Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors Winchester Model 1897 Riot gun

I just purchased a Winchester model 1897 riot gun and the serial number dates it to being made in 1899 (#C51xxx). It has the steel butt plate and the 20 inch barrel. But my question is I know that a lot of people took the 30 and 32 inch barrels and cut them off to make riot guns but all of them that I have seen said full on the barrel for the choke and CYL was on the original riot guns barrel that I have seen.But this gun doesn't have the CYL on the barrel but I don't believe that this barrel has been cut off.Any info on this gun would be of great help.
Thanks--Tim

Hi Tim...need photo's

Every time I go to download pictures it tells me that the file is too large and it won't let me. I could email you some pictures if that would help. But I was just trying to find out a gun made in 1899 if there was a chance that they didn't have the CYL on the barrel stating for cylinder barrel.

This one is out of my pay grade! BUT I do know this one is faked as much as the 70! v b winpoor

Is there anyone out there that has had any dealing with these riot guns.If pictures are a must could anyone tell me how to make the file smaller so I could download them to this site.
Thanks--Tim

My old Granddaddy was second in command at the county farm one time and if something went to sh$t ,the first gun he grab was a riot 97 loaded with no 2 High brass, I still have a half a case, they are in brown paper till you tear em open ,then its a pink tin foil looking inside, the shell boxes look like Rem took a red rubber stamp that reads U S Property and stamped across corner to corner ! I will take some photos. I wish I could help more, U gotta figure out how to post photos! How does she shoot? v best winpoor

I just got a response back from Winchester Historian Bert Hartman and he has told me just about everything that I needed to know about my Winchester 1897 Riot gun and here is what he had to say.

Per the original factory records, your Model 1897 originally had a 32-inch Full choke barrel. The standard choke for the Model 1897 was a Full choke, and on the early production guns, Winchester did not mark the barrel unless the choke was other than standard. It was received in the warehouse on August 22, 1898.

Regards,
Bert Hartman
WACA Historian


I hope maybe that this info might help somebody else out someday.And to answer your question Winchesterpoor I just acquired the gun the other day so I haven't shot it yet but the gentleman that I bought it off of is 88 years old now and he said it shot OO buck great.That is all that I can say.