Ithaca 37 Ultralight
Ithaca Gun Company · Shotgun · Discontinued · 1978
Also known as: Ithaca Model 37 Ultra-Featherlight, M37 Ultralight
Overview
The Ithaca 37 Ultralight is an exceptionally lightweight variant of the Ithaca Model 37 pump-action shotgun, introduced by the Ithaca Gun Company in the late 1970s and marketed as the lightest pump shotgun in the world. Chambered in 20 gauge, it achieves its low weight through an aluminum-alloy receiver and trigger plate combined with a slimmed walnut stock, bringing the gun down to roughly five pounds. Like all Model 37s it retains the distinctive bottom-loading and bottom-ejecting design derived from John Pedersen and John Browning patents, making it fully ambidextrous, and prizes it as a light, fast-handling upland and field gun.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 2270 g (80.1 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1150 mm (45.28") |
| Barrel Length | 635 mm (25.00") |
| Action Type | Pump Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Trigger Pull | 37 N (8.3 lbf) |
| Magazine Capacity | 4 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Tubular |
| Muzzle Velocity | 380 m/s (1247 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 1734 J (1279 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 40 m (44 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Smoothbore |
| Frame Material | Aluminum |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 20 Gauge · primary — also known as 20GA, 20 Bore
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Tubular Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Cross Bolt Safety
- Features: Bottom Ejection, Ventilated Rib Barrel, Aluminum Receiver, Slam Fire
Variants
- Ithaca 37 Ultra-Featherlight Deerslayer - Rifled Slug
Base model
Service history
Operators
- Civilian hunters
Production
Production years: 1978-2000s
Produced as a lightweight variant within the broader Model 37 line, which has exceeded two million units across all configurations since 1937.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: John Pedersen, John Browning
Notes
Also cataloged as the Model 37 Ultra-Featherlight. The Deerslayer version used a 20-inch barrel with rifle-type open sights for slugs. Weight and length vary by barrel configuration; the 25-inch ventilated-rib field gun weighed about 5 lbs.
Background
The Model 37 traces its lineage to the Remington Model 17, itself based on John Browning and John Pedersen patents. Ithaca delayed the design's release until the patents expired, launching it in 1937 (hence 'Model 37'). Its signature bottom ejection makes it equally friendly to left- and right-handed shooters, and the Ultralight pushed the platform to its lightest-ever weight.