About the Winchester Model 1897

The venerable Remington 870 might be able to lay claim to being the best-selling shotgun ever designed, and it might be one of the most popular pump-action shotguns of all time, but that does nothing to detract from legendary pump shotguns like the Winchester 1897.

While the solid-steel receiver and smooth twin action bars of the 870 are things of beauty, it was the Winchester ‘97 that truly revolutionized the market for pump shotguns and changed it forever.

A Short History of the Winchester ‘97

If you’re lucky enough to have found a military surplus gun like a Winchester ‘97, you’re in good company, and have gotten your hands on one of the most influential pump-action shotguns of all time. There are newer, sleeker, more modern-looking models on the market today, but none can replace the iconic lines, ribbed forend and exposed hammer of the “trench broom.”

It wasn’t as the “trench broom” that the ‘97 got its start, however. Firearms engineers and manufacturers were advancing their industry by leaps and bounds at the turn of the last century, with the advent of smokeless powders revolutionizing cartridge-loading and breech-loading arms in general.

The first pump-action shotgun was not the ‘97; it was the ‘93, but that gun was designed for black powder loads. Sportsmen, and official users, needed a more robust platform that could handle the higher pressures of smokeless loads.

John Moses Browning, the man behind the ‘93, went back to the drawing board and came back with the Winchester 1897, a sturdier, stronger pump gun that could handle the demands of higher-pressure smokeless powder shells.

One unique feature of the ‘97, that you won’t find on modern pump guns like the 500, 870 or SXP, is an exposed hammer - somewhat archaic, but one that provides a visual cue to the operator that the gun is cocked, not just that the action is closed.

The Winchester Model 1897 was produced in both 12 and 16 gauge variants; the 12 gauge featured a 2 ¾” chamber, which rendered it compatible with modern shells. However, early 16 gauge models sported a 2 9/16” chamber; make sure if you are looking through a collection of military surplus guns and pick up an 1897, you figure out what the chamber length is before you buy or attempt to run anything through it. Later 16 gauge model ‘97s had the standard 2 ¾” chambering; just make sure you know what you’re dealing with.

Winchester also produced a variety of different ‘97 variants, including a field variant that was (and to a degree, remains) popular with sportsmen, as well as a riot gun with a shorter barrel that was preferred by law enforcement officers.

But perhaps the most infamous of all Winchester Model 1897 variants was the 1897 “Trench Gun,” also known as the “Trench Broom,” which sported a shorter 20” barrel with a heat shield and a bayonet lug.

On the Western Front in World War I, American Doughboys used the Winchester 1897 Trench Gun to brutal effect, using it to clear out enemy trenches in short order. When loaded with 00 buckshot, and aimed in the direction of an enemy’s advance, the shotgun’s pattern was devastatingly effective at neutralizing hostile targets, sometimes more than one enemy at once, with a single shot.

This did not escape the notice of the Germans, who unofficially protested America’s use of the shotgun on the Western Front in a letter to Secretary of War Newton Baker and Brigadier General Samuel Ansell.

The latter was quick to point out that, considering Imperial Germany pioneered the use of flamethrowers and poison gas, the request was “destitute of all good faith,” and thereby utterly disregarded.

Needless to say, Americans did not stop using the Winchester ‘97 Trench Gun on the Western Front, nor did they suspend the use of shotguns in combat at any point thereafter; the ‘97 was carried by Americans in World War II, Korea, and beyond.

All in all, the Winchester Model ‘97, though it is not longer as popular as more advanced pump-action shotguns like the Remington 870 or Mossberg 500, remains one of the most iconic pump shotguns of all time, and one that holds an important place in American history such as no other shotgun can rival.

Here for a Cool Upgrade for Your Winchester ‘97?

If you’re not here for shotgun parts or military surplus guns but are rather looking for accessories that can transform the look and authenticity of your Winchester ‘97, if you have a trench gun, then among the coolest items in our collection are the Winchester ‘97 heat shields and bayonet lugs that we sell.

You can learn more about them at the previous link, and with one of these heat shields and bayonet lugs you can transform your ‘97 into a trench gun the likes of which would have been encountered on the Western Front over 100 years ago.