both right- and left-handed users. This feature, paired with a smooth pump action, has kept the design in service since its 1937 debut.
Pre-1975 Featherlights like this example retain the original slam-fire system. Keeping the trigger depressed allows successive shots with each pump stroke, a characteristic valued by some hunters for its rapid follow-up capability.
Factory engraving on the blued receiver shows flying ducks over a marsh, adding visual appeal without affecting the shotgun’s utilitarian roots. The “ITHACA TESTED” proof mark confirms in-house quality control of the era.
The fixed Full choke and 28-inch plain carbon-steel barrel deliver tight patterns, making this shotgun suitable for longer-range upland or small-game hunting. A brass bead front sight offers a simple, durable aiming point.
Sixteen-gauge Model 37s were produced in lower numbers than their 12- and 20-gauge counterparts, enhancing this gun’s collector interest while still providing a manageable recoil profile and strong ballistic performance.