[Guest]

fisrt of all I would like to thank you guys for putting to gether a great site, it is very informative. I just purchaced my 1st m97 winchester 12ga. before I ask my questions I will tell you about it.It originaly was a full choke long barrel gun,but the previous owner had the barrel cut down to just over 21" and a scope base screwed onto the barrle in about the middle.My 1st question is will this gun handle having deer slugs shot threw it?2nd,are replacement parts avalible for this model of winchester?and finaly,is the anything on this model that are prone to wear out or go bad that I should check out or look for? I purchased the gun off of a 65 year old man for the whopping sum of $75 last weekend,and if the gun is up to snuff I thought about takin' her out for shotgun deer season in the fall. thanks agin,George

 

[RON KONTOWSKY]

Well not giving a s# it is hard to judge the age of the firearm, my only concern is the mounting of that base over the barrel?
It should of been sweated on like the ithaca 37 has not d&t.

If the gun is tight and sound 2 3/4 " slugs should be fine, but I would avoid any prolonged use of slugs since they have a habbit of cracking original stocks from that era!
And always have your shotgun inspected by your local smith you trust.

RON KONTOWSKY

 

[wwb]

The only thing that would concern me is the drilling and tapping done on the barrel where the scope base is mounted. The '97 had a very heavy barrel profile, and they were all proofed for smokeless powder, so it may not be too bad.

I'd keep an eye on the barrel around the screw holes... watch for any hairline cracks coming out from the holes, and if you see any, quit shooting that barrel.

Other than that, I had my granddad's '97 (1915 vintage), which had passed through my dad, and now my son has it. He and I share it now for cowboy shooting, but that thing is still smooth and tight after almost 90 years and who knows how many rounds - both my granddad and my dad shot that thing a lot. I know a lot of other guys shooting really old '97s for cowboy shooting, and I've never seen a problem with any of them.

 

[jlptexashunter]

http://www.hewittgunshop.com/Barrel%20Lists/12win97.htm

Here is where you can find some Model 97 barrels.

 

[Guest]

My first pump was a second hand Win. 97, and I still have it after 43 years. Mine has seen a lot of use, by me, my kids, and others. The only problem I've had with it is the ejector spring breaking. That's the little "L" shaped spring that is mounted on the outside of the receiver, with the small end sticking through a hole in the receiver. During the 1960s, these little parts were becoming hard to find. When I did find them, I bought 4! They were cheap. Good thing I did, because I only have two left. That is, if I can still find them!! The ol' 97 is pretty much retired now. Great shooting gun.