Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble,

Got me an 'NYPD' Double...

Stevens 311R • 20 Gauge

'NYPD' Reference

Stevens 20-Gauge 311R, Choice of NYPD Detectives by Leroy Thompson, SWAT Magazine, August 2007

'Specs'

• 20 Gauge (3")
• 18¼" Barrels (Cylinder Bore)
• Oil-Finished Stock ('Hardwood')
• 6 lbs, 5 oz (Actual)

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Yepper....

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Sincerely,

Hobie

This one is less fun. (too short)

Nothing uglier that a cut barrel Savage/Stevens. Darned useful in certain situations, though, and about as close to unbreakable as machinery gets.

Mine's a 16, just for the record.

Prolly best kept in the dark...

'Window Dressing' by FOG

I guess you can tell I like this one.

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Double 20's - my favorite shotgun...

The LGS had an Ithaca Model 37 on the shelf today that looked pretty sweet to me.

I don't know a lot about them, but this one was old enough to have no checkering on the buttstock and a grooved forend piece, but new enough to have the 'RayBar' sight.

The plain barrel appeared to be either 26" or 28" (with *NO* PolyChoke − LOL).

Except for the recoil pad − which looked 'right', and might well have been original − the gun appeared to be 95% or better.

Neither the wood nor metal appeared refinished to me, but again, I'm no 'expert' on Ithacas.

I'm just glad I was picking up the Stevens, because at $330 that 16-Ga Model 37 was sorely tempting.

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I messed up. Great to have around.

Yep, a short double is useful. I have a coach gun around here somewhere. 12ga, hammers.

I've got the full length version of that one! I was leaving a newly opened gunshop a couple years back and saw it in the rack by the door. Stopped to look at it and saw $99 on the price tag! Needless to say, it came home with me.

Is has some beautiful fiddleback figure in the buttstock; unfortunately, I've see better looking wood than the fore end has on wood pallets I've unloaded! It's a shame I'll never be able to match them up, but I put a nice oil finish on both to minimize the differences. Figured with a lefty in the family, a 20 gaSxS would be a good thing to have around!

Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble,

Got me an 'NYPD' Double...

Stevens 311R • 20 Gauge

'NYPD' Reference

Stevens 20-Gauge 311R, Choice of NYPD Detectives by Leroy Thompson, SWAT Magazine, August 2007

'Specs'

• 20 Gauge (3")
• 18¼" Barrels (Cylinder Bore)
• Oil-Finished Stock ('Hardwood')
• 6 lbs, 5 oz (Actual)

I bird hunt with an old Ithaca 37 in 16 and its a great shotgun. Mine is a it worn, which to me makes a great hunting gun. It's hard to find a slicker action than an old Ithaca. I've also got a 12 I cut down for home defense. The 16 has the plain/ribbed wood you speak of. The 12 has a nicely checkered pistol grip and a slimmer, checkered for end. I'm not sure they will interchange, but if they do, I may swap the wood out between the two. Make the hunting gun a little fancier and the bedroom closet gun can stay plain since its out of sight.

when I after birds with my Duck Unlimited 12 ga Model 37 which has a rib and the small foreend. I'd get the 20 & 16 if I run across one, but one rarely sees these with a rib. For whatever reason I can't seem to connect with shotguns that don't have a rib anymore.

Of course, it does need a certain amount of Accessorizin'.

Not that I don't have a fondness for the Ithaca 37; I do. During my teen years, I had the privilege of using my Uncle's 16-Ga for a few months. I hadn't learned the art of the shotgun yet, so I didn't hit much, but it was nontheless a grand experience.

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I know I've told this story before, but here we go again- some years ago I was looking for a cheap 12 gauge pump to saw off for a home defense gun. A friend of mine had an Ithaca 37 that he had picked up as boot in a trade, and offered it to me for $100. Almost no finish left, stock chipped at the top of the grip from recoil, and a PolyChoke. Ideal candidate for a sawed-off.

Long story short, I took the thing dove hunting before I got around to sawing it off. Local TV Outdoors guy was there and wound up standing a few yards from me filming me shooting. Doves were swarming into the field, and one couldn't get past me for love nor money. I have never had a deadlier bird gun in my hands, and the beat-up old Ithaca now sits in an honored place in my rack, just like I got it. I've since bought a couple of other 12 gauge pumps, in much better condition, and mercilessly sawed them off, but ain't no hacksaw gonna get near that old 37.