The Ithaca 37 has got quite a name and reputation behind it: many years of solid craftsmanship, care of design and innovative manufacturing. The look and feel in some ways surpassed the upper-deck Remington and a high-end discontinued Winchester model that we shall not name for fear of sending some readers sobbing from the room in fond memories of a gun gone by. Above all, the Ithaca 37 was a great shotgun.

But then they went out of business and were bought by another company, moved to Ohio, and proceeded to put out less gun for more money (don’t believe us? Go check out some gun auction websites and look up “classic” or “vintage” Ithaca model 37’s and see what they go for). Now, it’s not that the current 37 is a bad gun, it’s just that it’s not as good of a shotgun as it should be or could be for the price you’ll pay.

The look and feel of the gun is just okay. The 37 has a slightly dated design and the occasional feel of less than sturdy action. Sometimes simply running a finger along the metal edges can reveal some milling issues.

This gun shoots great and will surly hit your target. There are also several different barrel sizes available. This is also one of the few shotfuns in the top ten pumps that come in 16 and 28 gauge, which is preferable for customers who want those options. The Ithaca 37 is pretty light, even with the longer barrel options, so watch the recoil or invest in one of their higher-end recoil pads.

We really wanted to be more fond of this shotgun. It’s got a great name, but it’s a lackluster product that we still can’t find enough fault in to rank lower than #6. This gun simply leaves us wanting a little more. Hopefully they can pull it together, even at the existing price point, and give us the high-quality gun we are paying for.