Local 97 12 guage thoughts????

[Fill Yer Hand]

Local gun shop had 97 shotgun that was in decent shape. Serial number puts it's 1930s with an E on it. Wanting $450. Thoughts????

[Cat Brules]

Try to get it for $325 and dicker with them.

 

Get them to let you have some dummy 12gauge shells to cycle through it.

Make sure everything’s functional.

 

CB

[Sarge]

Take down or solid frame?  If it's a take down, make sure it is tight.  Condition, condition, condition.

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

Even more so - Function, function, function.   

 

YOU won't probably know yourself.  Most likely the gun shop clerk won't have a clue.  If you can, take an experienced 97 shooter who understands how 97s work to the shop with you.  Buy them a great dinner (or gift certificate for one later) after you do that.

 

Or, see if the shop will let you do a purchase with a 30 day return policy.   AFTER you are sure you can get on a range to do a lot of testing.  Then run several boxes of shells through it, and have an experienced shooter do the same.

 

"Right now " is a poor time to buy a 90 year old 97 if you are not pretty sharp on how they should work.  

 

Good luck, GJ

[Abilene, SASS # 27489]

Howdy mku140,

Some years back I copied info off the Wire about checking out '97's:

 

Posted on SASS WIre by Outlaw Gambler 11-2-11:

When buying from another cowboy you will hope he knows what he is selling another cowboy is in good condition. But to be sure, in addition to the previously listed items, here are a few more.
 1. Look at the bore with a bore light, the older black powder guns had lots of pitting in the barrels and most of it is in the chamber area.
 2. Open the action and with your thumb slowly push the bolt forward, watch the shell flag, it should come up as you slowly push the bolt forward. This is your first line of defense against an out of battery discharge. If the flad doesn't come all the way up when bolt is closed, there is a safety problem.
 3. Open the action and move the end of the bolt up and down and sidways, the rule of thumb is if it moves either way more than a quarter of an inch the rails in the receiver may be worn beyond repair. This will also keep the bolt from cocking the hammer all the way since it will ride up over the top of the hammer.
 4. Look at the hammer, is there excessive wear on the top crown? See last sentence in #3.
 5. If a takedown, hold the barrel and mag tube in one hand and the receiver in the other and try to screw or unscrew them. They should not move.
 6. Put an empty hull in the mag tube and work the action. The action should pick the spent hull out of the tube, it may not chamber it due to it being longer. If not just insert the same hull into the chamber and close the action. Now do two tests, with hammer cocked try to open the action - it should not open but rather be locked in battery. The second test is with hammer down, work the action to be sure the hull is extracted and ejected out of the gun.
 By no way is this a complete test of a 97, it would take too long to describe everything to look for but this will give you an idea of some of the major items. Finish is purely cosmetic and up to the individual. Hope this helps and good luck.

 

Posted by Pof Fuller Bullspit:
Barrels are measured with a dowel. Mark a dowel at 18". Make sure the gun is unloaded. Close the action and drop the dowel down the barrel. The barrel needs to be longer than the 18" mark.

 On a take down, make sure that the gun is tight, but doesn't have a lot of spacers. You want some room on the takedown adjustment. Also check the mag tube. These can get worn and then they don't stay in place. It is very disconcerting to have your mag tube slid forward as you try to work the action!

 Make sure it will feed dummy shells from the magazine.

 Make sure the flag works. It should not fall down too easily.

 Make sure that the action is locked up before the hammer can fall. Hold the trigger down (gun unloaded) and close the action. If the hammer falls before the action is closed this can be adjusted, but do check.

 Check for cracks in the wrist.

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

Assuming it is in shootable condition, that is an excellent price.

 

Questions:

  1.  Solid Frame or Take Down?

  2. Barrel Length?

[Captain Clark]

On 5/7/2020 at 6:27 PM, mku140 said:

Local gun shop had 97 shotgun that was in decent shape. Serial number puts it's 1930s with an E on it. Wanting $450. Thoughts????

You have some pretty knowledgeable WMOWS members that Are 97 shooters. I don’t think many  of them frequent the wire much so get hold of Fred Sharps or Monty Rio to put a set of local eyes on it with you. It’s a good chance to learn from others experiences! 

[Cat Brules]

The Winchester 1897  -IS SUPPOSED TO-  slam-fire.  It is designed to do that and slam-firing with this gun is not a defect.

 

BUT, the shotgun must lock up before the hammer falls.

 

GUN UNLOADED......Hold the trigger down and work the action slowly while you watch the bolt.  Make sure the bolt locks up before the hammer falls.

 

Cat Brules