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The Winchester Model 1897, more commonly known as the Trench Gun, was a pump-action shotgun designed by John Browning and manufactured from 1897 to 1957 by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. Developed from the Model 1893, the Model 1897 was a highly successful design and saw use in a number of conflicts over its long service life.

History[]

The design for the shotgun was designed in 1897 by John Moses Browning. It was first intended to be an improvement of another weapon that Winchester made, the Model 1893, to remedy many design flaws that the Model 1893 possessed. Sales of the weapon began in July 1897, with the weapon being an instant success.

Sales of the weapon were generally strong. Before World War I broke out, sales were strong. However, it was during and after World War I that really ramped up usage. It gained popularity by American Forces due to its strong performance in trench warfare, and its overall reliability in these close range situations.

After the war, sales took a spike up, most likely due to the good reception of the weapon back in World War I. The weapon was used by a number of law enforcement agencies[1] as well as other militaries, and even saw some combat use during World War II. The production of the shotgun continued until 1957; a total of 990,551 Model 1897s were produced. It was because of this that the Model 1897 became the most successful exposed hammer pump-action shotgun in history.[2]

In recent years, the weapon has re-entered production, with replicas being exported/produced by Norinco, IAC Imports and Cimarron Firearms;[3][4][5] modern restorations appear to be performed by Bull Creek Arms.[6]

Design Details[]

The Model 1897 was an exposed-hammer pump-action shotgun. Pushing the slide to the rear causes the bolt to move backwards and push the hammer to the rear, cocking it; while that occurs, the rearward movement of the bolt actuates a cartridge elevator that picks up a shell from the underbarrel tube magazine. Pushing the pump causes the same operation to happen, but in reverse. Unlike the Model 1893 that preceded it, the Model 1897 had a slide lock which made the Model 1897 even safer than its predecessor.[7]

As the weapon was developed from the Model 1893, the Model 1897 incorporates improvements from the Model 1893 design, such as a strengthened and lengthened frame to allow it to handle smokeless shotgun shells, a longer stock with less drop, the addition of a movable cartridge guide and the addition of a movable slide lock among other things.[7]

The Model 1897 most often uses a five-round tubular magazine; however, different grades of this weapon will offer different types. Most models will have the ability to fit a bayonet underneath the barrel. The inclusion of the bayonet would give users a convenient way to stab an enemy. The Model 1897 is fitted with a wooden stock.

Due to lacking a trigger disconnector, the Model 1897 is capable of "slam firing", where the shotgun can be fired by holding down the trigger and racking the pump back and forth.[8] While effective as a combat technique, it represents a safety hazard, and users have to take caution to not cause premature discharges.

Ammunition[]

The shotgun mainly uses 12 gauge shotgun shells; however, other variants will accept 16 gauge shells. 16 gauge models will often be 2 inches shorter than shotguns that support 12 gauge shells.

References[]

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