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Winchester Model 1897

Small Arms And Sidearms

The Winchester Model 1897 is an external-hammer pump-action shotgun developed by John Browning and Matthew Browning as an evolution of the earlier Winchester Model 1893, and manufactured by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company from 1897 until 1957, with more than one million produced. It was built with a tubular magazine and offered in 12 and 16 gauge, in solid-frame and takedown versions with barrel lengths from 20 to 36 inches. The shotgun saw wide use by American military personnel and law enforcement officers as well as civilian hunters. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Classification
Caliber
12-gauge 1
Caliber
16-gauge 2
Service Status
In Service 2
Weapon Class
Pump-action shotgun 3
Introduced Year
1897 3
Weapon Class
Weapon Class (category)
Small Arm 3
FAQs

What made the Winchester Model 1897 trench gun different from the standard gun?

The Trench Gun had a 20-inch barrel, a perforated barrel heat shield and a mount for the Model 1917 bayonet.

The military adopted the Model 1897 as the Model 97 in Standard, Riot Gun and Trench Gun forms. The Trench Gun was given the military treatment: a shorter 20-inch barrel, a perforated heat shield over the barrel and mountings for the American Model 1917 field bayonet. The Riot Gun was a Standard gun fitted with a shorter barrel and intended for guard duty.

Why was the Winchester Model 1897 so effective at close range?

The trigger could stay pressed while the operator worked the pump for rapid repeated fire.

The operator could hold the trigger down and work the pump for successive shots, a method known as racking shells or slam firing. Military Factory calls this a powerful quality in short-range combat. That suited the First World War trench fighting, where short-ranged weapons were valued for clearing trenches.
Connections

Operated By

United States Army, Armed Forces and Units
Source Wikipedia: Winchester Model 1897
United States Marine Corps, Armed Forces and Units
Source Wikipedia: Winchester Model 1897

Used In

Korean War, Wars
Source Wikipedia: Winchester Model 1897
Philippine-American War, Wars
Source Wikipedia: Winchester Model 1897
Spanish-American War, Wars
Source Wikipedia: Winchester Model 1897
Vietnam War, Wars
Source Wikipedia: Winchester Model 1897
World War I, Wars
Source Wikipedia: Winchester Model 1897
World War II, Wars
Source Wikipedia: Winchester Model 1897
In the Other Atlases

Manufactured By

Winchester Repeating Arms Company

Also in Business Atlas: the manufacturer of this subject.

Source Wikidata: Winchester Model 1897
Sources
1. Wikidata: Winchester Model 1897
Wikidata Q1085180, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source
2. Wikipedia: Winchester Model 1897
  • Article text
    The Model 1897 was used again in World War II by the United States Army and Marine Corps, where it was used alongside the similarly militarized version of the hammerless Model 1912. Some were still in service during the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
  • Lead section
    The Model 1897 was offered in numerous barrel lengths and grades, chambered in 12 and 16 gauge, and as a solid frame or takedown.
  • caliber:12-gauge
    The 16-gauge guns had a standard barrel length of 28 in (71 cm), while 12-gauge guns were furnished with 30 in (76 cm) barrels
  • Infobox: service
    1897-present
  • Used In: Spanish-American War, infobox wars field: 'Spanish-American War'
  • Used In: Philippine-American War, infobox wars field: 'Philippine-American War'
  • Used In: World War I, infobox wars field: 'World War I'
  • Used In: World War II, infobox wars field: 'World War II'
  • Used In: Korean War, infobox wars field: 'Korean War'
  • Used In: Vietnam War, infobox wars field: 'Vietnam War'
  • Operated By: United States Army, Wikipedia article text
    The Model 1897 was used again in World War II by the United States Army and Marine Corps, where it was used alongside the similarly militarized version of the hammerless Model 1912.
  • Operated By: United States Marine Corps, Wikipedia article text
    The Model 1897 was used again in World War II by the United States Army and Marine Corps, where it was used alongside the similarly militarized version of the hammerless Model 1912.
View the Source
3. Wikipedia: Winchester Model 1897
  • Lead paragraph
    Pump-action shotgun with an external hammer and tube magazine manufactured by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company.
  • History
    The Model 1897 was first listed for sale in the November 1897 Winchester catalog as a 12 gauge solid frame.
  • Weapon class classified from the entity's own sourced description text.
View the Source
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