Mike, my "favorite pump action" is whatever is old and slicked down by the previous owners shooting thousands of shells through it over the decades. A nice patina is always a perk!
About 25 years ago my uncle offered to sell me his 12 gauge Ithaca Model 37 Featherlight shotgun. He had bought it new in the late '50's. It was practically unused, still in the original box. It had a full choke and the Ithaca "Raybar" front sight. He wanted at least his original money back ($45). "I'll take it!" What a beauty! Decent walnut, simple but practical checkering of the pistol grip, precise machining of the action and a wonderfully slick action. Taking it out for ducks and geese, I got a few smirky looks from the modern synthetic stocked, auto-loading multi-choke types but they couldn't deny my results. It handled like a dream and using good old 2 3/4 inch shells, I did better than their 3 inch magnum shells from their high-tech 'wonder guns'. Perhaps they should have spent more time at the range and less time at the gun stores.
When I was a kid, my father made me sell my 37 when I bought a Winchester 101 in 20 ga. I always regretted having to sell that gun ($97 out the door) and to this day I still am looking at 37's. I have never found one to match under $800 though.
My first shotgun was a Ithaca Model 37 Featherweight in 20 gauge. While I was in boot camp my parents home go broken into and that shotgun was stolen. Couple of years later a guy I knew was getting rid of his firearms and I picked up his Model 37 in 12 gauge for a song. 30 years later I still have that shotgun. My youngest grandson who is left handed wants me to leave him that gun (he also wants my Savage 99).
I grew up on a 870 made in the early 80's its still in the safe and love it! Not like the shoty Remington made in the last 20 years they are crap and not even close to the older better made ones.
I bought mine @ K Mart in 1975 for $ 170.00 and walked out the door with it. Still have it, it's in mint condition, killed a few pigs with the slug barrel as well.
I really don’t know how anyone couldn’t fall in love with collecting old shotguns. There are so many great finds out there! Thanks for another great video, Mike.
I know a lot of people don't like the 97 Winchester because of the hammer , But thats the reason i liked it , 50 years ago i had a close call with my brother and a shotgun with a safety on the trigger guard , he thought it was safe but it wasn't , our fathers constant preaching about not pointing a gun at anything you don't want dead saved me , the 12 gauge went off pointing to the ground , two boys 12 and 14 learned a great lesson that day !
I got a super slick shotgun , stevens savage 77c , and it has a 30 inch full choked barrel. It has a longer pump than the corn cob grip but still looks very cool. My new favorite shotgun.
How well do they function ? I've seen people say the model 97 is the most common for Negligent Discharge and the stock is weak at the wrist. I really want a 97
Great video Mike, as usual. You mentioned the model 37 and it surely IS the offspring of the Rem. model 10. I haven't fired the Remington but grew up on a model 37 in 16 gauge. I own a modern and a 1960's Ithaca model 37 in 20 gauge. Both terrific guns, no issues, light and fast. The 870 I also love but, in 12 gauge, it's a bit more load to carry. I find the interchangeability of the 870 barrels a big plus and I have a couple of options for it. Keep up the good work, Mike and stay safe.
Ithaca Model 37 IS the offspring of the Remington Model 17, not 10. Model 17 is a different design from the Model 10. Model 29 was an improved model 10.
Did a lot of pheasant and bunny hunting in my youth. We would even push fields on our way to high school, ditch our guns and coats and be on time for class. My grandfather passed on his Winchester model 12 16ga. with a mod. choke, which I loved to carry and could carry all day long without fatigue. I own several other shotguns that I could part with but never my sweet 16. P.S. most of those fields are now all developments that were apparently deemed necessary 🙄
Of the shotguns featured in this episode I like the looks of the Remington Model 10 and the hammer Marlin the best. Personally, I think the Winchester Model 97 is the best pump shotgun. They are reliable, good looking, and have nice handling. They also have THE pump shotgun sound when cycling the action! They are an experience akin to seeing a steam locomotive running. Today there are certainly more modern pump action designs, but how many of their makers have claimed to have taken a random production example and shot it over 1 million times? I don't know the answer to that question, but I only know of one advertisement that makes such a claim. A 1943 ad for Winchester features a Model 97 that had been shot 1,247,000 times, had only a firing pin and spring replaced once, and still passed the pattern requirements that new Winchester shotguns had to pass.
@@ryannelson2162 Normally I would think such a claim to be advertising hyperbole, but after also reading where the U.S. military used it as recently as the Iraq War (and that means they were using shotguns that had been used in World War II, Korea, Vietnam) I think the Winchester claim is not hyperbole.
To pick a good shotgun I like to close my eyes, get a comfortable grip on the firearm, and pull the shotgun up as if to shoot at an aerial target. When I open my eyes I should be looking perfectly down the line of site. A shotgun you can aim instinctively is a good shotgun. My favorite bird guns are a Rem 870 super mag in 12 ga, and a Savage Fox SxS model B in 16 gauge.
Mr.USOG- I enjoyed your video on these older pump action shotguns, although I have no experience with most of them. My own favorites have been the Winchester Model 12 and Ithaca Model 37 guns as I shoot these the best. Although I cannot consider myself as a true pump action shooter, as I prefer side by side double guns for my own use.
Hi Jim - That's great - not many people owned one. Actually, not many people know they exist. Although made in France they were sold by various stores under various brand names. All the best.
@@UnitedStatesOfGuns I got the old shotgun out today and I was wrong. bought it from Montgomery Wards but it is actually has the name HAWTHORN on the barrel and stamped Made in France.
Here is a kind of long story about two Remington 700 CDL classic left hand rifles.I got one in 1971. In 1995-96 my son mowed yards and saved to get his same model same .270. Both were topped with the high end $40 Tasso 3x9 lol. I don't know if it matters or not but both rifles were " broken in" with at least 10 shots- mine way and his as it was new. One shot, scrubbed and cleaned etc etc. I had been reloading for a few years and had found the right recipe for mine. Here's the good part- my son's rifle shot my load perfectly. I'm talking bench rest at 200 yards and calling the shot to hit a quarter. I still have them. Also, there were wind flags at 100 yards on 1/4" steel rods. We each called the shot at cutting those with a bullet. I went first and hit it hard on the right side. He shot and hit the rod dead center. I still have that rod. The old gun shop owner told me back then I should write Remington and tell them the story as it shows their ability to make awesome rifles. We both still have them and they are our go to rifles when we are serious about getting done.
My first pump was a 37 Featherlight. I carried it for probably 20 years and it never failed. Had a friend who had a 37 Superlight with the aluminum receiver. After one session shooting ducks, it was never the same, with frequent jams. After the pump fell in love with SS's. Many friends had "give away" 870's from the early 70's from buying trucks or banking specials. Since have collected Mod 12's the all time best of the pumps.
Great video, great guns. I just bought a Winchester "SXP Black Shadow" in 20 gauge. Now made in Turkey but same design with rotating bolt. And you said it best, go to the gun store and try it on. I found it a perfect fit for me. In 20 gauge, it's light, slim and comes up to mount perfectly. I use it for trap shooting. Price is right too. I got it in 20ga as I already have a 12ga Beretta. but with the current ammo shortages, I am usually able to find 20ga target loads if I can't find 12's. The Winchester is becoming my favorite. Thanks for another great informative video.
Interesting video..great to see some 'classic' pump shotguns. When I was shopping for a pump shotgun back in early 1980's my father and brother in law recommended Ithaca Model 37. Both of them had several Ithaca Model 37's and they swore by them they had many years of dependable use of them and took much game from deer to small game. So I bought a brand new Ithaca Model 37 in 12 gauge back in 1982 and never regretted it has been a dependable game-getter over the years. And as a side note: The Ithaca Model 37 was indeed based on the Remington Model 10 shotgun design. My dad had a Winchester Model 1200 in 16 gauge from mid-1960's vintage..it was the first shotgun I ever fired I spotted one exactly like his a few years ago at our local Cabela's store and just had to have it. It too is a very slick excellent shotgun.
Yep ! Indeed, the French love weapons, and more particularly those manufactured by Manufrance for hunting and shooting: Robust, Ideal, Falcor, Rapid, Simplex. So many beauties to collect. Thank you for talking about French armory.
Hi Enzo, France made and makes so many great guns ....and cars as well...yet sadly we don't get most of them. I drove a Peugeot in Mexico...what a superb car and when I was young I loved all the Renaults. Thanks for the note
It's a bit more difficult being left handed but I'd say the Browning BPS is great but I have to confess I also have an love for the Winchester model 12, especially the 16ga and 20ga versions with the smaller relievers. There's nothing more satisfying than to go to the woods with a Winchester 71 348 rifle for game and a Model 12 for grouse. Best feeling there is.
I have Remington model 10's. They are really good guns, but not something you want to take apart. Most of them I got cheap because somebody did take them apart! I have Marlin 1898 hammer shotguns and later series too. No problems with them either. I think the bad rumors are a result of Winchester starting them. I have never seen one Marlin that was blown apart or had a major failure. Not one. I have seen five or six '97 Winchesters that had the right rear corner of the receiver either torn out, cracked, or welded up. I have one Stevens 520 with a cracked receiver but it can easily be repaired. Good old guns.
So true - the affection people seem to have for taking their guns apart. I rarely do - but I often have boxes of parts to assemble from the previous owner's adventure in gun dismantling.
Mike, I know you made a minor verbal faux pas there. You meant to say it was quite a bit like the *Ithaca* 37. Of course, that's because the Ithaca is essentially the same gun made by Ithaca, made possible when Remington's patent (yes, designed by John Browning) expired. My family has four Ithaca 37s, with me now having a 20 gauge, and it's a fantastic shotgun.
Remington model 10, then model 29, then model 31 and last the 870 WM. Some where in there was the model 17 (only in 20 ga I think). The Ithaca 37 was based on the Remington model 17. I think the model 31 is the most well made of the bunch. It's kind of weird that the Mossberg shot guns and the old High-Standard guns had some bolt features like the Remington Model 31.
I don't know if they ever improved it but I had a new Model 870 in the late seventies and it turned me off to them forever. I was hunting waterfowl in the salt flats which we shared with the large Brown Bear that can be prevalent. This makes it imperative that a shotgun function flawlessly. My standard practice was to carry three slugs in the high shell pockets on my vest. This of course requires you to clear the gun and reload the slugs. My 870 time and again would jam a shell under the bolt with another in the chamber because as a very good gunsmith told me, the springs which held the loads in the tubular mag would lose or never have the spring action required to snap back after one shell went past. I asked him if it was something he saw a lot of. He told me it was pretty common. Well the only way to clear the gun was to remove the barrel, strip the action clearing the jammed shell, reassemble it (having asked Mr. Bruin for a 'Time Out") and hope it got off at least one shot before doing it again. The gunsmith was an older fella working for the biggest gun shop/sporting goods store in downtown Seattle at the time so he had a load of experience to draw from. At the time I believe Remington had sold more than three million and billed it as "the most reliable shotgun.." Dumped that piece having told the new owner of its problems and bought an A5 Browning as my standby which has never failed to function properly. No, I will take a large pass on the 870. Any comparison with other weapons does them no good service!
Hi Mike thanks for another great upload I have used one of those French pumps made in St Ettienne apparently the centre of the gun trade in France lovely old gun also I owned a Savage Stevvens model 66 with a 25 inch barrel and a polychoke both worked well with no problems (put meat on the table) regards as always from beautiful north Wales
I love the model 10, in my mind its the perfect ambidextrous shotguns. As a lefty its perfect to have a gun with the safety in the front of the trigger guard and bottom eject.
I've never been a pump action man myself.That being said I have owned a couple and shot a few and my favorite has to be the older Ithica 37's and the newest ones made in Sandusky, Ohio. I know they aren't as fast as some but their simplicity is amazing. Of course the Model 12 Winchester is there too. Built like a tank, and with no exposed screws they are beautiful to look at!
I have had several 870 remington pumps. I have usedethem for hunting trap skeet and nra 3 gun. . i have never been let down and use them for home defense also.
Great review as usual! I have 2 Winchester model 120 which is from the late 1980s and the model 1300 home defender which is probably from the 1990s. All made in New Haven Connecticut USA. There’s no question that Winchester has super slick action for whatever reason.
Love the old marlin ! I picked up a Model 19S last year for $250 bucks at a local gunshop. It had sat on the rack since 1988 !!!!! It looked so lonesome I just had to take it home . Lol... So glad I did . Also , it's a takedown Model. Very cool ... Great job with the videos btw...
If you can hold the gun vertical and hit the action release and it opens, it's smooth. The smoothest shotgun is the J.C. Higgins model 20. Toughest and in full choke an outstanding trap gun.
That gun was manufactured by High Standard. It's a direct copy of High Standard Model 200 and was made up until 1962. Was available from Sears & Roebuck Co. from 1908 till 1962.
Really enjoyed your pump action video Mike. Those are some fine shotguns. Pump actions are fun to shoot and I have enjoyed hunting with mine. Thanks again.
I've had Winchester pumps for decades, smooth guns. However you need to try the old High Standard pumps, they even beat the Winchesters for smooth action!
Yep.. the JC Higgins model 20 is the smoothest shotgun ever. Made by High Standard for Sears and Roebuck. Realized it was a big seller then they marketed it under their own name as the High Standard model 200. I have three of the old JC Higgins model 20s and absolutely love them.
I haven't owned too many pumps, (having one hand isn't conducive to running pumps well 😁) but I have always had a soft spot for the 870. To me they are the everyman gun. And I've always pronounced Franchi as Fff-Ron-Key
Great video Mike. I owned a Mossberg 500 pump action and a Winchester 1200 shotgun in my younger years. I really enjoyed the Winchester 1200 for what it was and for the retail price at the time. The Mossberg also was quite a slick pump action. I could go on but thanks for sharing!
Nice job as always! Bit of a fan of the old Ithaca model 37. Popular slug gun in NYS back in the day. Bottom load and eject- a good gun to fill the pot!
Pump action shotguns are among my least favorite segments of the gun world. But I knew if presented by USOG, it would be entertaining and informative, so I watched. I was right!
That rotating bolt head has been produced by Winchester under a bunch of different names but regardless of what it's called it's always been very smooth. I'm more of a Simi auto kinda guy but I do own an old Winchester ranger ( rotating bolt 3 in. Mag) turkey and duck gun and a Remington model 31 in a full choke 20, a fine rabbit gun.
Great pump actions , I missed an oportunity to buy a Frachi semi auto used about 10 years ago It was a beauty , nice blueing and nice wood I snoozed on that one
@@Perry2186 Forgot that those cross bolt safety’s are a real pain if you are a southpaw. Never been a fan of them despite being taught on them. IIRC you have to buy a replacement bolt to get a left-handed safety, which isn’t expensive but it sure isn’t convenient.
I love your channel ,especially all the old pump shotguns My 1st was a Mossberg 500 persuader 7+1, 2nd Browning BPS 7+1 very rare but a pleasure to shoot, now I have a 870 Wingmaster made in 1970 all great guns ,but would love to have a Winchester Defender as I would consider Winchester the most beautiful of them all . Please keep the videos coming and thank you for taking the time to make them. P.S. Franchi is pronounced FRANKI , ch in Italian is a K sound. All the very best from Northern Ireland Mike.
I'm left handed so like a shotgun that loads in the bottom ejects out the bottom like my Browning BPS and Ithaca model 37 featherlite....have several other pumps...will look into the Remington model ten....thank you really enjoy your videos...looks like your in the Pacific Northwest too....see those Douglas Firs in the background near that rock pit.....Shoe in SW Oregon
The Marlin Hammer Pump and the France gun look like fast smooth shooting gun's. Franchie looked ok. EastField 916 my Dad bought at K-Mart in about 1976ish. I have shot a few guns and the 870 Wingmaster was by far the smoothest gun ever,... Like on ballbearings. But I couldn't afford one of those in 1980 so I bought the Winchester 120 Ranger and it was Better than a 1300,.....because it was lighter,.....and it shot deer slugs way better too. 120 Ranger vent rib barrels are lighter than 1300 barrels and shoot great. As far as the 1300,... theirs clones,....Winchester SPX,.......FN-P12,.....Stevens 320 those are the ones I know about.
... I would like to say ... an Ithaca Model 37 .... in (16)ga ... but ... since I have a Remington Model 17 in ... (20)ga ... that's my favorite pump as it is lighter and slimmer then the the Model 37 ... and is the original bottom feed/eject ... Now for Home Defence ... it is the Winchester 1897 ... (12)ga ...
The winchesrer is great. Its a 1200 fixed chokes 1300 has interchangeable chokes. I believe the 1300 was the last built in usa. It was replaced by the sxp which is no longer made in usa. When you shoot it the action half works itself and you are only pulling back a small amount before cycling forward. The 1200 is my goto shotgun in 20 gauge. I believe stevens now makes it in synthetic only furniture. Its a chinese gun but you can puck up a new one for under 300 bucks. They have a compact version so if you are looking for a gun for a little one that gun is under the radar.
I have two older pumps, an 870 and a 37. Both great pump shotguns. But for my money, I think the Model 12 has the smoothest action. Kinda like grease on ice.👍
I'm not a gunsmith or anything but can anyone please tell me why so few modern shotguns don't have the exposed hammer? Why did the industry shift away from them?
The smith and wesson 916 series is a well made shotgun it has slam fire capability and if you are lucky enough to find the 916t model it is ez to store or travel with
Hello. First gun I ever fired was a very used Stevens Model 520, 20 gauge. My Grandpa sent it to me. Iirc, it was made about 1921. { I was about 9th grade when he sent it to me. Mom was an anti-gun lunatic and had a hissy-fit when the shotgun arrived via a Greyhound Bus from her Dad-in-law . { Most kids first gun experience is with a .22 rimfire ( often a single-shot ). Not me. } Dad took me to a Trap & Skeet Range and He rented / borrowed a Rem. model 1100 from the Clubhouse. We shot a round of Trap. I hit 11 birds out of 25. :-) That Stevens 520 was truly a "PUMP" action, not a "Slide-action". If I did not not PUMP it very hard and rapidly the mechanism would not eject the spent shell.
The problem with those old Marlins is that they can fire without the bolt being locked, so you can imagine where that bolt would end up if you fired it in that condition. Check out anvil he did a video on how that happens. Great video!!!
Their is a lot of ol pump shotguns out there that are great guns. Taking dads old jc Higgins with a Power Pac choke system on it, out this fall for pheasant season!
Hi Arthur - Thank you! I will do my best to get out there more often. I always prefer nature...just getting there is my problem for now. Take care arthur.
I have several nice old huntung rifles but shotguns are close to my heart. I have several some pumps some auto,s. I have old mossburge 500 hundred series that's a 12 gauge. Pump very reliable old shotgun. I love it for rabbit hunting or any small game hunting. The pump rattles just a bit so its not a good deer gun makes to much noise. But. Its one of my best. Pump,,,shotguns,,
My model 10 certainly isn’t an 8/10 on smoothness! Lol. I went to shoot sporting clays with a buddy and brought it along just for kicks and it fought me all the way. Maybe a 2 or 3/10 lol.
Another great video!! I like the fact if you don't know something you say so & ask for feedback. I still have a Winchester 1200 from the 70's that I paid either 79 or 89 CAD brand new back then. It evolved into the 1300 & I think now is the XLR or some similar designation. Like the idea too of external hammers on all firearms. Cheers.
I wouldn't buy a mossberg. We just sold our 3 years old Mossberg 500 because it was sh*t. Shells got always stuck inside the barrel after firing, so it was basically single-shot shotgun lmao. Now i have only european quality shotguns and rifles.
@@j.rob.5943 Pretty common problem if you search from the internet. Americans have a long history of making firearms, but they produce junk like that... Lower quality standards/control ?
Making absolute statements like "absolute hands down best ever” is just asking for an argument.. especially when talking about something as subjective as this. I really like the JC Higgins model 20... Ithaca 37 , Remington 870 even the Mossberg 500 series ... all for different reasons. Model 12 is awesome too. I just always have to argue when someone uses those adjectives when describing something so subjective.
Well the model 12 was the best.They pattern great and were just to costly to make when the competition was spitting out cheaper shotguns.If you own one you would agree.Have one made in 1917 and it works as well as the day it was made.I't patterns better than any shotgun i own.That is saying alot but just my opinion.
