1897 WINCHESTER ADVICE

[Doco overboard]

I'm looking at a C prefix 1897 in 12 gauge #108252 The shotgun is a take-down model with two serialized barrels. One is marked cyl and is 20" barrel and the other is marked Full and 30" The shorter of the two has considerably more wear than the other but both have mirror bores and have tight lock up with no mechanical issues. There is a hard rubber buttplate on the stock and the pistol grip is rounded. Finish is commensurate for a firearm of the period but not stellar. Wood is solid. There are no other factory markings on the frame or butt stock indicating anything outside of ordinary use. Could someone give me any insight as to what I'm looking at, seems interesting to me. Thanks, for any input, apologize for not having pictures available its being offered through a LGS so no photos yet.

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[Tom Doniphon]

So the barrel extensions on both barrels are serial numbered to the gun, correct? Maybe it was ordered with two barrels.

The Cody Firearms Museum has the warehouse records for Model 1897s in that serial number range. You might want to consider getting a letter from the Museum which should tell you what barrel length it had when it shipped from the factory.

[Doco overboard]

Thanks for the info, closer examination has revealed that the short barrel has been stamped cyl with a modern die over top of the original mod which looks like script. Both extensions match the receiver so I'm thinking someone cut it down. The seller probably wont allow the substantiation to reflect the asking price.