LOTS of folks collect 1897s (or have or want one in their collections). Myself, I have half a dozen of them in my collection. All of them are in very good mechanical condition. If they aren't when I acquire them, I recondition them myself (Mechanically only. Cosmetically, I leave them in their natural state - primarily because, unlike collectors of fine English guns who want their collections in like-new condition, collectors of American classics want theirs to show all the provenance that they came by honestly. See below for possible reasons for the difference.*) I'm particularly proud to be custodian of a (verified genuine) trench model.
* IMO, the difference between collectors of vintage English and American pieces evolved from the distinct differences in the markets in those countries during the period. In England, only nobility and the elite had access to hunting lands and the financial resources to afford the high quality hand-made guns produced by the craftsmen of the London and Birmingham makers. It was common practice at the time to send one's guns back to the maker at the end of each season to have them inspected and restored to original condition.
In the United States and Canada, by contrast, a larger portion of the market was supplied with mass produced models that were affordable for homesteaders, hunters, and adventurers. These purchasers couldn't afford annual "checkups", used their guns year 'round, and were often too remote to be sending their guns back to the makers. As a consequence, their expectations were vastly different. They expected guns that would take years of use and abuse and continue to function. They appreciated brilliant designs (such as John Browning's 1897) that could be user-adjusted if they began to shoot loose.
