Winchester '97 problem

[bernie]

I have a Winchester 97 that a friend of mine inherited from his dad, and I want to do him a favor and get it fixed for him. This is an old family gun, but my buddy has never really gotten to enjoy it due to a problem that it developed years ago. It is a take down model, and the magazine tube will not stay in it when it is fired or even pumped very often. Does anyone know somebody that is pretty knowledgeable on these, or is there someone that I might be able to send it to so that I can get it repaired. If someone that is a little knowledgable on these can give me some hints or advice, I would appreciate it.

The gun itself is interesting. The owner had it reblued, so it has less collector value. The receiver has an ordnance bomb under a stamped "US" in front of the ejection port. It also has a commercial full choked barrel on it. The guys dad told me years ago that he suspected someone had absconded with it from the army, ditched the original barrel (what a shame) and put the commercial barrel on it.

 

[Jim Watson]

There is a substantial cottage industry in smoothing up Chicom copies of the '97 and in refurbishing real Winchesters for CAS.
Some shops only "tune" working guns, others do repairs.
Here is the first Google catch
http://www.dustybunch.org/repair.html
I have no experience with them and there are others to be found.

 

[Kp321]

Does the magazine tube slide in and lock in the receiver, 1/2 turn? If it does and still comes loose the interrupted threads on the magazine tube or in the receiver may be worn down to the point they no longer engage sufficiently. A replacement magazine tube would be the first thing to try. A replacement tube should be available from Gunparts Corp.
if it does not turn in properly, it is possible it was assembled incorrectly. It is possible to put the magazine plug and support piece in backwards, actually 180 degrees out.

 

[bernie]

KP, I think that you may be right in that the mag tube is assembled incorrectly. Do you have anything to show how it is supposed to be reassembled?

 

[rcmodel]

Try this for starters.

http://marauder.homestead.com/files/model97down.html

rc

 

[243winxb]

Time to see a gun smith. https://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=575671

 

[Sav .250]

That`s what Gun Smiths are for....

 

[bernie]

I hear what you are saying about gunsmiths. But there are gunsmiths, and then there are gunsmiths. I have a few guys around my area that might be able to drill and tap for a scope mount, but I don't know anyone that I would trust to work on an old 97.

 

[243winxb]

http://www.shotgunworld.com You might want to try this link . All the shotgun folks in one place. Hope this helps.