trench shotgun

Are you thinking about the Modern Warfare trench gun? That's a Winchester M1987, and it functions the same as just about any 5-shell pump shotgun.

If your into reinactment, or have a thing for old military, you may be OK with what you get. They are not great shotguns for a person who wants to shoot a lot, or for someone (IMO) who wants to rely on the gun for HD .

If you want a short barreled shotgun of very good quality then stick with Remington 870 or Mossberg 500 guns as they are the top choices for many.

Other choices like finding original Model 1897 guns, or Model 12 Winchester guns that can or have been shortened is another choice. I think the local shop her just put a very nice Winchester M12 on Gunbroker for around the price of the Chinese guns. It has a bad spot in the barrel but can be cut to 19 inches to give someone an excellant shotgun.

I have one and its a great shotgun. The Norinco 1897s are also very popular in cowboy action shooting so they do do work very well. It can and will do anything a Remington 870 can do. It can also do something an 870 doesn't do. It "slam fires" by holding the trigger down and working the pump. Its fun. I do agree that if you are looking for purely a defensive shotgun an 870 is probably a better way to go but for a "cool" factor the 97 has the 870 beat hands down.

purchased one couple years back, my first shotgun. was suppose to pick up a norinco lever shotgun, then my dealer showed me the trench and it was all over. i have been shootin clays with it, slugs out of it and on ocasion some slam fires. the first thing my friends always tell me when they handle it is.....dam this thing is heavy. for a copy of the trench gun i think ist pretty good and reliable so far.

I own a TTN shotgun..basicaly a Norinco M1897...chambered for 2 3/4" shells only...mine has choke tubes.

Works pretty decent..reliable...all steel except walnut stocks and plastic buttplate(brass bead site)..took some breaking in..but pumps/functions decently smooth with some lubrication and use.

I bought mine a few years back when AIM Surplus had them on close-out sale for $199. These make a great $200 shotgun....I do think I would buy something else if I had to pay more than $300 for one.

its not the original bayonet, my ffl dealer some how modified that particular bayonet to fit, will check the make of that bayo. thanks for confirming z71 on the 2-3/4 shells only.

An original trench gun can be pricey but you can get a decent buy on a good Winchester 1897 with careful shopping and then have it cut and add on a replica heat shield. Should be able to get one set up for under $600.

buy american!

I came across a cheap Mossberg 500 that I turned into a Trench Gun look-alike (minus the bayonet lug).

fallout mike said:

And the hammer

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True enough.

The 1897 design comes from a period when guns were essentially hand-fitted in the Winchester factory. I hate to be the voice of caution, but if you think you can get anything approaching that degree of workmanship, which is required for the gun to run at a level that I'd trust for anything more than reeancting, at that price point from China, I think you should reconsider. A used Remington or Mossberg will function much better for less cash. If looks is the primary mission, however, by all means, grab the Norinco.

The 1897 design comes from a period when guns were essentially hand-fitted in the Winchester factory. I hate to be the voice of caution, but if you think you can get anything approaching that degree of workmanship, which is required for the gun to run at a level that I'd trust for anything more than reeancting, at that price point from China, I think you should reconsider. A used Remington or Mossberg will function much better for less cash. If looks is the primary mission, however, by all means, grab the Norinco.

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The same could very easily be said about the S&W revolver or the 1911, but to be real, modern manufacturing techniques have improved more than a little bit and its possible to create parts with much greater tolerances than in the past and with better heat treating and alloys. I suspect a modern Norinco is every bit as durable as an old 1897 Winchester.
CAS is also hardly "re-enacting". Its some pretty serious competition which involves a LOT of handling and many, many rounds through these weapons. They wouldn't be popular with these guys if they didn't work. You may be letting a little prejudice blind you to the facts my friend.

fallout mike said:

Looks is my main concern with this particular gun, however, I want to be able to shoot it from time to time without it falling apart also.

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get an 870 trench gun conversion kit and use on a 870 or h&r pardner pump............

Ok, where are you getting your information that it will, "fall apart" from shooting it? Obviously not from anyone who owns one or happens to know anything about the subject.

Go ahead and get it. I have a couple buddies that sound like they got theirs on the same deal as the others for $200 or so. Fun to shoot and the hammer is kind of a nice touch. They've shots hundreds of rounds out of theirs and if they weren't satisfied I would hear about it. One of them is a real whiner.