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Joined: 08 Feb 2009 Posts: 1356 Location: Western WA

Need some opinions here: Thanks to helpful assistance from member DRCook here, an extra 16 ga M37 barrel has been obtained and fitted for dedicated skeet use. Thankfully it installed with only careful assembly needed.

Now it’s ready to taken in for opening the choke for skeet. Question for the floor: What constriction would be best? It will use 7/8 oz #9. Initially I intended to open it to skeet but am now entertaining IC to suit the light load, maybe something in between, say .004-.005. Its currently a very tight Mod, almost Full.

Any thoughts out there?

TIA
B.

Yes, do it
What ever you said Very Happy

Member Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 1267 Location: Nebraska

.004-.005" is Skeet, nothing wrong with that.

Cylinder…plenty of shot in that load…I practice with 5/8 oz, my patterns with Cyl choke are fine. If you take them after the stake go with skeet.

Member Joined: 06 Oct 2007 Posts: 2390 Location: West MI

Assuming you're taking the gun to a smith to do the opening; does that shop have a patterning board? Or will they open it incrementally and allow you to go pattern the gun & load between increments?

Joined: 08 Feb 2009 Posts: 1356 Location: Western WA

I’m dropping it off on my way out of town so I won’t have a chance to trial it. That’s another reason I was considering IC - I can always open it further.

B.

Member Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 1267 Location: Nebraska

B,

That sounds like a solid plan. I'd ask for about .010", take a couple .000" under rather than over. Shoot it and pattern it, then adjust from there if needed.

I bought a choke tube for a 20ga that was supposed to be Cylinder and found it hitting close targets harder than a .005" choke tube. Turned out to have .008" of constriction compared to the bore in my gun, it's right there as "Skeet 2" in at least one chart. Somewhat meaningless in the imprecise world of who calls what what as far as chokes go, but the results were plain with the shells I was using in that gun and chokes.

Does your new barrel impact where you want it to? Worth taking it around the course a couple times for a baseline. Also, I'd ask the advice of your gunsmith that's doing the work. Good luck with the project!

Member Joined: 06 Oct 2007 Posts: 2390 Location: West MI

OK, best of luck with it.

Joined: 08 Feb 2009 Posts: 1356 Location: Western WA

OK everyone, here are the results:
I picked up the barrel today from Mike Nelson, one of the few remaining shotgun gunsmiths left in the area, and a very distinguished one at that. Mike determined that the barrel, stamped MOD, had been backbored with an effective constriction of .030, which explains the tight pattern when I test fired it upon purchase. Mike also reported that the forcing cone had been extended and polished, and he said the work was high quality and the barrel was in excellent condition (thank you DRCook). The blueing was well worn on the barrel, but Mike no longer does blueing so we left it as is.

I had asked the choke to be opened up to .005 constriction, and Mike delivered it at .006, which I was very pleased with. So off I went to the range and pattern board with som 7/8 oz #9. The pattern was ever so slightly tighter than the Briley Skeet extended choke on the Citori. Now here I must say the Briley pattern was stupendously even, a picture perfect uniform sprea, wow. The new M37 barrel pattern was also very even but with a bit more central density.

Quite satisfied with the M37 pattern, I headed to the skeet range. I shortchanged myself with ammo thinking the club still had some, but of course they were sold out if 16ga. So with a couple shells short of a box, I came in without missing a target…YEESSS, just what I hoped for. So I’m declaring success, with many thanks to DRCook and others who helped out. I now have a sweet shooting M37 with two barrels , one for hunting and sporting clays, and the other for skeet, and full confidence in both.

I also will start a separate thread on M37 operation, need some guidance there.

Thanks,
B.

Congratulations on your successful plan & a solid score! Great to hear. Confidence is everything.

Member Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 1267 Location: Nebraska

Nice success story, great to have the versatility with that gun.

Joined: 09 Dec 2012 Posts: 709

Well that is pretty cool.

The only suggestion that I would have, since you didn't say you had to have a gunsmith fit the barrel,

Is to headspace it.

My next project regarding my Ithaca 37 16's is to make a stock that I can hold. Due to the ongoing issues with my right hand, I can't grip the stocks anymore. I have to make a stock with an almost vertical grip curve. I have an extra one that I can modify.

I think that Ithaca 37's are one of the best pump guns ever. Easy to work on, last forever if taken care of and shoot lights out.