Ithaca Trench Gun Serial Numbers
Hello: I have a genuine m-37 trench gun. My father bought it from the CMP in the late 50's. The serial # is lower than the supposed 'block: of numbers issued for these guns. Moved in and bought and converted m-37's still on the line BEFORE the contract model (beginning sometime in February of 1942). Contract work started with deliveries in May/June of 1942. Gun has all markings, etc.
Except a sling. These appear to be extremely rare. Number bought in this manner is unknown to me. Barrels from commercial m-37's will not fit.
The 1897 Winchester Trench gun served with American infantrymen (grunts) in WWI. While serial numbers cannot be confirmed against a verified list. Since the time the Model 1897 was first manufactured it has been used by American soldiers, police departments, and hunters. Model - Model 600 Field Serial number - CM616943 Estimated Value Range –see below. Firearm, the following current values apply (from the Blue Book of Gun.
Shotguns have had a long, but often unheralded, tenure of service with America’s armed forces. Even before the Revolutionary War, smoothbore flintlock “fowling pieces” were frequently pressed into service in the hands of militia and other irregular troops.
Shotguns were often employed, particularly by Confederate cavalrymen, during the American Civil War. Likewise, shotguns accompanied troops during the Western Expansion from the late 1860s through the 1880s. A few shotguns were acquired by the military during this period for “foraging” use, such as hunting birds and other small game to supplement the typical salt pork and hardtack fare. In the immediate aftermath of the Spanish-American War of 1898, the U.S. Military procured shotguns specifically for combat purposes when a couple hundred commercial Winchester Model 1897 slide-action “riot” shotguns (20' barrel) were issued to American soldiers fighting Moro tribesmen in the Philippines. While never a large part of our military small arms arsenal, increasing numbers of shotguns saw service in all subsequent U.S. Military conflicts.
During World War I, a version of the Model 1897 fitted with a ventilated metal handguard and bayonet adapter was issued for combat use, along with a smaller number of similarly modified Remington Model 10 shotguns. Dubbed “trench guns,” these arms produced during World War I remained in service with the U.S. Military between the wars, but no new combat shotguns were manufactured after cancellation of the 1918 contracts.
After the Armistice, civilian gunmakers concentrated on rifles and shotguns for the civilian sporting/hunting market. Due to the growing popularity of the Winchester and Remington slide-action shotguns, Ithaca Gun Co. Sought a gun of this type to keep pace with its two major competitors. In 1937, Ithaca introduced its first repeating shotgun, the Model 37. Scarface pc game download free. The gun was an improved version of the John Browning-designed Model 17 that had been a popular seller for the Remington Arms Co. The design differed from most other slide-action shotguns as the shells were loaded and ejected from the bottom of the receiver rather than the bottom-loading and side-port ejection configuration found on most of the competing designs. This feature appealed to many buyers, and the Model 37 soon became known for its craftsmanship and reliability.