WWI Winchester 1897 Trench Gun Solid Frame 12 GA 20” Pump Shotgun 1918 C&R
SOLD FOR: $2,725.00
LSB#: LSB260522JR048
Make: Winchester
Model: 1897, Solid Frame Model E
Serial Number: 686811
Year of Manufacture: 1918 / C&R
Caliber: 12 Gauge with 2 3/4” Chamber
Action Type: Pump Action Shotgun with Tubular Magazine, Exposed hammer, Solid Frame
Markings: The left side of the barrel is marked “MANUFACTURED BY THE WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS CO. NEW HAVEN.CONNECTICUT U.S.A. / PAT.NOV.25.90.DEC.6.92.JULY.21.96 .FEB.22.98.JUNE.14.98.OCT.13.1900.DEC.25.06.JULY.5.10.” The top of the barrel is also marked “12GA. CYL”. The bottom of the receiver is marked with the serial number “686811” under the “E” model designation. There are no U.S. Ordnance marks.The top of the barrel and the top left of the receiver are marked with Winchester “WP” proofs. The action bar is a Type-4 E Series and is marked “MODEL 1897 / –WINCHESTER– / TRADE MARK REG.IN U.S.PAT.OFF”. The left side of the receiver is marked “6” in electro-pencil.
Barrel Length: 20″
Choke: CYL, Fixed
Sights / Optics: There is no hole in the top of the barrel for a bead sight. There is a brass bead in the top of the heat shield. This is correct for a Trench Gun.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are a two-piece walnut with an 18-groove round pump grip, pistol grip, straight comb, and Winchester checkered hard rubber buttplate. The LOP measures 14″ from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. There are scattered compression marks and scratches on the wood. The heat shield is a WWII era shield. There is a repair in the wrist. Overall, the stocks are in Good condition as repaired and refinished.
Type of Finish: Blue
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright to dull. There is no erosion. There are small bumps in the bore where the heat shield screws are installed. In this writer’s opinion the bore rates 8/10.
Overall Condition: This shotgun retains about 70% of its metal finish. There is standard operational wear. There is thinning on the leading edges and concentrated at the muzzle and top and bottom of the receiver. There is intermittent oxidation and worn areas have turned to a mottled brown patina. There are scratches and handling marks throughout. The screw heads are marred from operational use but are still serviceable. Overall, this shotgun rates in Good condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this shotgun. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None.
Our Assessment: The Winchester Model 1897 became one of the most recognizable American military shotguns of the First World War. John Browning’s exposed-hammer pump action had already earned a reputation for ruggedness when Winchester adapted the 20″ Cylinder-bore solid-frame gun for military service with a ventilated handguard, bayonet attachment, sling swivels, and bead sight mounted to the bayonet/handguard assembly rather than the barrel. Authentic WWI-production trench guns are associated with the solid-frame configuration, while WWII production shifted to takedown guns. Importantly, the absence of U.S. Ordnance markings does not by itself disqualify a WWI gun, as many were not martial marked.
This example has several important characteristics consistent with a WWI Model 1897 Trench Gun, including its 1918-era serial range, solid frame, 20″ CYL-marked barrel, lack of a barrel-mounted bead, and appropriate trench-gun stock architecture. It retains about 70% of its original metal finish with an 8/10 bore and functioning action, though the repaired/refinished stocks and later WWII-pattern heat shield materially affect originality. Even with those changes, this remains an interesting WWI-era Model 1897 built around the configuration that made Winchester’s trench shotgun one of the most distinctive American fighting arms of the Great War.