kem@meyersandshaulis.com said
I occasionally shoot a round of trap with a full choke Model 1885 20 gauge.  I shoots well as long as you cover the bird with the barrel.  It also gets a little hot making it more difficult to extract empties the last stations. 
  

You must be a glutton for punishment!  My Single Shot high-wall (Solid frame) 20-ga shotgun kicks like a proverbial Mule, even with light Skeet loads.  At just over 5-lbs it is too light of a gun to shoot a round of trap with it.

Have you provided me with the serial number on your Single Shot high-wall shotgun?  Currently, I have (109) of them documented (nearly all is the 113462 - 114855 serial range).

Bert

Zebulon said
Maybe one of you can explain to me the attraction of a single barrel break-open gun for trap shooting.  I know there's a lot of trap shooters who favor them. But I don't understand why. 
I do understand the advantage of weight in a gun used for competitive clay target shooting. 
But an over/under gun can be heavier unless the single is especially weighted for the purpose. 
I would think a higjh shooting 12 gauge Superposed with 32" barrels choked Improved Modified and Full and with a heavy rib to incresse weight to 9 pounds, an ideal trap gun.
What does such a gun lack that a single barrel trap gun can offer?
  

Zeb-

Only thing I can think of is personal preference. I've tried a few BT-99's and they just don't feel right. I like the way a 37 feels but have never fired one. 

Mike

I do understand the advantage of weight in a gun used for competitive clay target shooting. 

But an over/under gun can be heavier unless the single is especially weighted for the purpose. 

I would think a higjh shooting 12 gauge Superposed with 32" barrels choked Improved Modified and Full and with a heavy rib to incresse weight to 9 pounds, an ideal trap gun.

What does such a gun lack that a single barrel trap gun can offer?

I think the best advice is as always, homework. When you get the rare opportunity to examine an unaltered original take note. And enquiring here is among the things smart guys do.

Bravo on posting pics from the git go, makes all the difference. You have a neat old 97 there, do avoid steel shot. You might consider opening the choke as the gun has limited usefulness today. While the old boys at Winchester bored some great chokes, those chokes were designed for fiber wads and cardboard. Modern plastic wads shoot about one choke tighter in the old guns, that makes a Winchester full mighty tight.

I like Mike Orlen in MA. for barrel work he is all that, fast, reasonable and superb work. Were that my gun? Cut it back to 26 or 27 and have Mike screw choke it. The gun is a shooter so shoot the darn thing. 

I like screw in chokes on classic guns, keeps the look the same as ever, and makes the gun FAR more useful. You could also give trap shooting a go, if your personality leans toward perfection give trap a go.

Mike did a real nice old Remington 31 I had, the true ball bearing pump gun, yes smoother than an M12. Mike cut it back to 27 moved the bead and supplied 3 chokes. Once almost useless now a fine old all rounder. Less than 250 bucks just a few years ago. You only need to ship the barrel which is not a gun.

Ricklin said
Thanks for that Bert. I could not get the link to work. From the pics it does look like a high quality refinishing job. I know enough to be dangerous. The gun in question looks hot blued to my eye. Were not the early 1897's rust blued?
Funny, a British best gun can go back to it's maker and be refinished and be worth more after. Not the case here in the good old USA where manufacturer's don't offer refinishing. Maybe Colt still does? 
I don't know the status of factory records on the 1897, there is darn little for the model 12. Be really wary of fakes when collecting Winchester shotguns in general. There are lots of folks here way more knowledgeable than myself. Always post pics and serial numbers when enquiring.
  

As a WACA Guest, you do not have access to the Winchester Collector magazine archives (you need to be a WACA Member in good standing).  I will encourage you to become a full WACA member versus a Guest.

Yes, the pre-1939 Model 1897s were manufactured with a "rust" blued barrel and magazine tube.  The receiver frames were "machine" blued.

The factory ledger records exist (at the CFM records office) for the Model 1897 through serial number 377999.  The Polishing Room (PR) serialization records are complete through the end of production (s/n 1024701) on September 30th, 1957.  For the Model 1912 (12), only the PR records exist.

Bert

Funny, a British best gun can go back to it's maker and be refinished and be worth more after. Not the case here in the good old USA where manufacturer's don't offer refinishing. Maybe Colt still does? 

I don't know the status of factory records on the 1897, there is darn little for the model 12. Be really wary of fakes when collecting Winchester shotguns in general. There are lots of folks here way more knowledgeable than myself. Always post pics and serial numbers when enquiring.

What is the serial number?  With it, I can determine the precise date of manufacture (day, month, & year).  Does it have a matted barrel and receiver top?

Have you read my recent article - 2026 Spring (winchestercollector.org)

Bert