Winchester Model 1897

History of the 1897 Winchester Model

The famous American gunsmith John Moses Browning went to work for the Winchester Repeating Arms Company in 1883 and delivered the Model 1887 lever-action shotgun in 1887, considered the world's first A truly successful bolt-action shotgun. Browning then proceeded to work on the company's first pump-action bolt-action shotgun, which became known as the Model 1893, with a 12-gauge shape and a 30-inch barrel. About 35,000 examples of this type were produced. Instead of resting on his laurels, Browning perfected his Type 1893 into the Type 1897, with a refined shoulder/pistol grip (longer and straighter than the 1893), a reinforced receiver and steel cap, and Brackets for pyrotechnic grenades - a rarity for shotguns at the time.

Spent cartridges are ejected through openings in the side. Compared to the original 1893 series, the gun also incorporates a sliding breech block for significantly improved safety.

Production of the Model 1897 began in 1897 and continued through 1957, with 1,024,700 examples shipped in 12 and 16 gauges and a variety of barrel lengths to suit customer tastes. The Model 1897 became one of the rarer firearms used in combat in both World Wars and the subsequent Korean and Vietnam Wars.

The Model 1897 had an inherent "advantage" in that the trigger could be held down and the operator could control the pump for continuous repeat fire - a powerful feature of hand-to-hand combat (called "percussion shells") or "Slam "burning is known"). This was carried over to the equally popular 1912 model, which was also used in World War I and World War II.

The Type 1897 was divided into eight main "classes" starting with the base model, the Type 1897 Standard, produced from 1897 to 1957. They are available in 28 and 30 inch barrels, in 12 and 16 gauge shapes, with walnut stocks and steel toe caps. Model 1897 traps were produced from 1897 to 1931 and finished in 12 and 16 gauge molds with 28 and 30 inch barrels and lattice walnut. The Model 1897 Dove was also available in 12 and 16 gauges, but only had a 28-inch barrel and a hand-engraved receiver. Production time span from 1897 to 1939.

The 1897 Championship only came in size 12, with a 30" barrel, a more refined anti-glare finish, and was produced from 1910 to 1931. Style 1897 brushes are provided in 12-.

The 16-gauge form with a 26-inch barrel was produced from 1897 to 1931, and featured a walnut stock, solid frame, and reduced tubular magazine. The Style 1897 Brush Takedown is similar, but made with a "disassembled" frame.

Around the time of World War II, the Model 1897 came into play again. After the Imperial Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor (the event that plunged the country into war), Americans saw a severe shortage of small arms. Existing stocks of the Model 1897 were insufficient to meet new wartime demands, so production of all types of shotguns increased again. In World War II, as in World War I, the U.S. government commissioned standard, gutter, and riot gun types, as well as stocks for training aerial gunners.

Winchester stepped up to offer the Model 1897 and Model 1912 shotguns, both of which continued to perform well, especially in the Pacific theater where close combat in the jungle proved to be a regular occurrence. Some shotguns have also been modified on the battlefield, with barrels added to improve accuracy.

From 1941 to 1944, the U.S. military purchased 39,176 Model 1897 series shotguns, although this was dwarfed by the 80,500 Model 1912 shotguns purchased during the same period.

Shotguns were eventually used on the front lines, second lines, guards and state policing during the conflict. Logistics limit its overall range, especially unlike machine guns and military guns, shotguns require a very specialized magazine because multiple designs are used that can share a common cartridge. After the war, pre-war shotguns like the Model 1897 became increasingly rare, due in large part to their high production and procurement costs. Over the decades, numbers have naturally dwindled as the U.S. military simply inspected existing stockpiles and replaced them with cheaper, more modern alternatives from Remington and Ithaca.

Production of the Model 1897 ended in 1957, and many saw extended combat service in the ensuing Korean and Vietnam Wars.

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