Just for fun: Winchester 97 Trench Shotgun

[Bill_Rights]

I posted what I hope are some decent pictures of a WWII-era Model 97 rigged out for military issue. I was asking a historical question over at the Firearms Research forum, but we might as well get dual use of the posting if any here are interested. Click here: Insignia on Winchester Model 97 Trench Shotgun? The shotgun works just fine - fired a couple of weeks ago.

 

[TurtlePhish]

That's beautiful. Have a bayonet for it?

 

[ifit]

thats awesome man congrats thanks for sharing. wish i could own an original but the price is outa reach for me, but i do have copy which i picked up for $350 and sure is fun to shoot

 

[az_imuth]

Great looking shotgun you have. I noticed where someone stated that your serial placed it in the 1950 date range. Depending on where they got there data, they could be off by a few years. I have a WW2 M97 (9415xx) in the riot configuration that was manufactured in 1942. Most online services erroniously date it to 1948. If you look between the barrel and mag tube, just ahead of the receiver, you should find two digits indicating the year of manufacture. The number will be on the barrel and is difficult to see without a good light source.

 

[Bill_Rights]

Thanks, guys; I am so glad I posted about this shotgun. But it's also not mine. I was loaned it by the family it came down in, and I am not sure how they got it. I will ask if they have the bayonnet, tho'. It probably looks plenty wicked with the bayonnet fixed.

In fact, I returned the gun just tonight, but I will see if they can look for those numbers under the barrel on top of the mag tube at the receiver. There is some uncertainty over on the other forum (Firearm Research) about the inspector and his dates. Also, I remembered the family member who loaned it to me mentioned 19 holes in the heat shield (that's what this one has) versus 17 on earlier models. But earlier models go all the way back into the 1930s, so who knows?

 

[303tom]

That is one good looking shotgun, I have a Model 12 trench...............