Potential future trench gun replica? Winchester 1897

EDIT: NOT trying to make a fake for profit or scam anyone, Gun will never be sold.


First time poster, but I've been lurking for awhile

I made an impulse buy today, I've been looking for a shotgun to convert to a WW1 trench gun replica. An authentic Trench gun is simply out of the question cost wise.

While I was hopeful to find a gun that had already been modified, removing me from the guilt of altering it myself. This poor battered 1897 has a full 30" Barrel.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...c7ed2a_z-1.jpg


Plenty of clumsy attempts at removing the barrel/
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...51e02b_z-1.jpg


Mechanically seems to be in good condition.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...b9177c_z-1.jpg

Now I have to find peace with what I do going forward, I want to build a proper WW1 era Trench gun, and this gun, solid frame, pre-WW1 serial, already damaged barrel seems like the best place to start.

Not making any hasty actions until I get some advise, and look at both sides of the coin.

Welcome to the forum.

The heat shield/bayonet adapter likely won't fit because they were made for a riot barrel not the tapered long barrels. So it will be far too big... There's a story that they company that makes them also makes a tighter fit for the cut down long barrels but I don't know of anyone actually getting one to fit right. You'd need to shim the adaptor like they actually had to for some guns.