Questions about a Winchester 1897 Trench.....need some info from a pro!

Hello 4xfourfun.

The metal buttplate is a replacement. I have a WWI Model 1897 trench gun with a checkered Winchester metal buttplate with the inletted "tear drop" as you call it on top. This type buttplate was used by the Military as a repalcement for the hard black rubber ones that often cracked.

All original WWI Model 1897 trench guns had heat shields with 6 rows of cooling holes. The heat shields with 4 rows of cooling holes were not even made until well into WW2. So, the heat shield is not correct on the gun in question.

There are some trench guns with serial number around 650,000. Although, most of the Model 1897 shotgun with lower numbers are riot guns (but not all of them).

The barrels on the WW1 and WW2 trench guns are all about 20" in length. What you are seeing is the different fit of the bayo adaptor/heat shield. On a WW1 trench gun, the barrel sticks out about 1/2" from the bayo adaptor sleeve, and the front of the bayo adaptor lug is about even with the end of the barrel. On a WW2 M1897 trench gun, the barrel extends about 3/4" to 1" from the bayo adaptor sleeve, and the barrel extends about 1/2" beyond the front of the bayo adaptor lug (i.e., the lug is set back from the barrel about 1/2").

Be careful. There is a lot of fakery that goes on with these trench guns. Do you homework and ask a lot of questions before putting down your hard earned money for one. They are getting very expensive.

Hope this info helps.

Tom D, there are a bunch of M97s (not trench guns) with the metal buttplate. I have two. And an extra metal buttplate. I believe most, if not all, early production guns had the metal plate. The hard rubber came later.