I stopped in to a pawn shop yesterday and saw an unusual shotgun I had never seen before. It was an Ithaca model 37 Ultra Featherlight 20 guage. I have owned several model 37s but had not seen one quite like this. First of all, it doesn't weigh hardly anything! It is the lightest shotgun I have ever handled. The pistol grip has a red cap of a grouse on it. After checking on the internet, I find that Ithaca made these "Ultra" Featherlights for just a few years in the 80's. They have an aluminum received and they are so light. This is supposedly a "Sid Bell" edition that has some value to it. Serial number 371717xxx. Can anyone out there tell me more about this shotgun and the approximate value? It is in excellent shape with a bright shiney bore. I paid $350 for it and can't wait to shoot it. Thanks.
Looks like it was made in 1981 it should have the prefix before the serial # ULT.
Is the grip cap red with a Grouse or something like that? They were pretty much standard on guns made after 1979.
As I recall it should weigh about 5 lbs,not one I would like to shoot several hundred rounds in an afternoon. It is however a great hunting gun.
Not to sure how many were made, you don't seem to see that many of them. So I hope you enjoy yours.
SP
Yes, it does have a red grip cap with a grouse. The serial number does start with ULT-
I go to a lot of gun shows and have never seen another one of these before.
Like I said I am not to sure how many ultra-featherlights have been made. They will all have the ULT prefix,as I said before the red grip cap was introduced in 1979. I don't remember which model. It was pretty much the standard on the King Ferry, NY. made models.
The 80s models like yours were still made in Ithaca, NY. and were made in 12 & 20 GA. Some of the King Ferry guns are 16 GA. I will admit you don't see them often and around here I can go to a gun show and count on 1 hand how many model 37s I will see. On the other hand I do see some in a few of the local gun shops.
I am 15 years old and i actually own one passed down from my grandfather to me. The year he gave it to me was my first year hunting with a gun and my dad and i didnt know how much it was worth. So my dad took it to gander mtn to have them put a sling on it when the gun smith looked at my dad and told him he was crazy. my dad goes why whats wrong. the guy says well this gun was made a long time ago worth more then a brang new 65 inch plazma and its in the best shape ive ever seen. so my dad gets a guy to look at it and found out my gun is worth aroun $ 2,355, and i shot my first deer with that gun that year, so you made a very lucky find take care of it!
Hi josh, I bought my wife one as a wedding present in 1980. She still has both (me + gun). The gun has kept better with time. They are a sweet little gun . I was told when I bought hers it was just under 5 Lbs empty. I used to borrrow it from time to time and was a real break from lugging around my 870 magnum.
I know nothing about Sid Bell but I will tell you these guns were well received in the Texas Panhandle where lots of walking for pheasant and quail is to be expected.
They tend to stay in families and very seldom does one appear on a used gun rack in this region.
I did a little checking. Sid Bell was a silversmith who specialized in wildlife sculptures. The Sid Bell model would have been a 12 ga 28" barrel,modified choke. the game scenes on the sides the dog & pheasant and the ducks would be in silver and attached to the sides.
Interestingly enough this model is rare there were only 213 made.
