Neat Old Boomstick

[Jay G]

Rummaging through the armory for something to post for today's "Friday Gun Pr0n" over @ MArooned, I came across a pretty neat old shottie in the safe:

Winchester model 1897 in 16 gauge, manufactured sometime between 1911 and 1913 (can't remember the exact serial #, but it's a 6-digit starting with "5", which covers that range from what I've been able to find).

This is part of my grandfather's collection, and I can tell that he thought this was a special gun - the stock is in excellent shape, which means it was cared for unlike the "working" shotguns (rabbit gun, duck gun, etc.).

Now, if only 16 gauge were to come back into fashion so as to become as affordable to shoot as 12 or 20 gauge...

 

[packingungal]

Rummaging through the armory for something to post for today's "Friday Gun Pr0n" over @ MArooned, I came across a pretty neat old shottie in the safe:

Now, if only 16 gauge were to come back into fashion so as to become as affordable to shoot as 12 or 20 gauge...

Nice wood!

I see you have cleaned your fireplace - good job!! I think I have the same set of TV trays...

 

[dwarven1]

Now, if only 16 gauge were to come back into fashion so as to become as affordable to shoot as 12 or 20 gauge...

Time to start reloading your own shot shells?

 

[Jay G]

I've got at least 13 more years before I can even think about starting reloading... Not until the kids are out of the house...

 

[EddieCoyle]

Time to start reloading your own shot shells?

It's hard to even get wads for a 16

 

[Chuck Would]

Nice find. 30" Full Choke from the looks of it. Take Down model. Based on the date you gave, I'd imagine it's a "C" model.

Winchester made over a million of them between 1897 and 1957.

 

[WickedSharp]

NICE

I have my great grandfathers 1897. It was manufactured in 1905. His old licenses were found in the stock. There was one from Washington, one from Idaho, and one from Oregon.
Mine is 12 gauge full choke.

 

[Jose]

I've got at least 13 more years before I can even think about starting reloading... Not until the kids are out of the house...

WHY?

Good grief, it's not like you are cleaning up hazmat...............

 

[Jose]

It's hard to even get wads for a 16

Nope. Ballistic Specialties have all you could ever use.

 

[Jay G]

Jose,

Because the kids are a MAJOR distraction. And I take one look at the picture of the Colt Anaconda with the cylinder blown to pieces and think, yeah, I could see a moment's inattention from hollering at the chillens causing something like that...

 

[Jose]

Maybe my daughter is different than most kids.

 

[JonJ]

What a nice old shotgun, Jay!