Log In
Members
Home
Add Reply
Add Topic
Offline
I’ve had this gun for many years, sitting in the back of the safe. One of those I’ll get around to figuring out what to do with it someday projects. It’s a WWI 97 trench, that someone removed the heat shield, installed a bead, varnished the stock and added a recoil pad, and reblued it, removing any military receiver markings it originally had. I’ve come to understand that quite a few 97’s ended up being butchered like this one, sometimes by police departments, and that’s where it came from, in a blind auction. I’ve had other monstrosities before, bumper shop chromed pre war S&W’s, reblued early 1911’s, etc., but this one probably bothered me the most, which is why I’ve hung onto it all these years. The gun is complete and functional, actually pretty nice and tight mechanically, and it’s an early one, E687XXX serial number.
So….. what would you do with it? Spend a couple grand plus to try and “restore” it? Sell it to someone else that wants to try? I realize there’s really no good answer, I just thought I’d seek solace from fellow collectors if nothing else. 
In my opinion, it would be wasted $$$$ to do anything with it. I would be inclined to sell it to someone that wants a project gun, or load it up with a magazine tube full of No. 4 Tactical Buck loads for handy use (if needed).
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Bert H. said
In my opinion, it would be wasted $$$$ to do anything with it. I would be inclined to sell it to someone that wants a project gun, or load it up with a magazine tube full of No. 4 Tactical Buck loads for handy use (if needed).Bert
I think this is definitely the way to go.
Well I have plenty of shotguns for houseguns, so I think I’m going to at least pseudo “restore” it anyway. It’ll look good hanging on the wall at least. Since it’s in the first trench guns made, I’ll still enjoy handling and shooting it, knowing there’s a good chance it was “over there” with my Grandfather and Great Uncles.
Well… in a stroke of luck that I don’t usually have, I have acquired both an original 1897 trench stock, and an original rear sling mount, and they are both winging their way to me. In my old buttplate collection, I already found a hard rubber Winchester plate that appears to possibly be the correct one. If so I’ll have to find screws for it. The big hurdle will be finding an original heat shield, but failing that, at least I’ll be halfway there.
Can anyone give me any insight on the mounting screws used for the stock sling mount? I’d like to find the originals, but failing that, repros, or the same size screws.
UpInTheBigTrees said
Well… in a stroke of luck that I don’t usually have, I have acquired both an original 1897 trench stock, and an original rear sling mount, and they are both winging their way to me. In my old buttplate collection, I already found a hard rubber Winchester plate that appears to possibly be the correct one. If so I’ll have to find screws for it. The big hurdle will be finding an original heat shield, but failing that, at least I’ll be halfway there.Can anyone give me any insight on the mounting screws used for the stock sling mount? I’d like to find the originals, but failing that, repros, or the same size screws.
Try this.
https://merkelauction.com/auction/228-merkels-wild-west/lot-40a-heat-shield/
oldcrankyyankee said
UpInTheBigTrees said
Well… in a stroke of luck that I don’t usually have, I have acquired both an original 1897 trench stock, and an original rear sling mount, and they are both winging their way to me. In my old buttplate collection, I already found a hard rubber Winchester plate that appears to possibly be the correct one. If so I’ll have to find screws for it. The big hurdle will be finding an original heat shield, but failing that, at least I’ll be halfway there.
Can anyone give me any insight on the mounting screws used for the stock sling mount? I’d like to find the originals, but failing that, repros, or the same size screws.
Try this.
https://merkelauction.com/auction/228-merkels-wild-west/lot-40a-heat-shield/
That is a WW II Model 97 heat shield (not correct for a WW I Trench Gun).
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Bert H. said
oldcrankyyankee said
UpInTheBigTrees said
Well… in a stroke of luck that I don’t usually have, I have acquired both an original 1897 trench stock, and an original rear sling mount, and they are both winging their way to me. In my old buttplate collection, I already found a hard rubber Winchester plate that appears to possibly be the correct one. If so I’ll have to find screws for it. The big hurdle will be finding an original heat shield, but failing that, at least I’ll be halfway there.
Can anyone give me any insight on the mounting screws used for the stock sling mount? I’d like to find the originals, but failing that, repros, or the same size screws.
Try this.
https://merkelauction.com/auction/228-merkels-wild-west/lot-40a-heat-shield/
That is a WW II Model 97 heat shield (not correct for a WW I Trench Gun).
Bert
Is is even WWII era. Or merely a recently produced heat shield in the WWII style that someone made up as recently as say even yesterday?
WACA #8783 - Checkout my Reloading Tool Survey!
https://winchestercollector.org/forum/winchester-research-surveys/winchester-reloading-tool-survey/
Maverick said
Bert H. said
oldcrankyyankee said
UpInTheBigTrees said
Well… in a stroke of luck that I don’t usually have, I have acquired both an original 1897 trench stock, and an original rear sling mount, and they are both winging their way to me. In my old buttplate collection, I already found a hard rubber Winchester plate that appears to possibly be the correct one. If so I’ll have to find screws for it. The big hurdle will be finding an original heat shield, but failing that, at least I’ll be halfway there.
Can anyone give me any insight on the mounting screws used for the stock sling mount? I’d like to find the originals, but failing that, repros, or the same size screws.
Try this.
https://merkelauction.com/auction/228-merkels-wild-west/lot-40a-heat-shield/
That is a WW II Model 97 heat shield (not correct for a WW I Trench Gun).
Bert
Is is even WWII era. Or merely a recently produced heat shield in the WWII style that someone made up as recently as say even yesterday?
That was my thought. They popup on GB and ebay all the time, often with no mention of being repros.
BTW, I no longer have my original trench gun stock coming. I made the mistake of pointing out what it was, before I purchased it for a fair, but lower than top dollar price. A week after winning the auction, the seller “couldn’t find it” and refunded my money. No good deed goes unpunished…..
Back to the hunt.
UpInTheBigTrees said
BTW, I no longer have my original trench gun stock coming. I made the mistake of pointing out what it was, before I purchased it for a fair, but lower than top dollar price. A week after winning the auction, the seller “couldn’t find it” and refunded my money. No good deed goes unpunished…..Back to the hunt.
Yeah never tell anyone why you want to buy their goose, because it lays the golden eggs. Always because you want to left the burden from them of having to house and feed the goose and give it a nice new home out of the goodness of your heart. Never because it lays golden eggs.
Lesson learned.
WACA #8783 - Checkout my Reloading Tool Survey!
https://winchestercollector.org/forum/winchester-research-surveys/winchester-reloading-tool-survey/
Maverick said
UpInTheBigTrees said
BTW, I no longer have my original trench gun stock coming. I made the mistake of pointing out what it was, before I purchased it for a fair, but lower than top dollar price. A week after winning the auction, the seller “couldn’t find it” and refunded my money. No good deed goes unpunished…..
Back to the hunt.
Yeah never tell anyone why you want to buy their goose, because it lays the golden eyes. Always because you want to left the burden from them of having to house and feed the goose and give it a nice new home out of the goodness of your heart. Never because it lays golden eyes.
Lesson learned.
Oh, I’ve learned that lesson many times over the last 50 years of gun trading. But being straight with someone is a hard habit to break…..
UpInTheBigTrees said
But being straight with someone is a hard habit to break…..
I’d consider being straight with someone a different matter from telling someone why I’m doing or going to do something.
I had a friend that was buying an Engraved 1st generation Colt SAA. They had the deal done and the dealer literally had the money in hand. When James answered the dealer’s question as to what he was going to do with the Colt. James responded he was going to shoot it and planned on shooting it in the next SASS competition he attended. That for some reason really pissed off the dealer, he literally snatched the pistol out of James’ hand and handed him his money back told him the deal was off. Well that in turn pissed James off, as the dealer acted like he was some punk kid that was going to destroy his father’s pistol by shooting it. This is even after James showed him his NRA Gold Medals for pistol shooting and promised to take good care of the pistol.
After a lengthy discussion James finally told the dealer to fly a kite and asked him what did you think they made the pistol for, Hammering Nails? It was made to shoot!
Had James simply told the man, Oh I’m going to take it home and stick it in my glass case and admire it by the light of the fireplace. How would the dealer know any difference?
What people do with what they purchase is their own business.
WACA #8783 - Checkout my Reloading Tool Survey!
https://winchestercollector.org/forum/winchester-research-surveys/winchester-reloading-tool-survey/
Maverick said
UpInTheBigTrees said
But being straight with someone is a hard habit to break…..
I’d consider being straight with someone a different matter from telling someone why I’m doing or going to do something.
I had a friend that was buying an Engraved 1st generation Colt SAA. They had the deal done and the dealer literally had the money in hand. When James answered the dealer’s question as to what he was going to do with the Colt. James responded he was going to shoot it and planned on shooting it in the next SASS competition he attended. That for some reason really pissed off the dealer, he literally snatched the pistol out of James’ hand and handed him his money back told him the deal was off. Well that in turn pissed James off, as the dealer acted like he was some punk kid that was going to destroy his father’s pistol by shooting it. This is even after James showed him his NRA Gold Medals for pistol shooting and promised to take good care of the pistol.
After a lengthy discussion James finally told the dealer to fly a kite and asked him what did you think they made the pistol for, Hammering Nails? It was made to shoot!
Had James simply told the man, Oh I’m going to take it home and stick it in my glass case and admire it by the light of the fireplace. How would the dealer know any difference?
What people do with what they purchase is their own business.
No, I agree with all that, I just have trouble not pointing out what something is, when the seller obviously doesn’t know. In this case, I did it before I purchased it, and the seller didn’t cancel the auction, but chose to “lose” it after I bought it. In hindsight, I shouldn’t have said anything, most/all of their items are ridiculously overpriced, I should have figured they might find a reason not to ship it. Lesson learned…. again…
But I’m also the guy that goes over and tells the widow what her husband’s guns are really worth, instead of what the dead guy’s “buddies” are graciously offering to take them off her hands for…..before he’s even in the ground… “Oh those pre war Colt’s, I’ll give you 500 bucks each and take all of them, just because me and Jim were such good friends“. Or “Jim told me I could buy all of them for $ before he died”…. I don’t know how some guy’s sleep at night.
1 Guest(s)
