Picked up a new (old) Winchester 1897 "riot gun" this morning.

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MCMXI

MCMXI

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It came in today and I'm very pleased with it and pleased with Collectors Firearms in Texas. They did a great job of packing up the gun for shipping plus they described it accurately. I paid quite a bit for it but it's in great shape for a shotgun made in 1921. It has a factory 20" barrel, the stock and forend look good and crack-free and the blueing on the barrel is way better than I'd expected. Now I need to find a manual for it. I don't have any experience with this shotgun but one "feature" strikes me as odd ... in order to "rack the slide" after squeezing the trigger, I have to move the forend forward until I hear a "click", then it can be moved back to load a round. Is this normal?

Thanks.

:)
 
Yes it is normal. John M. Browning was a fan of the "inertia block" and I believe you gun has one, mine does. You wont have that after firing though because the recoil will slide the block forward (well actually the block will stay in the same place, but the gun will move back rapidly) and you can rack it like normal. Just watch out you don't hurt your hand when the action slides back to cock the hammer ('97 thumb) and be sure to check out the mag release feature I told you about earlier.

Oh and if there ain't no pics we might not believe you.

Wheeler44
 
Oh and if there ain't no pics we might not believe you.
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Wheeler44 :D .... oh they'll be pics alright!!

Thanks for explaining the inertia block. I'm going to familiarize myself with the shotgun tonight and will pay special attention to the buttons that you mentioned.
 
Here are some pics ... I probably should have included a copy of today's newspaper just to prove the ol' girl is still alive!! :D


:)
 
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I'm still trying to figure out how the safety works!! :eek:

and be sure to check out the mag release feature I told you about earlier.
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Wheeler44, I pressed the two buttons on either side of the receiver and the snap cap came flying out of the magazine ... that's cool!!


I wish you much joy in your new shotgun.
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Robert, thanks for the kind words (and for the link) ... I'm already enjoying this wonderful shotgun.

:)
 
Ok so now we have seen pics, we need a range report. (You never thought that buyin' a new shotgun would be so much work, did ya?)
Cool find, I hope that you enjoy for years to come.
 
Looks real good to me. Awaiting range report with anticipation.

Note, we had a 97 like this as part of our crew equipment back then. Never fired a shot in anger with it, but a real comfort on guard duty.
 
We had some like that at the first federal institution I worked at. Really beautiful old guns. Unfortunately, when the bureau settled on the 870, all the '97s ended up getting de-milled. Our security officer did the deed working with a cutting torch & 2 buckets. One for the cut up components, the other for when he puked ...

A real shame - if they had offered them for sale to staff, I know every last one would have found a good home.

Nick
 
It's definitely a very comfortable shotgun to hold. I can't shoot it yet until I determine if it has a 2-5/8" or 2-3/4" chamber. The gunshop didn't have a chamber gauge. :( I still need to figure out the safety i.e. when/how does it engage. I'm assuming that the small button on the right side of the receiver near the trigger is a safety of some sort. I will say that it's a beautiful piece of engineering ... timeless in fact ... and it looks complicated compared to the 870 that I just bought. I ran a patch or two through the barrel last night and it's very smooth and bright. I don't think this shotgun has been used much at all.

:)
 
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Safety, you don't need no stinking safety!

The button at the right rear of receiver allows you to open the action when the hammer is cocked.

The first shotgun that I ever shot was an 1897 in 16 ga. It was my great-grandfather's gun, and my brother has it now.
 
The button at the right rear of receiver allows you to open the action when the hammer is cocked.
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Sistema1927, Thanks for the help.

Half cock locks the action and the trigger.
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Wheeler44, so half-cocked is the safe way to carry this shotgun with a round in the chamber ... thanks!

:)
 
so half-cocked is the safe way to carry this shotgun with a round in the chamber
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But, make sure that you aren't pointing that '97 at anything that you don't want to destroy. The half-cock (nor any other mechanical device) doesn't guarantee "safety".

If I was carrying a '97 around it would be with an empty chamber unless I was in a field where I expected to scare up a covey of quail or a few bunnies.
 
But, make sure that you aren't pointing that '97 at anything that you don't want to destroy. The half-cock (nor any other mechanical device) doesn't guarantee "safety".
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Again, ^^^^^^ what he said. I am aware of no less than three "Accidental discharges" with '97s, but IIRC they were when unloading and the hammer "followed" the slide home. Rule #1 kept them from being more than just uncomfortably annoying. But you have an "E" series so unloading doesn't require the repeated "racking" of the slide.:D
 
All 12ga guns had 2 3/4 chambers after the turn of the century or so. The 16 gauge guns didn't have 2 3/4" chambers until the middle 30s!
 
That's a nice old 1897 riot.

I think it was actually made earlier than 1921. There are US Military Model 1897 trench guns in the same serial number range, and they were probably made around the end of WWI.
 
That's a nice old 1897 riot ... I think it was actually made earlier than 1921.
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Tom, thanks ... good to know but probably hard to confirm. I wish I knew the history of this shotgun i.e. who owned it, how come it's in such good condition etc. I went to Sports Authority this morning and bought some Winchester AA12FL8 Low Recoil, Low Noise Target Loads for $8.99/box. This is what I'll most likely be using for CAS. I also picked up some Winchester Super X 00 Buckshot for $5.00/box but that's for the 870.

All 12ga guns had 2 3/4 chambers after the turn of the century or so.
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Gordon, another member mentioned the following ... "Even the new Model '97's that were chambered for 2 3/4" shells were chambered for roll crimp cases. The current folded crimp cases are longer and the folds are in the forcing cone area of the chamber when the payload is trying to come out. This increases pressure considerably and really stresses those old guns. If continually fired in that condition, the frame will crack and ruin the gun. Your gun was made in 1922, according to the serial number. They were still using roll crimped shotgun shells then, so my guess is your gun should be rechambered, if it hasn't been already." I think I should be cautious and check the chamber just in case. :)

Here's another (better) photo that I took this morning.

win9713.jpg


:)
 
I have a Norinco clone of the mighty 1897 riotgun. Really a fun shooting shotgun.

My son and I busted some clays with it a couple weeks back.
 
Man, ya gotta love the wood they used to put on guns. Even working guns got good stuff.

gp911
 
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