'Quality' 1897 Shotguns

[Widder, SASS #59054]

A post on another Thread got me to thinking about how hard it might seem for some Pards to find a 'quality' 1897 shotgun to use in our game.

The 97 might be easy to find, but 'quality' seems to be the key word when some are seeking a GOOD shotgun.

 

At present, I think Wild West can supply some quality shotguns, and I've heard of a few others.

 

I think even some old Winchesters are quality, but when some amateur smiths try to tinker with them, that quality (or lack thereof) rears its ugly head right 

in the middle of a stage run.

 

And I know that my IAC brand shotguns are reasonable quality because I have been shooting some of them, and abusing them, for many years.

They may not be SASS race ready out of the box, but still, for the most part, they seem to be sturdy and reliable.   And the more recent CB models

are really nice.

 

BUT, I must say that my IAC 97's have been 'tuned' by a competent gunsmith, which raises the stardards for 'quality', because he (Curly Bill Kelly) tries

to focus on reliability and safety more so than trying to give me some Ultra Smooth, Slick feeling shotgun 'slicked' to the nth degree.

Sure, I brake something every now and then and Curly Bill has to repair or replace something.  But this is only with 1 or 2 highly abused shotguns over a period

of years.

 

I guess what I am trying to say is if you have a 97 shotgun that is not reasonable quality and doesn't serve you well and is not very reliable, you've either gotten

a bad lemon or your gunsmith isn't checking it out properly and getting it right.

A good 97 should work well for the slowest shooter as well as a fast shooter.

 

I think there are some good QUALITY (probably High Quality) shotguns still available.   But good things cost good money.

Although I don't own one of those nice looking shotguns available from Outlaw Gambler, I have handled a couple of them and they are nice.....very nice.

Quality is obvious in these specific 97's.

 

And, I'm constantly getting info from some of my shooting pards that they are still finding some good original Winny's still available at 'fair' prices, although 

not too many great deals are discovered.

You just gotta make sure some haven't been overworked where 'safe and reliable' has been replaced with 'smooth and slick'.

 

Well, thats just my .02

 

..........Widder

 

[Palo Verde, SASS # 56522]

Yep, there really are some good quality 97s out there but you have to hunt for them and pay about as much as you would for a good rifle.  For example, I just sold a 1956, un-fired 97 and cut barrel and did action work on it for the buyer. Yes, the collector I got it from would probably have a hyperplexy.   Almost all the 97s I deal in are 1950s guns because the 97s made in the 1950s are definitely different, and better, in small ways than the earlier guns and are usually far less worn.  I don't deal  with the various imports of  china guns but I've seen some that were pretty decent guns (and some that were extremely poor).

 

As Widder says, the gunsmith often makes all the difference in the dependability of a 97. If you really understand what is going on inside a 97, you will know that they are very complicated guns with lotsa stuff  to be timed and coordinated. For example, depending on how you count them, there are 5 or 6 different safeties. Probably the worst thing you can do to a 97,s dependability is spend a of time holding the parts against the buffing wheel. (And,,,,, for those of you that use shotguns with twice as many barrels as you need, the 97 actually has less parts than an SKB  ) .

 

This is an expensive hobby to get started in. After folks pay $1,800. for a rifle and $1,800. for pistols, they often buy a $400. POS shotgun and struggle with it and pour money and time into it. The shotgun is real important in our game -- you have to load it and unload it on the clock and split times are far greater than for your other guns and, thus, there is more opportunity for saving time. Four shotgun shots in four seconds is pretty darn good but 10 rifle shots in four seconds is pretty darn good. A poor shotgun can really whip your butt in a match. And, of  course, practice is always the most important thing 

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

 

PLUS ONE to These Guys.  I don't personally like or shoot a '97, but if you go "cheap seats" on your shotgun ............... your experience is not going to be harmonious.

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

The CB97 I rec'd from Classic Old West Arms, has run just fine and could not be more pleased with it.

http://classicoldwestarms.com/preowned.html

 

OLG

[Shotgun Clay]

I've had good luck finding original 97's that run well.  The first was a 1922 with a 30" full choke barrel.  It had been someone's trap gun because the barrel was bent up (yes, they used to do that in the days before "bridge truss" ribs to get the gun to shoot high).  Nice tight action.  Gave $375 for it.  Sold it to a cowboy shooter who'd beat their '97 to death.

 

My latest is a 1910 that has been reblued (probably in the 40's or 50's since it's a nice rust blue job) so it went cheap at $350 (no collector value) Also with a 30" full choke barrel.  Had it cut to 20".  One problem with some of these older guns are that the barrels aren't really concentric, so installing chokes can be a problem.  The good side is that the older ones frequently have a tight bore, so they have a bit of "choke" even when cut.  This one ended up measuring 0.719 so with modern ammo it shoots like an improved cylinder, busting clays nicely out to 45 yards.

 

So, if you're patient, look for an original in good cosmetic shape (orignal or restored) and you'll likely have a nice shooter to start with.