3/15/2016
I read the link to the Lightfighter thread. It looks like Pat was issued a 13.5" shotgun in a Robbery assignment. I am guessing the shotgun you have is a recreation of the gun he had with a legal length barrel.
Last edited by DamonL; 04-08-2020 at 07:07 PM.
Pat had a shitload of guns, but among his veritable arsenal of firearms were a fair number of shotguns set up for defensive use. I also snagged a 20 gauge Wingmaster he had worked over.
This Ithaca, though, drew my attention because according to the person coordinating the sale (one of Pat's truest friends) it was set up like his Robbery gun by Pat's report.
The customizations on this one are subtle but clearly come from a lot of time behind one.
When I had the ability to look at a significant chunk of the arsenal as it was being catalogued and prepped, I don't recall seeing another Ithaca set up for defensive use in there.
3/15/2016
When I started with my PD in 1978 we had Ithaca 37’s, most with 18” barrels and rifle sights, plus some 20” guns with bead sights. I loved the shorter ones. Very light and fast. LASD and LAPD also used Ithacas. Pretty sure the LAPD ones had 18” barrels. LASD had 16.5” barrels on theirs. Both had rifle sights. NYPD had some even shorter, with barrels just longer than the mag tube and rifle sights (probably the 13.5” barrel referenced above).
By the time I retired, our shotguns were 870’s with 14” barrels, bead sights, Surefire Lights and sidesaddles. They worked fine, but were heavy pigs compared to the old Ithaca.
I think the fore arm strap was a feature on the short NYPD Ithaca guns.
Pic of short NYPD Ithaca with strap:
LASD Female Deputy with Ithaca:
Last edited by LtDave; 04-08-2020 at 09:34 PM.
The first indication a bad guy should have that I'm dangerous is when his
disembodied soul is looking down at his own corpse wondering what happened.
Some 16.5” LASD Ithacas in this one:
18” Ithacas, bead and rifle sights:
The bottom one in this picture is the same as the guns that my PD had with rifle sights. The rear sight is different between the NYPD guns and the guns we had in SoCal. Ours had a pedestal rear sight base, I believe so the guns would fit the shotgun racks in our cars, something that NYPD didn’t need.
Last edited by LtDave; 04-08-2020 at 11:19 PM.
The first indication a bad guy should have that I'm dangerous is when his
disembodied soul is looking down at his own corpse wondering what happened.
That's too kind, sir.
I'm just sharing what I've learned from people much smarter than me, what I've researched, and what I've observed since stepping out and starting to teach this stuff.
I'll never be a replacement for people like Tom Givens, Rob Haught, or Louis Awerbuck, but if I can get a little of the gospel into the hands of a few more folks I'm pretty happy with that.
When we founded Pistol-Forum with Todd it was always about creating a superior informational resource where people could get ready access to information and instructors that would serve them well. I can't replace Todd, either...but I can maybe carry a little bit of his mission forward in my own way.
As for class, I might be susceptible to doing a class out in Arizona some time...
3/15/2016
Here's an ex-LAPD Ithaca 37:
I'd bet that it has been refinished.
The first indication a bad guy should have that I'm dangerous is when his
disembodied soul is looking down at his own corpse wondering what happened.
“The reliability of the 30-06 on most of the world’s non-dangerous game is so well established as to be beyond intelligent dispute.” Finn Aagaard
"Don't fuck with it" seems to prevent the vast majority of reported issues." BehindBlueI's