1897 Winchester Antique Question|Winchester Shotguns|Forum|Winchester Collector

David Whiteman said
Hello. I have a brush, 12 gauge, 26 inch, cyc marked 1897, serial number 58997. Most of the finish is gone. Can someone tell me what year this shotgun was made and am I correct that it is a brush model. Are they worth more or less than other models. I want a riot model but this one came up first. Also, when I contacted the ATF to confirm that this unit was made prior to 1897, my emailed response was that since the records don’t exist, they would have to consider this modern. I sent this email some time ago, it was my understanding that Cody can confirm the date. Do I need to send in a Cody letter and will they accept it?

Thanks  

David,

Yes, it is a Brush Gun.  Generally speaking, a verified Brush Gun is worth approximately 50% more than an otherwise identical Field grade gun.

Can you please forward the email response you received from the BATF to me…  [email protected]

As Tom stated, the CFM records office has both the serialization records, and the factory warehouse ledger records, both of which will confirm that your Brush Gun was manufactured late in the year 1898, which positively proves that it is a bona fide “antique” per the current Federal regulations.

There is no reason why you would need to send anything (the CFM factory letter) to the BATF.  From a legal standpoint, Yes, the BATF (or any law enforcement agency for that matter) would be compelled to accept the information contained on the factory letter.

Bert

David Whiteman said
Thank you both for your reply’s. Bert, I will forward you the email I received. After review, please let me know what you think. Thanks again.   

David,

I received your email, and replied with a detailed response.  I put the BATF on copy to the message I sent you.  It will be interesting to see if they reply… I certainly hope that they do.

Bert