Just purchased an 1897. It was built in 1921 and I like it. I want it to shoot, not oil and forget. I have a slight problem with function. It fires as it should, hammer function seems fine, eject action is fine, but when I attempt to re-chamber a round it hangs up. If I work the action VERY hard it re-chambers ok, but anything but a real hard shove hangs the pump up about half way. There's a small plate that pivots near the opening of the port that seems to hang up. Could that be the source of my problem? What do I do? Shoot it or take it to the gunsmith for a checkup? I sure like this gun but I'm not that familiar with the action. Thanks guys.
winchester 1897
- Thread starter whalerman
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bushmaster1313
Member
Not every gunsmith is qualified to work on a Model 1897.
I would call Wrights in Pinckneyville Illinois and see if they can help you.
Wrights is one of the best to work on Model 12's
I would call Wrights in Pinckneyville Illinois and see if they can help you.
Wrights is one of the best to work on Model 12's
Red Cent
Member
Its the hammer. Looks like the shell flag is the problem. Some shooters grind down the flag to provide an easier slope for the bolt screw to push the flag down.
Slowly, with hammer down,start to bring the slide back. When you encounter the most resistance the hammer. visually mark the position. Might take aatime or two.Bring the slide all the way back. Start forward visually aware of the "marked" position. You should incur hammer resistance again, plus the flag rsistance.
There are certain areas to be confronted if you want a slick cycling action.
The first is the hammer. Almost any firearm would have an awesome action if the action did not have to cock the hammer. The '97s hammer spring resides in the middle of the bolt. I remove the spring and , using a template, smack the spring with a lead hammer. The super strong "leaf" spring has am eliptical shape and I remove some of the arch. When mine stops popping Federal primers, I back up just a touch. If you look into the receiver with the action back, you will see a "strain" screw in the niddleof the bolt. If you loosen the screwyou will have the same effect.If you try this, have some approriate locktite available. We shoot way toomuch for it to stay, so we fix it so the strain screw willbe fully tightened.
The next area is the action arm. I remove the fore end, action bar, and mag tube. The mag tube must be free of any bumps, dings, or anything that will impede the action bar from sliding up and down the mag tube. Matter of fact, I buff the mag till it looks like nickle olate. Just the space where the action bar/forend travels. I use a brake cylinder polisher to polish and relieve just a tab of metal from inside the two rings on the action bar. If it is a three screw fore end, only one ring will exist.
You want the hammer polished where it contacts the underside of the bolt. Likewise the bolt where it contacts the hammer. Actually, abit of polishing wherever you see worn places willhelp some.
Thoroughly clean the receiver, bolt, and elevator, and when you finish the above, re-lube with a good lubricant, then you can truthfully use the ubiquitous "slicker than snot" description.
Slowly, with hammer down,start to bring the slide back. When you encounter the most resistance the hammer. visually mark the position. Might take aatime or two.Bring the slide all the way back. Start forward visually aware of the "marked" position. You should incur hammer resistance again, plus the flag rsistance.
There are certain areas to be confronted if you want a slick cycling action.
The first is the hammer. Almost any firearm would have an awesome action if the action did not have to cock the hammer. The '97s hammer spring resides in the middle of the bolt. I remove the spring and , using a template, smack the spring with a lead hammer. The super strong "leaf" spring has am eliptical shape and I remove some of the arch. When mine stops popping Federal primers, I back up just a touch. If you look into the receiver with the action back, you will see a "strain" screw in the niddleof the bolt. If you loosen the screwyou will have the same effect.If you try this, have some approriate locktite available. We shoot way toomuch for it to stay, so we fix it so the strain screw willbe fully tightened.
The next area is the action arm. I remove the fore end, action bar, and mag tube. The mag tube must be free of any bumps, dings, or anything that will impede the action bar from sliding up and down the mag tube. Matter of fact, I buff the mag till it looks like nickle olate. Just the space where the action bar/forend travels. I use a brake cylinder polisher to polish and relieve just a tab of metal from inside the two rings on the action bar. If it is a three screw fore end, only one ring will exist.
You want the hammer polished where it contacts the underside of the bolt. Likewise the bolt where it contacts the hammer. Actually, abit of polishing wherever you see worn places willhelp some.
Thoroughly clean the receiver, bolt, and elevator, and when you finish the above, re-lube with a good lubricant, then you can truthfully use the ubiquitous "slicker than snot" description.
Red Cent
Member
Don't know where you live, but a certain world renowned cowboy gunsmith resides a few miles south of Berkley Springs, WV. He does all my cowboy guns. Cody is an old friend and one to ride the river with you. Got a pretty wife too.
http://www.codyscowboyshop.com/
http://www.codyscowboyshop.com/
ReloaderFred
Member
Clean it completely before trying to smooth anything. Most old guns, and especially Model 97's, have years and years worth of dried oil and debri in them that needs to be removed. Also check all those little tiny screws and make sure they're tight. Sometimes they back out and cause binding.
The Model 97 was invented back when men were men, and the women were afraid. They were meant to be "worked" hard, so you have to work the action like it was meant to be worked.
Have a gunsmith check the chamber and make sure it's not too short. If the shells you fired in it have feathered case mouths after firing, that means the case mouth is into the forcing cone when it opens up, and is being compressed by the shot column as it passes through. It's a simple job to open up the chamber/forcing cone area with a reamer.
Hope this helps.
Fred
The Model 97 was invented back when men were men, and the women were afraid. They were meant to be "worked" hard, so you have to work the action like it was meant to be worked.
Have a gunsmith check the chamber and make sure it's not too short. If the shells you fired in it have feathered case mouths after firing, that means the case mouth is into the forcing cone when it opens up, and is being compressed by the shot column as it passes through. It's a simple job to open up the chamber/forcing cone area with a reamer.
Hope this helps.
Fred
Red Cent
Member
Last night I was thinking about the problem. If it is not the trigger, one other problem may occur. The shell flag is held in place by a pin that has the head flattened (think flat top mushroom) and is tapped in to a hole in the elevator trigger unit. If the flag is seriously stiff, on the opposite side of the elevator (they also refer to it as a cartridge guide) is a hole that you can take a flat nose punch and tap at the pin to loosen it just a tad. This will relieve the pressure imposed on the flag by the pin pressed into the hole and the rim of the flattened pin holding the flag. The flag can be very loose with no harm. A screw in the right rear of the receiver raises it when the action is cycled back and the action hook screw also serves as push down pin. Once loosened, run a file across the whole side of the elevator on the flag side to see if the pin just tapped protrudes. Don't file it. Tap it back in just a smidge. Sorry if I have to use these technical terms.
Take the takedown apart and look through the barrel from the chamber end. About 4-5 inches into the barrel you will see a ring or a scored circle in the barrel. If the ring looks to be one to two inches wide, someone has lengthened the forcing cone. If the ring is barely noticeable, take Reloaderfred's advice and have it lengthened. Tell the 'smith to use a long forcing cone.
More explanation on the hammer. The hammer is depressed/cocked by the bolt. As the bolt comes back, it encounters the hammer and starts the cocking action. About two inches from the back of the bolt and under the bolt, a groove allows the hammer to raise back up about a 1/16th of an inch. When you push the fore end to close the action, the hammer, again, encounters the bolt and is depressed again. This happens about the same time the flag is contacted by the action hook screw. Again, clean and polish, polish, polish.
Tuned really well, they will cycle with two fingers and not a lot of pressure at that. Mine will.
Take the takedown apart and look through the barrel from the chamber end. About 4-5 inches into the barrel you will see a ring or a scored circle in the barrel. If the ring looks to be one to two inches wide, someone has lengthened the forcing cone. If the ring is barely noticeable, take Reloaderfred's advice and have it lengthened. Tell the 'smith to use a long forcing cone.
More explanation on the hammer. The hammer is depressed/cocked by the bolt. As the bolt comes back, it encounters the hammer and starts the cocking action. About two inches from the back of the bolt and under the bolt, a groove allows the hammer to raise back up about a 1/16th of an inch. When you push the fore end to close the action, the hammer, again, encounters the bolt and is depressed again. This happens about the same time the flag is contacted by the action hook screw. Again, clean and polish, polish, polish.
Tuned really well, they will cycle with two fingers and not a lot of pressure at that. Mine will.
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