Modifying the Winchester Model 97 Shotgun

The Winchester Model 1897/97 is a fine shotgun, and its popularity has increased thanks to the many cowboy-action shooters. Designed by John Browning, the Model 1897 was originally introduced as the Model 1893. Due to design weakness with the then-new smokeless powder, the Model 1893 was redesigned as the Model 1897 and introduced that year. Available in 12-gauge and 16-gauge, the Model 1897 was made in several configurations and barrel lengths. The Model designation was changed from 1897 to 97 in 1918.

Between its introduction in 1897 until it was discontinued in 1957, over 1,000,000 Model 1897/97 shotguns were sold. Model 97 shotguns used to be seen on a regular basis at gun shows and gun shops, and many are still floating around on the used-gun market. The particular shotgun shown here is a 12-gauge made in 1941, and was purchased used by my father for me around 1971. The shotgun had been refinished and had a 30-inch barrel.

When I say "had" a 30-inch barrel, I’m referring to the fact that I had shortened the barrel to 18 inches. Dad said I was suffering from the "Wild Bunch syndrome," and that I ruined the gun. The modifications (and "un-ruining") that I’ll discuss in this article are directed toward producing a combat/ hunting/home-defense-type weapon, but could be used in cowboy action events where the rules allow. Receiver Sight Installation Harvey Williams founde Gunsight Company avison, MI 48423; in 1926.

Williams he roof receiver sights that have micrometer-click adjustments, no knobs protruding from them, and were manufactured from high-strength aluminum alloy. These sights went into full production after WW II. The Williams 5D Receiver Sight is the same concept as the Foolproof, but lacks the micrometer clicks. Adjustments are held fast by machine screws. These sights originally sold for $5. Many years later, I purchased a Williams 5D-97 receiver sight from Guns Parts Corp. and installed it.

This particular Williams sight is no longer listed in any of my catalogs. Installation is not difficult, although a milling machine is nice to have. After ensuring that it was not loaded, I disassembled the receiver. Disassembly is not very difficult, and detailed disassembly instructions are available in the Gun Digest shotgun assembly/disassem Krause Publica Iola, WI 54990; The recess cut milled in the backside, which provides clearance for the ejector and ejector screw.

Therefore, the sight’s location is predetermined on the left rear side of the receiver by these and a rivet head. With the receiver lying on a flat surface, carefully align the sight base over the ejector and screw, making sure the sight base is flat against the receiver side and centered atop the ejector/ejector screw. Slide the base forward until it hits the small rivet head. This provides good hammer clearance. Using a 9/64-inch transfer punch, mark the forward hole only.

Mount the receiver in the milling machine’s drill vise. (Several layers of masking tape usually provide adequate protection.) With the proper size tap drill (#31) in the drill-chuck, align the work with the drill bit and drill the first hole. Using a 6-48 tap, tap the hole, keeping the tap perpendicular to the receiver.

These determine the location of the 5D-97 sight-base installation. After drilling and tapping the front hole, clean any chips and oil out of the threaded hole. Mount the receiversight base to the receiver using the longer of the two screws provided. The short screw goes in the dovetail under the sight-adjusting arm. Make sure the sight base is absolutely level and parallel to the gun’s receiver. Some minor fitting may be required at this step.

Mark the remaining hole with the transfer punch, remove the sight base, and drill and tap the second hole. Drilling one hole at a time provides the opportunity to be sure the sight base is level and flat, and if done carefully prevents off center holes and/or a crooked sight. Drilling fixtures are available for some of these sight bases. The 5D-97 sight may be out of production, but gun-show vendors often have an assortment of these Williams sights.

I found a Williams The back side of the sight base was milled to provide a recess for the ejector spring, and some additional fitting was required so the base would lie flat against the side of the receiver. left-hand ge Ithaca Model It is also possib p might have one. What Next? Once I mounted the nice William’s receiver sight to my sawed-off shotgun, I had an ugly duckling on my hands.

Maybe Dad was right. (I was kicking myself for cutting that barrel at 18 inches, when 20 would have been perfect.) There are many cutdown M97s and M12s out there, so please don’t cut one off. Besides, the Norinco 97 copies seem to be very nice. In any case, I really wanted a 20inch barrel. Change the barrel, you say? Okay, but I didn’t know how to remove the barrel extension. Numrich Gun Parts Corp. (Box t, New York 12491; has replacement bars with the takedown extension go for big bucks, if you can find one.

A couple of years later during one sprees with Brownells I decided it was time Gunsmith Kinks. I bought all four volumes. I highly recommend them’jokes stories, recipes, and, of course, gunsmithing tips and techniques. (Note: the jokes alone make Kinks worth buying.) In Gunsmith Kinks, Volume 4, pages 392-393, is the most useful and, in fact, the only information I’ve come across on how to remove the M97 and M12 tensions.

Jack First apid City, SD 5 has a wrench for the M1 catalog that might work on the 97, and this infor-

mation may be available on The American Gunsmithing Institute’s video that covers the Model 97, or in an old or reprinted Winchester manual. And, of course, a disassembly tool could be fabricated. However, the information and procedure described in Volume 4 of Gunsmith Kinks doesn’t require any special tools or equipment and is easy to follow.

Changing Barrels Changing the barrel on the Winchester Model 97 didn’t present any difficulty, though patience, some minor fitting (of course), and some good information was required. Basically the barrel takedown extension is unscrewed from the barrel, being certain not to bend or twist the extension. Remove the barrel/magazine assembly from the receiver and disassemble. On the right side of the barreltakedown extension is the adjustingsleeve lock and screw.

Remove the adjusting-sleeve lock screw, and slide the adjusting sleeve out of the extension. Next unscrew the adjusting sleeve from the barrel, and then the takedown extension can be removed from the barrel. While on the subject of the adjusting sleeve: It takes up play or tightens the M-97 and M-12 shotguns between the receivers and barrel/magazine assemblies. Some of these older shotguns are loose, and there is no more adjustment left.

Gun Parts Corp. has oversize adjusting sleeves listed in the Winchester Model 12 section of their parts catalog. These are available in six sizes and draw from 1/4 to 1-1/8 inches and fit both the Winchester Model 12 and 97. The barrel I used was a replacement available from Numrich, The barrel is 20 inches long and cylinder bore. The quality of this replacement barrel is excellent. There are no markings on it, and it came drilled and tapped for an included front sight. Jack First has barrels also.

Due to the fact that my shotgun had been reblued, cut off, and holes drilled in the receiver, changing the barrel did not affect its value as an antique one way or the other. Sighting In Oh good, I now had a Super-97 slug gun! Well, not quite. At 50 yards, shooting at a 100-yard rifle target, the shotgun shot low’t oo low. This turned out to be an easy cure. Gun Parts Corp. has a selection of gun sights listed in their catalog.

I purchased and installed a raised frontsight base of the kind commonly seen on some semi-auto shotguns (Browning A-5, Ithaca M5, etc.). These install with Loctite, and come with a choice of sight beads. The front sight base could be soldered on, but was not necessary because the replacement barrel comes drilled and tapped and the sight stem screwed into the barrel from on top of the base. Other sight options are available. I even saw a Model 97 at a gun show that had rifle sights fitted to the barrel.

With the raised front sight on my Winchester Model 97, it consistently placed 12-gauge rifled slugs in the black at 50 yards. Although it can’t produce pinpoint accuracy, the Williams 5D shotgun receiver sight greatly enhances the accuracy potential of most shotguns. The 5D sight utilizes a large aperture that is not threaded for the rifle apertures. This aperture is currently called the William’s 5D Big Game Aperture. Sling and Swivels My shotgun has a military sling installed on it.

The sling is an M-14 sling, and I installed the swivels when I was in high school. The forward sling swivel was designed to slip over the end of the barrel and is held in place by tightening the center screw. Because of the way this sling swivel was designed, it was easy to open it up (expand it) enough to fit on the magazine tube. I don’t know if these are still made, but there are many sling swivels on the market that would work.

Conclusions/Recommendations With the increasing popularity of cowboy-action shooting and considering the many Winchester M97s still in use, an easy and efficient way to change barrels is handy. On the takedown models, a source for adjusting sleeves is also a good thing. The 5D sight is another nice enhancement; it can be removed and Winchester M-94 receiver-plug screws can be used to fill the holes.

In this day of the specialty shotgun, my modifications took a politically incorrect sawed-off shotgun and turned it back into a decent hunting/ home-defense/tactical weapon. I