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The C.S. Holmes was owned by the Backland family and sailed to Point Barrow in the fur trade. It was one of the last working 4 masted schooners and many photographs exist of it.

During the 1930s Seattle dock strike the Backlands bought shotguns and sawed some of them off to 18.5 inches. These were kept the ship's hold.

~1952 my aunt married young Captain Backland, after the ship sank in WWII. The shotguns survived and a sawed off Winchester 1897 made in 1939 was given to my father in 1959 for Christmas. He had Warshall's of Seattle fit a new Winchester barrel.


In 1963 my father bought himself a new Remington 1100 and the 1897 was passed down to me, at age 12. While dove hunting in Topinish WA, I fell in volcanic soil, and then next time I fired, the muzzle peeled like a banana. We went to a gas station and borrowed a hack saw. The 1897 was sawed off again. My father cut off part of the butt to fit my 85 pound frame.

By the time I was 14, I weighed 100 pounds and could limit on pheasants in Warden WA before my father or his friends could get off a shot. I was with a shotgun like 14 years olds are today with video games. I could shoot pheasants from the hip with my sawed off 1897. And the dogs liked me best. My father had a Poly Choke fitted on the muzzle.

In 2000 I was in Lynnwood Guns and Ammo and said I was trying relive my boyhood and looking for another 1897 with a poly choke. I was led into the back room where there was more than enough parts to build one. I paid $75 for the parts. I got the AGI video on 1897 Winchesters [excellent video] and assembled another one.


In 2012 I inherited the family 1897.