New name revives 60-year-old firearm for Ithaca gunmaker

CNY Business Journal (1996+), Dec 21, 2001 by Dickinson, Casey J

KING FERRY - Public demand for weapons following the Sept. I I terror attacks is prompting gunmakers to take aim at new buyers. The Federal Bureau of Investigation logged more than one million gunpurchase background-check requests in October, up 10 percent over the previous year's monthly figure.

King Ferry-based Ithaca Gun Co. LLC has reintroduced a 60-year-old shotgun to the consumer market after the public and gun wholesalers began lobbying the company, says Robin Sharpless, director of operations for Ithaca. The upscale shotgun maker has begun selling its 12-gauge M&P model 37 under the name "Homeland Security Model 37." The move has drawn ire from anti-gun groups that say Ithaca is cashing in on public fear. Sharpless says Ithaca is putting a name to what the public is asking for.

"We don't want to have to make that gun," he says, "Our wholesalers demanded it."

A Washington-based gun-control group, Alliance for Justice, highlighted Ithaca's "new" model at a press conference earlier this month.

"It's time the gun lobby and gunmakers stop playing to people's fears, prejudices, and patriotism and stop using the events of Sept. 11 to sell guns," said Nan Aron, president of Alliance for Justice.

The Homeland Security Model 37 is a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun built from a design introduced at the dawn of World War 11. The gun features "100-percent American steel, no aluminum, no zinc, no plastic, and no foreign parts."

Public demand for an 18.5-inch barreled shotgun, sometimes known as a "riot gun," combined with an economic slowdown overcame Ithaca's resistance to marketing outside its traditional sporting niche. The company's Model 37 shotguns can sell for more than $700, double the price of mass-market competitors such as the million-made Remington 870.

After seeing terrorists strike home, says Sharpless, many members of the public went shopping for new firearms and several contacted Ithaca to ask about a favorite Shotgun from the past. The M&P Model 37, named for its military and police applications, had been employed by numerous U.S. government and police agencies over the past 60 years. The only major change from the initial model is the addition of a three-inch firing chamber. The original models were chambered for 2 3/4-inch shells.

Veterans familiar with the bottom-ejecting, sturdy Ithaca shotguns from stints in the military began calling soon after, prompting the company to consider answering the demand. The judicial defeat of several attempts to hold gunmakers liable for misuse of their products helped make the choice easier for Ithaca, says Sharpless. A sinking economy also influenced the decision.

"We're having a year reflective of our economy," he says, "Our sales are down somewhat."

Ironically, Ithaca renamed the shotgun "Homeland Security" so as not to be accused of selling a "military and police" weapon to the public, he adds. Ithaca needed a descriptive name for the defensive-style shotgun consumers were seeking.

Ithaca is bracing for further flak from the gun-control lobby early next year as it introduces a 20-gauge version of the Homeland Security Model 37 aimed at female buyers. The smaller, lighter shotgun is ported to reduce recoil.

The outcry from anti-gunners is just part of being in the gun business, says Sharpless.

"Businesses are here because customers want to buy something," he adds.