Winchester 1897 Pump Scattergun

Just to add...

The Winchester 1893 and the early 1897's did not have an ejector spring, only a little block of steel that acted as the ejector. The little spring was added in one of the early model revisions (C series). The spring does help more positively throw the hulls out- especially brass ones. I've just never figured out what the combination is of ejector spring and the depth and tension of the extractors which makes hulls fly many feet out of some guns and just barely make it out of others.
 
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Hardcase, mind telling me what you're shooting? Thanks.
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Whatever's cheap at Walmart :D Usually 1 1/8 oz target loads. I had one of the local gunsmiths lengthen the forcing cone on both guns so that there wouldn't be any problem with modern shells.

It's pretty satisfying to shoot an 18 or 20 with a hundred year old pump gun with a full choke barrel, especially when the guys I shoot with have spendy whiz-bang guns with removable chokes, ribs and big ol' glowy beads.
 
Back To Battery !!! OK, it only took; Make a spring for the magazine lock, reshape the magazine, buy and install an Action Slide Hook, reset the main spring, make a hole, make and thread a new sight to go in the hole, file, reshape and straighten the slide and finally, figure out which side was up on the magazine (it came upside down), oh yeah, add a recoil pad to cushion my brittle bones LOL !! What a test, (there were no adequate instructions on the net), but I'm happy to say I didn't break anything figgerin' it out !! I took it out to the hills and shot at 25yds using #7 1/2 target shot. Shoot's straight with a great pattern (I called a REAL gunsmith with the barrel measurment and he said it was still a modified choke even though it was shortened 6 inches). The big holes are from tryin' to do hip shot's and snap shooting with my Rogers & Spencer using 45lc cartridges, same range....judging from the "pattern", I'd have to say, fat people beware LOL. Pic's below.
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I love project guns, especially when I can get 'em working again with self-fabricated parts and minimal financial outlay. Good job, and now you can disassemble & reassemble a '97 with your eyes closed! :)
 
Wow - great job! You rescued a limping, starving puppy and rehabilitated it into a healthy working best friend!!

CAS shooters are ALWAYS looking for good shooting '97s. I'll bet you could easily sell that gun for 5X what you paid for it at any CAS shoot you visit.
 
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