Winchester Model 37 16 Ga

[Hugh]

Lately, these past couple of months, I've been seeing a Winchester Model 37, 16 Gauge, in my local Smith/small gun shop, choke, looks like about a 28 inch barrel. Looks like it's in pretty good shape. It's a single shot, but that suits me. The shop is asking $150, and, looking around I see the going price seems to be between $75 and $200. Looks like you'd need to remove a screw on the fore-end to take it down.

What's up with this model? I don't own a shotgun, and have been thinking about getting a bird for my freezer from time to time. I did shoot my dad's double 12 from time to time, and have shot the Mossberg 12's quite often while in the Navy.

It's kinda tempting.

 

[rugerjunkie]

Im not real familiar with the winchester but am with the 16ga. I've been shooting one since I was a kid.

The 16ga is way under rated and is imo the best shotgun round for all around use. Look at the numbers and you see a shot weight only 1/16 or 1/8 ounce lighter than a 12ga and the same or more velocity with less recoil. (again imo). This is all if you can live with shooting and hunting with a 2 3/4" shell vs a 3" mag. which you can!

For the money being asked its worth trying out. If you don't like it , getting your money back out of it shouldnt be a problem...

 

[gewehrfreund]

The Win. 37 in 16 ga. is the first "newer" shotgun that my dad bought for my brother and I to hunt/ shoot clays with. They're great guns and have a handy out of the way hammer.
I wish I/we still had it, but it's been gone for something "better" for a long, long time.

The 12 and 16 ga. are usually priced pretty reasonably, but the smaller gauges demand a premium as well as the red letter stamped ones. I haven't followed prices on these lately, but $150 sounds near top end for a 16ga. assuming it's in good shape.

 

[winchester37]

the forearm pulls off, grasp forward of screw and pull away from the barrel, no need to use the screw(which holds the mechanism in the wood). after forearm removal opening the action via the lever allows the barrel to be removed from the receiver.

slightly over 1 million were made. 99% in full choke, stamped 'choke' on the barrel. built 1937-1964.

prices are all over the spectrum, depending on condition I have seen them $125 in well used shape to over $500 for 98%+ examples. saw a 'mod' marked 16 gauge at Tulsa that was marked at $1650.00, a rare gun, but....

they are a great, light, fun single shot with a well built action and, for a single shot, easy recoil. $150 is a steal if in good shape

 

[Hugh]

the forearm pulls off, grasp forward of screw and pull away from the barrel, no need to use the screw(which holds the mechanism in the wood). after forearm removal opening the action via the lever allows the barrel to be removed from the receiver.

slightly over 1 million were made. 99% in full choke, stamped 'choke' on the barrel. built 1937-1964.

prices are all over the spectrum, depending on condition I have seen them $125 in well used shape to over $500 for 98%+ examples. saw a 'mod' marked 16 gauge at Tulsa that was marked at $1650.00, a rare gun, but....

they are a great, light, fun single shot with a well built action and, for a single shot, easy recoil. $150 is a steal if in good shape

Thanks for the information folks. And, especially for the take-down information; that's the way my dad's double-12 came apart, but I didn't want to force it. I better get over there and have another look. Maybe it'll come home with me in the next couple of days.

 

[VA Shooter]

Alot of guys around here use the Win 37 at turkey shoots and they bring big bucks

 

[Hugh]

Brought it home today. Not a lot of wear and tear, bore is clean and shiny. I am somewhat surprised at the condition of the wood, considering it's age. Will post a picture one of these days soon.

 

[Mike Armstrong]

You got a great deal. Those guns are hard to bust and easy to fix. My old 20 guage 37 came from a garage sale without any forend or forend iron. But back a few years you could buy both from Numrich's, so I did. It is a 28" full choke, although I have seen 12s and 16s with 30" and 32" barrels (the 32"ers I saw in Panama). 30" is common in 12s here; 28" is common in 20s, and 16s. I also have a 28" .410 that I bought in 1951, and have owned a 26" .410, too. As far as I've seen, all 37s are full choke except the 20 guage 26" "Youth Model" which is modified.

You may want to buy some Polywad Spreader wads for it if you handload, or buy some "spreader" shells for it if you don't. The chokes on most 37s are tight as a tick, and up "close and personal shots" can either be a miss or burger.... I always keep a few handloaded Polywad 7 1/2s in my vest in case we get into tight cover where it is shoot fast or not at all. (I do this for all of my guns that are choked full or modified, not just the 37--I only have one gun with choke tubes, a Gold Label).

Even with modest-value older guns I don't like rechoking or other metal modifications much; they aren't making any more of those pre-64 Winchesters.

You'll have fun with this classic!

 

[jrod]

My first shotgun was a 37A in 12 gauge. 30" bbl. full choke. I bought at Weatherby's in South Gate in 1975. I was 14. I used it for Trap. My Dad had to do the paperwork of course. I soon bought a Lee loader. Then a Lee load-all soon after. This thread brought back great memories. I don't think too many Ca. kids are trusted to reload & shoot these days. What a pity that kids are no longer raised to be that responsible. Funny thing is my Dad didn't hunt or shoot trap. I was just a kid with outdoor dreams stuck in the city.

 

[Mike Armstrong]

37As were made in Canada, "I think I recall" (a phrase I use ever more as I slide helplessly into geezerdom....). About the first of the "foriegn Winchesters." But the birds and bunnies couldn't tell the difference!

I too made a pilgrimage to Weatherby's in South Gate, mine was in 1961 when I was a freshman at UCSB. I couldn't even afford the souvenir Weatherby cartridges mounted in Lucite that they were selling! Left a bunch of drool and no $$, I fear. By the time I had the $$ my taste was for Rugers, not Weatherbys. Totally different style. I'm sure my distaste was partly prompted by a little mark on my eyebrow left by an early Mauser-actioned Weatherby .300 which had an early 3x9 scope mounted a little too far back for me! That "Mark" is still there, 50-some years later. And I still don't do Magnums.

The biggest impression of South Gate that lingers is the SMOG in 1961. Anybody that thinks the "Good Old Days" were really all good should get a snootful of that stuff. CN isn't all THAT bad by comparison.

 

[jrod]

Luckily I didn't have to make a pilgrimage. I happened to live on the next block. I too left a bunch of drool in that store. LOL! The trophies all over the place were really cool. My Grandfather was acquainted with Roy and I met him once when I was about 4 years old. And yes the smog was terrible. Amazing what memories the mention of a certain Gun can bring back. Happy Easter everyone.

 

[Hugh]

And here it is. Also on display is a leg of my little tripod. I went out and found a couple boxes of #6 shot, and two small boxes of #1 buck; believe I'll get a couple more of each, and maybe a box of rifled slugs. This one should meet any need.

 

[JimHnSTL]

uh could you take a picture of the underside of the receiver and one from the top showing the hammer and release lever better? trust me on this.

 

[Hugh]

uh could you take a picture of the underside of the receiver and one from the top showing the hammer and release lever better? trust me on this.

Nothing to photograph on the underside of the receiver. Smooth and clean; no markings on or around the trigger guard either. On the top of the barrel and receiver, each has a P over W inside a circle. Otherwise it's smooth and clean. Hammer is approximately 1/4" wide serrated. Nothing special about the release lever; under it is stamped HH. I'm guessing the HH is an inspector's mark.

 

[Mike Armstrong]

A very nice gun; I'm sure you will have fun with it and kills some stuff, too.

I say again, if you find you are missing all the easy shots, buy--or make-- some spreaders. They work; old idea, good results.

 

[lctrcjim]

Hugh, I also have an old Model 37, mine is 20 gauge. It was handed down to me from my uncle. It shoots great - my kids & I just were out shooting skeet with it last week & my son's taking it turkey hunting this year.

Strictly for what it's worth (I'm no expert), I was told by a gunsmith NOT to shoot slugs out of it because it's a full choke - maybe some of the other guys can chime in on this...........

Also, it doesn't like cheap ammo - I bought some of those value packs from WalMart - rather than a brass base, the shells have a base made of some chrome plated metal - when I try to shoot that cheap ammo, it fails to fire on 1 out of every 5 or so shots. The metal base on that ammo is a lot thinner than on good brass base ammo - I suspect that the shell sits just a little too far into the chamber & doesn't get a good strike from the firing pin ( I had it checked out - the firing pin is ok)

It shoots good quality brass base ammo just fine.[/i]

 

[Mike Armstrong]

If you shoot the original Brennecke German slugs or the old American Foster slugs like the Remington "Slugger" they won't damage the full choke because they are made to swage down going thru a choke (and the average German full choke is tighter than a gnat's you know what).

But the accuracy of a slug thru a full choke usually suffers because the choke blurs off the fins or "rifling" hat is cast into the slug body to make it spin in flight (why they are called "rifled" slugs). The original slugs were made of pure lead and are very soft to "adapt" themselves to tight chokes, which used to be the most common chokes.

Newer slugs made of various copper alloys and the old "punkin balls" (solid lead balls) may damage the choke and shouldn't be used in a choked gun.

The real problem with a full choke M37 and slugs is that they probably won't be accurate in a full choke, and that, combined with the lack of sights, makes them pretty useless.

 

[lctrcjim]

Mike, thanks for the clarification about slugs and full chokes

 

[JimHnSTL]

ok you answered my questions. was wondering if it was an earlier red letter or not.