EXCELLENT informative video! I just recently inherited an Ithaca Featherweight 12 gauge from my dad, who in turn inherited it from my granddad, and he had told me about how grandpa had "gotten too excited while hunting" with this gun and rapid-fired it unintentionally without knowing how. NOW I finally know the mechanics behind how this happened ... as well as why some of these Cowboy Action Shooter guys like the 1897 shotgun design. Awesome! Thanks for posting this!

Thank you very much! Your video is too helpful for me to customize my Jing An HL12-102(Chinese clone of Ithaca m37) Good luck!

Nice video showing the 37 insides. I just picked up a 1946 manufactured one and found in my researching of getting one that these model 37s only slam fire up until the 1975 models. After that Ithaca added a disconnect due to pressure from outside law makers (whinny people) to not let it do that anymore. Can't wait to try my out... thnx for the video!

@Stray03

7 жыл бұрын

Enjoy her, they are fun to play with. I haven't seen one with the disconnector yet, but I know their new model did that too. Supposedly some of the police ones were changed over to non slam firing also for "safety" but I can't verify that. Thanks for watching.

@PeterWolfe2012

6 жыл бұрын

I always figured that's why they did it, too. That's what I always heard as a kid, that the government didn't want it. Maybe so; it's certainly not inconsistent with the history that I've seen. But . . . I've since heard that Ithaca added a disconnector pin that threads into the side of the receiver because after people fired them that way for long enough the guns developed wear in a way that made them unreliable in the "Click - NO bang" sort of way. I dunno. The previously mentioned idiot-proofing, (and LIAR-proofing) in the context of lawsuits seems every bit as likely a reason. After watching what Ralph Nader seemed to have done to the car manufacturers, knowing that fewer and fewer potential jurors would even know which end of the gun the "bullet" exits, watching the anti-war movement meld into the anti-everything movement, seeing how guns were portrayed in movies and on TV to an increasingly ignorant population, watching how people would use, abuse and even believe the "I didn't know it was loaded" excuse . . . yeah, I'm starting to think that the fear of misplaced civil liability might have had a lot to do with the decision.

No problem, figured there are a few people out there that like to know the mechanics involved. Thanks for taking the time to check out the video.

@pshea47

6 жыл бұрын

Stray03 good vid. Interesting

When dry firing as you close the action while holding down the trigger does it click as the bolt locks? Have you removed the trigger group to see if the bolt release is actually locking the hammer down like in the video, or if something is broken and the hammer is just following the bolt back up?

Thank you! Too many people get squeamish when it comes to questions on how slam fire works.

@Stray03

7 жыл бұрын

No problem glade you liked it. Thanks for watching. (I have a few different slamfiring vids explaining a other shotguns if you want to see them too)

So you are saying that the trigger group is working as it should, and it closes as it should, but it needs to be slammed hard to fire when holding the trigger? Does the trigger group look exactly the same as mine does?

I'm sure there are, but I can put one up though when I get a chance. They are easy guns to take apart, but you have to remove the stock to do it.

Interesting, shouldn't require force, should just fire when it closes completely. is the firearm tough to close on a round normally? (pulling pump forward).

is there a video on cleaning this? or atleast dis/reassembly? if so that would be great. im about to get one but cant find a video on it.

Indeed. Have you taken apart the gun and checked the trigger assembly? Can be dirty or broken. Obviously the slam firing mechanism is working well.

I have an Ithaca 37 that's a later one (It was actually the very first one built in the year 2004, I looked up the serial number), but it's weird because it feels like it wants to slam fire but it won't and you can hear it fire bit not the round. It even crumpled the 2 rounds I tried to do it with. I swapped out the firing spring for an original older one, it still didn't do the trick. So my question is, would an older trigger system get it to slam fire like it should? And if so is their different ones I should be looking for?

@Stray03

5 ай бұрын

2004 Ithaca probably won't if it is built like the 87

I'm trying to think.....if you ground the tip off of the bolt release arm, would it then function as a disconnector and eliminate the slam fire ability? Was thinking of using one of these for a home-build semi-auto, but if I cant get rid of the slam fire ability (need a disconnector) it wont work for me.

@timbrunetti5132

9 жыл бұрын

If you do that the hammer can be tripped before the bolt is completely closed resulting in a misfire or worse firing before it is completely chambered.

@Stray03

9 жыл бұрын

If you cut the tip that connects to the hammer you will have the ability to fire before it is safe to do so (as mentioned by the person above), if you trim down the front part of it then it won't lock the action and it might end up staying locked down since everything will do the same as the regular action of the firearm but the last step where the bolt release arm is pushed down to release the hammer to sit on the trigger sear wont happen. You would basically have an unlocked bolt and have to push the bolt release each time to free the hammer. Also How would your semi work? Direct blow back wouldn't be safe.

@cjm9860

6 жыл бұрын

Stray03 Idk nothing i would mess with. Just curious. Messing with a 12 gauge action is a good way to lose the bottom half of your face.

You're welcome. The Ithaca is a great shotgun. So far I only have the 3 slam firing shotguns (Ithaca, model 12 and 1897) that I have shown in the videos, but as I buy others I'll keep putting up videos of how they work. Unfortunately due to the ever increasing safety nazis out there, all the new guns have disconnectors to prevent accidental discharges by people who don't release the trigger after firing. Thanks for watching.

@PeterWolfe2012

6 жыл бұрын

Does "people who don't release the trigger after firing" mean people who "now that the opposing attorney is trying to bleed my home owner's insurance policy by claiming that i caused the wrongful death of the intruder, whose 15 year-long criminal record was ruled inadmissible, because in my fear I shot him three times before he finally stopped coming at me and fell to the floor and I am scared sh!tless and desperately trying to blame the manufacturer for an inherently unsafe product"?

Slam firing on the 37 occurs around the time the bolt is closed, you aren't trying to use a "stuck" firing pin like what happens in semi autos like the sks. it functions alot like a full auto trigger group does. the hammer is held back mechanically until the bolt is almost completely locked into place. Your's sounds like you have to "hammer" it forward, as if the hammer is riding the bolt the whole way back. (Atleast what I am getting from your posts.)

@daltonagre

2 жыл бұрын

Here in Brazil, I know that with slam firing this shot gun is so fast, as a semiautomatic shotgun.

@Stray03

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah pumps can be quick.

Very cool! Do you know if it works the same way with the Model 12 and Model 1897? I wanna pick up a slamfire shotgun and have a good deal on a Model 12 lined up, but I've heard that only the Model 37 was really "designed" for it, and that it can cause damage to the trigger group in the 12 and 1897 because they're designed differently. Do you know if that's true?

@Stray03

3 жыл бұрын

I have videos on the other two. check them out. Much better to see and decide than to take someone's word for it.

@calvinreeder7580

3 жыл бұрын

@@Stray03 Shoot, my bad man! Thanks for taking the time out of your day despite having already put that information out there. Have a great life and be a kind person!

@Stray03

3 жыл бұрын

Lol. The way KZread is set up it is hard to find especially when the person has alot of videos. I'm also not telling you to go see because I dont want to answer, but because these guns belong to you. It is up to you to decide what you are willing to do with them, trusting some persons word on the internet is not worth the possible damage to something you spent your money on.

Hi, I've never understood how Ithaca 37 shells up, can you make a video of it

I just bought a Ithaca 37 featherlight and when it does slam fire I have to do it really really hard and in the videos I have seen people aren't doing it that hard any ideas? Help

So does it work like a full auto trigger group? Since the bolt releases the trigger when its about to lock, so, there is a kind of auto sear in the Ithaca's trigger mechanism?

@Stray03

9 жыл бұрын

juan herrera Sort of, it would be the equivalent of a "full auto only" trigger group for a gun like the AK, skorpion, P90, or FAL (Not a true select fire trigger group since the secondary sear is missing). It is funny because it was designed as a safety device, made to prevent you from releasing the hammer with the bolt unlocked/ round not in battery. Having it eliminates the requirement of a disconnecter, but also allows "slamfiring", which if it were usable in a semi auto would make it an Auto. All this is useless anyways since a full auto shotgun with a 4 or 5 round capacity would be empty before you even thought about controlling the direction. Still would get you a nice long stay at a federal resort though.

@juanherrera4228

9 жыл бұрын

Stray03 thanks

Posted a video on disassembly for you.

Have you ever had a problem with light strikes in the 37? After the first shot it wouldn't set off the second round but leaves an indent . It is hit or miss after the first on if they will go off. It's not the rounds as I tried in another shotgunn and no problem. I'm thinking replacing the firing pin spring and the mainspring in the trigger group. Thoughts?

@Stray03

4 жыл бұрын

Check to see that there is no damage to the firing pin. Is that the original barrel for it?

@FD3SWEST

4 жыл бұрын

Stray03 the firing pin looks ok to me. This is my first Ithaca though. Not sure if it’s the original barrel

@Stray03

4 жыл бұрын

@@FD3SWEST could be the hammer spring, can't really be sure without hving it in my hands though.

@FD3SWEST

4 жыл бұрын

Stray03 yea I will just replace both springs and pick up a spare firing pin and hopefully it sorts it out. Thank you for responding

I know this is a fairly old video but I have a question... My Ithaca 37 will fire but it doesnt slam fire like it's supposed to anymore... My questions are as followed. Why would this occur? Is this a problem that can be solved without having to buy a part?

@Stray03

3 жыл бұрын

If you pull the trigger with the action partially open does the hammer drop?

Yes sir.

Nice...I have a 1940 model 37. Any idea where I can find a butt stock??.mine broke!!

@Stray03

Жыл бұрын

Try numrich gun parts

I was expecting you would include a demonstration of an Ithaca actually slam firing. This was like watching "why a mustang is so fast" and then never seeing a Mustang going fast. Great video.

@Stray03

5 жыл бұрын

In a separate video of mine called ithaca 37 vs squash.

Will that trigger group work in a new Ithaca?

@Stray03

5 жыл бұрын

Unfortunately I havent tried since I dont have any of the new ithacas. Im sure you can find the answer in a search though.

@RogerColglazier

4 жыл бұрын

Yeeaaaah, there aren’t any clear answers online tbh. I’d really like to know as well, because my defense gun is a 4+1 hunting Ithaca with the barrel sawed down to 18.5” and it has seen better days. I’d like a new 8+1 defense model, but I’m not willing to give up slam firing. If you ever try it, I’d really like to know.

Ithaca 37 production maintenance

Here in Brazil, this shotgun never sold well.

@Stray03

2 жыл бұрын

Interesting I wonder why?

I thinking maybe something got worn down maybe? Firing pin

HELP! My 37 slam -fires even though I'm NOT holding the trigger back!! Very dangerous situation!

So if this trigger assembly was in a semi auto shotgun it would become full auto? Full auto shotgun would be super dangerous than god the m37 was a pump

@Stray03

6 жыл бұрын

I assume satire, but yes, had there been an Ithaca shotgun that used the approx same trigger as the 37 than installing a 37 trigger in it would make her full auto... all 5 shots...

why dos my ithaca 87 not slam fire ?

@Stray03

7 ай бұрын

Because they removed that on the 87 for "safety". Basically to avoid lawsuits.

I do you me in the video how is the bolt release hold it down? It wa doing everything like yours in the video till there. And look up the serial number it's from 1976 does that mean anything.

This is how a fully automatic runs except that you manually cycle the slide vs a semi auto gas operation. It's like an auto sear/auto trip.

@Stray03

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah alot of semi auto firearms use them as safety sears too to make sure the rifle doesnt or can't fire out of battery.

What to you mean the bolt release was holding it down. It was doing everything like yours in the video till there. And I look up the serial number it's from 1976

No not at all. When I dry fire it the firing stays out.

Technically this is not "Slam Fire" though that is what it is commonly called.

@Stray03

7 жыл бұрын

Well it isn't slam firing in regards to a firearm related problem due to poor maintenance, unfortunately I haven't found a better term for it, and if everyone uses that term, then my using it is also understood by most people.

@scott5324

7 жыл бұрын

I understand and I believe that this is a semi auto pump action ...."slam fire" can indicate the action of an open bolt firing full-auto...or the runaway effect that can occur in a malfunction of a semi-auto.....as copied from a forum Shotgunworld .com ""as First of all, Slam-fire is not really the proper term for the (lack of better term) "auto feature" of the M37. Slam-fire implies the gun fired out of battery or with the action unlocked.This does NOT happen in the M37. IT WAS DESIGNED to be fired using this method. All anyone has to do is read JM Browning's patent to see they were designed that way. So yes,it is safe to fire Remington model 17, Ithaca M37, Winchester 1897 and Winchester model 12 using the "auto feature". a malfuntion.... "

@Stray03

7 жыл бұрын

I guess we can call it quasi-semi-auto, but people seem to like slam fire more. In regards to actual slam fires, if you ever owned an SKS and didn't clean it they are prone to doing that kind of stuff since it is a free floating firing pin with no spring.

@49metal

7 жыл бұрын

Just like Scott says. It isn't a slam fire, it is a feature of the design that allows "automatic" style trigger behavior by adding a second sear arrangement (rather like an AR-15 auto sear) that drops the hammer when the gun is put into battery if the trigger stays depressed. Slam fire is accidental (or intentional) out of battery ignition.

@Satchmoeddie

6 жыл бұрын

It's a double sear pump action, where the forward motion of the slide triggers the sear to release the hammer upon locking the breech closed when the bolt is fully closed with the forward motion of the slide. Slam firing is where the disconnector, does not function properly because of dirt, a bent or an altered part from the action slamming back and forth. The old pencil eraser jammed in between the sear, and the ______in an __ __ is a very good example "slam firing", and a very dangerous example, because the gun will not stop firing until the magazine is emptied completely. You had a loss of muzzle control and the gun is firing with the bolt not fully closed. This "trick" worked with both open and closed bolt versions of the __ __. The open bolt version was MUCH safer, because the firing pin can not be exposed, and will not be exposed from the bolt unless it is fully closed. With the closed bolt, the bolt could be anywhere from over half open to fully closed, when the gun fires. These were semi-auto pistol ghetto guns chambered in .380 ACP, 9x19 Luger/Parabellum, and 45ACP. There is actually a "collectible value" with these dubious quality 1990s "ghetto & gangsta guns" now. I grabbed an open bolt version at a pawn shop just before the ATFE ended the ability to make & sell open bolt guns. It's grandfathered in, but I cannot legally sell it, EVER.

HELP!,

Pin*