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Hey guys, I thought I would show you what followed me home from a local auction this weekend. Its a 1897 Black Diamond Trap in 16 ga. It looks pretty straight to me but I would like any and all opinions. The bore is excellent and the action is clean and works as it should.
I am not sure if Bert H. has this in his survey but the serial number is 576393 E with a 28″ FULL choke barrel that has factory matting along the top.
April 15, 2005
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I did have this gun listed in my survey, but did not have all the details. Your pictures provided everything I needed… thanks!
The 16-ga Black Diamond Trap Gun is a very difficult Model 1897 to find. Based on my research, just 13.66% of all Model 1897s were made in 16-ga, and just 0.53% were Trap Guns. Extrapolated, that indicates that approximately 5,250 16-ga Trap Guns were manufactured.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Thanks Bert.
I have always liked the 16 ga. shotgun. I have been looking for one of these for a long time and your stats explain why it has been such a long quest. I had no idea that of the 1.24 million Model 1897’s that so few were 16 ga Black Diamonds. I have the letter from Cody and her “birthday” is January 25, 1913. Unfortunately that is all the information they have. Like all of us who bring these great old guns into our homes I just wish the old girl could tell me the stories of the men who took care of her, the birds and clays she has brought down and the hunts she has been on.
Thanks again, best regards.
Glenn
April 15, 2005
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Glenn,
Winchester did not manufacture 1.24 million Model 1897s… that is another on of those falsely published pieces of information. The precise number of Model 1897/97 shotguns manufactured was 990,522. Serial numbers reached 1,024,701, with the first 34,000 of them being used on the Model 1893 shotguns.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Bert,
Thanks for setting me straight. Obviously the information I had was incorrect. I appreciate your attention to detail.
Regards, Glenn
