Winchester 1897 Correcting|Winchester Shotguns|Forum|Winchester Collector

I bought a fairly old (1899) (S/N C 82444) Winchester 1897. It was painfully obvious from the first pic that the previous owner had no clue. That ugly slide handle was screwed on, with non-appropriate screws, and glued to the the slide bar. When I got it off, the screw holes were all fouled up. I got them welded shut, drilled, and re-tapped the holes.

To say it was an education would be an understatement. The new handle is a reproduction, but at least it’s period correct. I’ll keep looking for an original, but I don’t want to have to make a car payment to get it.

The second pic is the new handle installed. I still have to take it for a test drive before I try to antique the finish and locktite the screws.