Early Winchester Model 37 hammer and break lever variants

[Wiley]

I didn't want to further hijack the other thread on Model 37 Winchester shotguns so here are the 2 hammer variants of the original Model 37 Winchester shotgun. The first pic is known as the Pigtail. The best info that I can find is that it was made only in 1937 and 1938 and no info on any being made in .410 although this one is. The 2nd pic is where the term "Red Letter" comes from. There is a little red enamel left in the rolled Winchester logo. Not all weapons that have the logo had it filled with red enamel. The 3rd pic is a top view of the hammer on the Pigtail version. The next 2 pics are of a Model 37 produced a little later and the hammer was enlarged and turned up for better grasp, especially with a wet or bloody thumb as the hammer springs on these early weapons is really stout. That weapon does not have the Winchester logo rolled into the bottom of the receiver. The break lever was also changed to a stamped thumb area vs the Pigtail version. My Red Letter Pigtail is a 26" full choke barrel and the other one is a 28" full choke barrel. Both are 3" chambered.

 

[Tenntrapper]

Mine is like the last 2 pics. Not a red label though.

 

[RUGER]

So, if it has red letters it is worth more?

 

[Wiley]

So, if it has red letters it is worth more?

Yes and usually considerably more. But, the red needs to be original regardless of how much or how little is there. Refilling with red paint of any kind would be the same as rebluing the whole gun. Mine has almost no enamel left but it is there and that makes it a Red Letter.

 

[RUGER]

Very interesting.
I stumbled upon a 37 this weekend and it has red letters.
I will have to take some better pics of the hammer etc. this afternoon.

 

[Wiley]

Here's a little more info....

Winchester 37 variations

www.shotgunworld.com

An Official Journal Of The NRA | I Have This Old Gun: Winchester Model 37 Shotgun

Few firearms have the simplicity of a single-barrel shotgun. At one time it was hard to find a country home or rural farmstead that didn’t have one hanging over the mantel or leaning in a corner, ready to put food on the table or keep varmints at bay.

www.americanrifleman.org

 

[seann2golf]

I'm not an expert but my father was extremely knowledgeable on 37's. I did gain some information from our joint collecting efforts. To my knowledge their are three editions of "red letters" and one edition of "blue belly" 37's.
Red letter only represents the word Winchester on the underneath belly of the firearm. Only a percentage of the earliest ones came from the factory painted red. First edition is the pigtail break action and a narrow hammer. Second edition is a solid break action and narrow hammer. Third edition is a solid break action and a wide hammer. I've found that the hammer angles can vary and most of the time this was done by a gun shop or owner after the initial purchase. The fourth edition is what we refer to as a blue belly. The word Winchester is absent fromt the belly of the gun. It too has a solid break action and a wide hammer just like the 3rd edition. Some people have told me there is a fifth edition blue belly but I can't verify this to be true. I know the three editions of red letters come in 5 gauges (4.10, 28g, 20, 16g, 12g) with varying lengths and a couple of choke options. The 28 gauge being the most expensive and difficult to acquire. Currently I am not well versed enough to say if they made a 28 gauge blue belly. If so, then it must be the most rare of them all. Owning well over a one hundred 37's at one time and countless 37 searches via internet and gun shows, I have yet to see one. Watch out for fake 28 gauges! Often made using a 20 gauge.

I need only a few to complete all 4 sets. One being a blue belly 28 gauge. Not sure how or why but I must have been confused at one point and traded off some 3rd edition stuff as well. These should be easily replaced though.

 

[rifle02]

I have often wondered if hammer is the correct name for the thumb piece behind the break open lever. It's not actually a hammer. I think it should be called a cocking lever or something like that. The receiver actually has a large internal firing pin surrounded by a stout spring. What we call the hammer is actually a thumb piece to retract the firing pin. Did Winchester call that a hammer in their parts list would you know?

 

[seann2golf]

I do not know. It is just what we have called it for many years. Probably this is incorrect terminology. Kind of like someone saying they want a Coke in the south. It means a carbonated beverage not necessarily meaning an actual Coca-Cola.

Hopefully some of the other information was helpful determining editions.

 

[ROVERBOY]

Has anyone seen the skinny hammer and pigtails on the same gun? I have a 37 that has a very skinner hammer spur and a pigtail break down level.

 

[seann2golf]

Yes that is a Red Letter first edition. From Winchester all pigtails have a small cocking lever(hammer)

 

[Wiley]

I have often wondered if hammer is the correct name for the thumb piece behind the break open lever. It's not actually a hammer. I think it should be called a cocking lever or something like that. The receiver actually has a large internal firing pin surrounded by a stout spring. What we call the hammer is actually a thumb piece to retract the firing pin. Did Winchester call that a hammer in their parts list would you know?

The early guns were officially named "semi-hammerless" so it is, indeed, a hammer....

 

[Wiley]

Yesterday I added a Redletter Pigtail 12 gauge to my little collection. I only had a Redletter Pigtail .410 and a slightly later .410. I'll be picking up a 16ga and 20ga in Redletter Pigtails next year as I find them. That will likely be all that I go after since a 28ga would be WAY out of my ability to justify the cost if I were able to find one.

 

[seann2golf]

I found one of my Winchester books that is extremely informative and I recommend for anyone wanting to expand their knowledge.
The books name is 'The Winchester Handbook, by George Madis.'

For some additional 37 clarification.

1936 to 1943 there were 281,204 model 37's made and all are called red letters. Winchester stopped production for WWII and started back in 1947 until 1963 and we refer to these as blue belly's. 734,350 blue Belly's were produced in this time. No model 37 has a serial number but can be closely aged based on the variants. Buttplates, hammer spurs, barrel releases, and forend shape and size can help with aging. There are 3 receiver widths 4.10 being the smallest, the 20 and 28 was the middle size, and the largest one for the 16 and 12. Again watch for 28 gauge fakes.

After re-reading this section again, it appears that the blue belly 28 gauge is out there. Stopping new production of the 28 in 1950, Winchester had numerous barrels on hand to continue the ability to assemble 28 gauges for several more years.

Again, I'm not an expert just a collector. Later I will send pictures of mine and more importantly the doubles I have and would possibly sale.
Thanks
Sean

 

[Shotcat]

I'm not an expert but my father was extremely knowledgeable on 37's. I did gain some information from our joint collecting efforts. To my knowledge their are three editions of "red letters" and one edition of "blue belly" 37's.
Red letter only represents the word Winchester on the underneath belly of the firearm. Only a percentage of the earliest ones came from the factory painted red. First edition is the pigtail break action and a narrow hammer. Second edition is a solid break action and narrow hammer. Third edition is a solid break action and a wide hammer. I've found that the hammer angles can vary and most of the time this was done by a gun shop or owner after the initial purchase. The fourth edition is what we refer to as a blue belly. The word Winchester is absent fromt the belly of the gun. It too has a solid break action and a wide hammer just like the 3rd edition. Some people have told me there is a fifth edition blue belly but I can't verify this to be true. I know the three editions of red letters come in 5 gauges (4.10, 28g, 20, 16g, 12g) with varying lengths and a couple of choke options. The 28 gauge being the most expensive and difficult to acquire. Currently I am not well versed enough to say if they made a 28 gauge blue belly. If so, then it must be the most rare of them all. Owning well over a one hundred 37's at one time and countless 37 searches via internet and gun shows, I have yet to see one. Watch out for fake 28 gauges! Often made using a 20 gauge.

I need only a few to complete all 4 sets. One being a blue belly 28 gauge. Not sure how or why but I must have been confused at one point and traded off some 3rd edition stuff as well. These should be easily replaced though.

Thanks, this is very helpful! I have a Red Letter edition in 16 GA with a Poly-Choke, and was trying to make sure I get the description correct when I go to list it. The pigtail distinction was great.

 

[Wiley]

Thanks, this is very helpful! I have a Red Letter edition in 16 GA with a Poly-Choke, and was trying to make sure I get the description correct when I go to list it. The pigtail distinction was great.

I'd venture a guess that the Poly-Choke really hurt the value.

 

[seann2golf]

Yes. Unfortunately poly-chokes were added to many guns later at an additional expense. There popularity was short lived. Today they are undesirable, at least in my shotgun world. I've never seen one on a 37 but have seen several on old Remingtons and A5 Browning's. A5's with a poly-choke usually bring around 50% to 70% original value. At least in my experience this seems to be the case.

I truly enjoy talking, buying, selling, and trading firearms. I'm not an expert but have been blessed to have some knowledge on several different handguns, shotguns and rifles.