Winchester Model 1897 M97 Takedown 28″ 12 GA Pump Action Shotgun, 1915 C&R

SOLD FOR: $810.00

WOA#: WY240328CM009

Make: Winchester

Model: 1897

Serial Number: 603785

Year of Manufacture: 1915

Caliber: 12 Gauge, 2 3/4″ Shells

Action Type: Pump Action Takedown Shotgun With Tubular Magazine

Markings: The left of the barrel is marked “MANUFACTURED BY THE WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS CO. NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT. U.S.A. / PAT. NOV. 25. 90. DEC. 6. 92. JULY 21. 96. FEB. 22. 98. JUNE. 14. 98. OCT. 16. 1900. DEC. 25. 06. JULY 5. 10.” “12 GA.” and “FULL”. The action slide bar is marked “MODEL 1897 / -WINCHESTER- / TRADE MARK REG. IN U.S. PAT. OFF.”. The bottom of the receiver is marked “E / 603785”, the barrel extension is marked “603785”. The top of the receiver and barrel have Winchester proofs.

Barrel Length: The barrel has been cut to 28″.

Choke: Improved Cylinder, Fixed

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a silver-colored bead fixed to the barrel. The top-front of the receiver has a groove which serves as a sighting plane.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are two-piece walnut with grooved slide handle, semi-pistol grip, straight comb and checkered black hard rubber Winchester buttplate. The stocks have a few light nicks and tiny scratches. There are repaired cracks in each side of the wrist at the front edge. The LOP measures 13 7/8″ from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The plate has wear at the heel, otherwise having well defined checkering. Overall, the stocks are in about Fine condition as restored.

Type of Finish: Blue

Finish Originality: Professionally Restored. Per the consignor, the gun was restored by Simmons Gun Specialties.

Bore Condition: The bore is semi-bright. There is some scattered light pitting in the bore. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates about 7 out of 10.

Overall Condition: This shotgun retains about 98% of its current metal finish. The action shows minor operational wear. There are infrequent spots of minor erosion under the finish. Otherwise, there are only light handling marks. The screw heads are sharp. The markings are clear. Overall, this shotgun is in Fine-plus condition as restored.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. This shotgun will slam-fire as designed. We did not fire this shotgun. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None.

Our Assessment: The Winchester 1897 was designed by the famed John M. Browning and quickly became one of the most popular shotguns in the world, serving the United states military in both World Wars and popular with law enforcement agencies across the country. It should come as no surprise then, that it was also popular on the civilian market with many field guns produced.

This example is a 12 gauge takedown model made in 1915. The gun has had the barrel cut to 28″, now reading Improved Cylinder on our choke gauge rather than the “FULL” marked on the barrel. The gun has been professionally restored, so it looks great for its age. The consignor asserts that the restoration was performed by Simmons, and the work certainly looks like their sort of quality. This is a great looking gun that still has strong mechanics more than a century after it was made. It should make for a neat gun for hunting or clay shooting, or perhaps a display piece in a collection. Please see our photos and good luck!

Please forgive any typos, I was educated in California. -Bud