[Botschafter]

Specifically, I need to learn how. I picked one up at my local shop and the pump wouldn't go back; so I pressed down the different buttons until it went back. Then to get the pump forward again it needed some serious elbow grease.

Call me a simpleton.

[rcmodel]

The 97 is pretty simple to operate.

The large button on the right side of the receiver is the action slide lock.
Push it to open the slide without firing it.

There is another internal lock that keeps the action closed until recoil from firing releases it automatically.
At that point, all you need to do is shuck the slide until you run out of shells.

Once open, there is nothing preventing you from closing it again.

Sounds like yours just needs some oil in all the right places!

See this:
http://marauder.homestead.com/files/Model97down.html

rc

[Red Cent]

Expanding a little. The button on the right side of the receiver allows the firearm to cycle even when cocked or half-cocked/safety. Allows you to empty the firearm without lowering the hammer. With the hammer all the way down, it will function without the button.
The users of the '97 stoked it full, racked the slide, let the hammer down to half cock, and loaded another round in the magazine.

Maruder's site is great for the '97 owner.

[mnrivrat]

Expanding on the oil the gun thing, be advised that some of these old guns are very worn. On a well worn or worn out gun, the bolt will bind in the receiver . It acts just as you discribe.
Run your bolt to the rear position and by hand see how much up and down play you have by grasping the bolts rear and wiggling it up and down,

[Red Cent]

When you pull on the fore end to cycle the action, there is a bunch of things to overcome including friction. The worst is the hammer spring. Very robust spring that is unecessarily strong.
Another is the "flag" on the inside of the receiver on the right side of the bolt. The flag rises after a round is ejected to keep the fresh round inside the receiver. It does not have a spring. A small screw on the right rear of the receiver controls the flag. The strong resistance is the tight way the flag is pinned to the bolt and you are manully forcing the flag up with the cycling of the action. The pin holding the flag is slightly flanged and impedes smooth movement.
As you pull the fore end to the rear, an action bar on the left side of the barrel disappears into the receiver pushing the bolt to the rear. Here is when you encounter the strong hammer spring.
As most any firearm can be made easier and smoother to operate by polishing variouss parts, so can the '97.

I remove the hammer spring and with a hammer:cool:, remove a bit of the curvature of the spring, then mirror polish to ensure against cracking.
I remove the sharp slope on the flag encountered by the screw. Less incline less strength. I cautiously tap the other side of the pin holding the flag to the bolt. A thousandth or so will loosen the flag. No friction.
I bead blast the mag tube and then spin it on 800grit paper. I use a brake cylinder hone to remove all non level places on the inside of the action bar rings and make a touch of room. Smooth is the name of the game.
I have never had to fool with the triggers. Most are 3#s or more and the factory trigger has very little creep.
Most all well tuned cowboy pumps operate like the stuff on the doorknob. We chuckle when we read about the guy who has picked up an original untouched '97 and it is so easy to operate. Probably smooth but easy is subjective.

MNRIVRAT, when cycled forward, the action bar pulls the bolt to the front hitting the barrel face. At the same time, the bar forces the elevator up to take its postion directly behind the bolt. The elevator hinges on a pin in the rear of the receiver and barely touches the bolt when going into place.
The up and down (or sideways) movement of the bolt will not affect the operation of the mating of the elevator nd the bolt.
If the bolt is too loose at its rearmost position, it could affect the consistent cocking of the shotgun. The movement will also give you an idea of wear and tear. A good TIGer can easilyremedy this problem.
As I have stated, I am amazed at the ability for them to produce such a firearm in the early 1890s.