Winchester Model 1897 clones?

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Z71

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I just ordered myself a 12g. riotgun Winchester 1897 clone. Aim has these at an unbeatable price, and just couldn't resist.

I can't say I have heard anything real good about the M97 clones, but nothing too bad either. Common complaints being "Cheap Chinese junk!" or "Remember Tianian Square!".

I don't care about the politics of where the shotgun came from. I have milsurps that came from countries far less friendly to the US than China.
Winchester don't make these anymore, and not so sure Winchester exists much beyond a name stuck on guns made elsewhere anyhow!

Looking for realistic opinions from folks that actually own a Chinese Winchester M97 clone.

Any issues with your 1897 shotgun clones?

Thanx, Stevie.
 
Huh? I guess nobody has a Chinese clone M97.

I'll tell you what I receive, and what I think of it.

Maybe have it this week, I hope.
 
Like most guns anymore, they're more like preassembled kits than finished products. I've seen a number that needed a gorilla to cycle NIB. However, with proper attention from a good 'smith, they can be gotten smoother and more reliable than the original. They're also made of better steel, some say. Not being a metallurgist, I couldn't swear to that one.

~~~Mat
 
I have one of the sxs hammer guns for Cowboy Action. The finnish is not that great, wood does not fit well and is a little large and heavy. Now the positive, it was cheap, it works and it goes bang every time. As with anything else, you get what you pay for. You can give $250 for one of the Chinese ones, or $650 for the higher end ones. You decide.
 
I picked my 1897 clone up yesterday. Imported by TTN(teats up?), not too bad.

I can't say I've seen a Chinese clone of a 1897 shotgun before, and have never had too much to do with the originals either. Pretty much a new experience for me.

But then, just a pump shotgun with a hammer. I like it. I shot a tube full of shells out of it this morning, and it worked fine.

Doesn't say Norinco on it. Doesent say "made in China" either. Does say "CXC, P.R.C . * TTN, LN, CA. I'm clueless as to what CXC means. P.R.C. is likely Peoples Republic of China. TTN is a company that imported Norinco shotguns for sometime, and may have folded recently. TTN apparently was/is out of Laguna California.

As far as it goes, the gu has a big triangle with a 26 in it. Surely the symbol of a Norinco gun.

The shotgun itself is really a decent looking piece! Has real walnut stock and forearm. Metal finish is decent. Works fairly smooth, and a good lube job made it smoother. Feeds and fires well. Doubtlessly inferior fit and finish to a genuine Winchester.

The buttstock to receiver fit is not bad, but less than steller. The worst feature of the shotgun is the buttplate fit. It's proud all the way around, like it was just screwed on and never fitted further than that.

I think it's worth the $200 I paid for it. Hard to find a brandnew, all steel and walnut shotgun for the price.
 
I believe that EMF is now selling the chinese shotguns imported by TTN.
 
I picked up a low serial number Norinco 97 when they first started showing up in gun stores. These guns were pretty rough.
Stocks were some kind of very light, Beech like wood, painted over then finished with a fake wood grain/walnut color. The firing pin retaining pin on mine liked to try to walk out of the bolt, and would hang up the gun every fourth or fifth cycle...
Still, that was a few years ago. I hear the new ones are much closer to adequate.
 
I have one of the same ones Z71 got, and mine is far more than adequate. Wood to metal fit is at least very good. Actually excellent in most places. Action is tight but smooth, more like new gun than a badly fit one.

The origianl Norinco's used some God-awful "hardwood" stock, but the later ones, and the TTN ones, uses real Missouri Walnut. Mine's right purty.

And at $229 total at my door? How can I go wrong?
 
I have one of the same ones Z71 got, and mine is far more than adequate. Wood to metal fit is at least very good. Actually excellent in most places. Action is tight but smooth, more like new gun than a badly fit one.

The origianl Norinco's used some God-awful "hardwood" stock, but the later ones, and the TTN ones, uses real Missouri Walnut. Mine's right purty.

And at $229 total at my door? How can I go wrong?
 
I am on my 3rd 97 clone now. I have the trench gun clone that I picked up from davidson's when they were on sale for $265. I have had problems with the previous two I had. My current one has been fine so far.

Here were the problems, denoted numerically as to which gun it pertains:

1: Forearm welds failed while shooting, pin in forearm fell out, and forearm slid off. Sent the gun back to davidsons. Rounds till failure: ~800
2: Hammer started following the bolt up after a few hundred rounds. Sent the gun back to davidsons.
3: No problems yet. I have only put a hundred rounds or so through this one.

All I can say is, thank God for davidson's lifetime warranty.
 
Z71, what is your serial number range? Mine is B0000xx. Also did yours have bluing wear on the pump tube? Mine did and I thought it was used but wasn't sure.
 
Winchester don't make these anymore, and not so sure Winchester exists much beyond a name stuck on guns made elsewhere anyhow!
Click to expand...

So far as I know the original Winchester company hasn't existed since 1963, when it was sold to Olin-Matheson Chemical Corporation, which still owns the trademarks. If I'm correct, all of the Winchester branded firearms for the past 45 years or so have been produced "elsewhere" in that respect.

I suppose it's also possible to date the end of the original company with the death of Oliver Winchester in 1880. From that perspective the Winchester 1897 wasn't any more of a "real" Winchester product than the Chinese clone and there haven't been any "real" Winchesters for 128 years and everything produced during that time isn't worth much.

Fun game. Can be played to justify almost anything.
 
The clones i have tried do not meet the working of my original 1897 (manuf. 1901) I use it for Cowboy Action and have also shot skeet and sporting clays with it. Never had a problem. Did have it hard chromed, just for looks.
 
I have an AIC repro 1897 and was well impressed wiith the quality of wood and general finish of the gun. I've transformed it somewhat...by removing any and all markings that identify it as chinese, artificially wearing the blueing, and adding certain more or less authentic pieces..... M4M97.gif

What it is is a reliable easy actioned old design with every moving part smoothed and a somewhat aged appearance with a surplus OD colored web sling. A gun that you'd need to look at pretty closely to be sure that it is not what it seems to be.

$229. on sale at Big5 Sporting goods one day. Same day brought home what we call "Chrissy's Cannon" another repro of the Colt coach guns... ChrissysCannon1.gif
 
I believe the originals would fire with trigger held back and the action pumped, like old Mdl 37s.

Do the clones do it also?
 
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