Will chopping the bbl on my Win 97 shotgun to 20'' diminish the value?

Alfonso

Alfonso

CGN Regular
Rating - 100%
53   0   0
Location
Okanagan
I just aquired a winchester model 1897 shotgun and wish to chop down the bbl to 20" to mimic the WWI trenchgun look, with maybe ordering the heat shield kit, bayonette lug, etc from the US one day. Will this diminish the value of the shotgun? It's a 1909 manufature date.

Thanks
 
If you want to treat this gun as an investment, do not cut it.

If you don't care what it is worth at the end of the day, and simply want a recreation of another gun, only you know if it's worth it to you - but don't ever expect the recreation to be as valued by others as your unaltered shotgun would have been.

Personally, I'm of two minds. I hate seeing quality old guns destroyed for any reason, BUT, if the trench gun you are speaking of is so rare as to make it virtually unobtainable, and a person is trying to recreate a seldom seen weapon for historical purposes, then the sacrifice of a more common gun does serve a purpose.

If you just like short shotguns, I'd say either keep what you have and buy another for that purpose, or sell this one and use it to fund the other project. If the purpose is the beginning of an honest attempt at recreating the other gun, I would not hold the destruction of the Win97 against you.
 
Cowboy Action/Wild Bunch bubbas have already butchered more than their fair share of vintage guns.
If you want a short barrel, fit a replacement.
 
Yeah, cutting the barrel destroys collector value.

It's similar to painting a moustache on a classic Picasso painting - somebody will think it's clever but most people will think you're a tool. It's you property and there's no law against it.

Your gun, your money, your choice. Just don't expect that everyone will like it.
 
The only guns that I ever cut were to fill a specific role. I wanted a packable cheap camp gun so a cut two cooeys one was a .12 ga for $50 and the other was a .410 (in rough shape I made a pistol grip out of it) for free and they were both project guns for fun. They might have no value for a collector but lets be real who collects cooeys. I love them both and would never sell either one of them. The .410 sees a lot of hiking/camp time is the summer.
 
It's sad, but many Win model 1897's have already been cut down for events such as cowboy action. So, if you have an original Win 1897 with the factory barrel length it's worth more to not cut it down. Check your local gun clubs, and here on Gnutz for a 97 that's already been cut, or look for the Norinco which is a very good copy of the trench 97 gun and operates just as good as the original Win.

There's only so many original model 97's in the world. As each gets cut down, the remainders grow in collector's value.
 
I SAY DONT CUT IT ........... i got a 97 way back 8 yrs ago........it had a nasty bent barrel. like a s kinda........BUT

to save it i cut it . now its 20 inch lenth but use-able .

didnt want too but whats a guy to do........price was right ( very little less that 100$)

PLEASE DONT WHIP ME TOO MUCH FOLKS !
 
If you want to keep it as a investment don't cut the original barrel.Check around with your local gunsmiths or at gun shows for a suitable barrel(preferably one that's already been chopped).Or check on line with companies like Numrich in the states. They usually carry barrels and heat shields,etc but don't always have everything in stock so sometimes you just have to be patient.I wanted a shorty for cowboy action but I couldn't bring myself to cut my old 97 down so I did the logical thing, I bought another that someone had already chopped.Nice and painless.
 
I have 1x 97 Barrel that I purchased here and cut down then installed them on my gun. I still have the original in pristine shape. I had another 97 with a slightly rusted and pitted interior, it was cut down. Both barrels were in less than collectable state and I feel no remorse in doing so. It all depends on the condition of the barrel being cut. It would be nice to find a manufacturer that sold new barrels though.
 
Chapparal made trench gun repros that were available from Marstar earlier this year before they sold out. Make an offer on the EE for one of those or a Norc.

How much is it going to cost you after paying the smith, buying the parts, plus depreciation in value of your current gun?
 
do not bubba it up leave it alone dame things are hard enough to find if you want a trench gun buy a norinco copy no need to bubba up a good one there getting harder to find even in the US

the norinco copy is vary nice and i wish i could find one as im starting a military collection so far i got some russian and candian stuff but still cant find some of the guns and kit needed to do what i want
 
NB.nagantsniper said:
I SAY DONT CUT IT ........... i got a 97 way back 8 yrs ago........it had a nasty bent barrel. like a s kinda........BUT

to save it i cut it . now its 20 inch lenth but use-able .

didnt want too but whats a guy to do........price was right ( very little less that 100$)

PLEASE DONT WHIP ME TOO MUCH FOLKS !
Click to expand...

That's defensible though... the original barrel was already gone.
 
Just to add my voice - don't cut it.

Was at a gunshow a few weeks back and the nicest 1897 I've seen in a long while was there with full length barrel. A guy bought it and announced he was going to cut it down for CASS or something like that. Several grown men were on the verge of tears. Not a pretty sight. Sell yours for it's true value, and buy a cut down one for less and spend your profit on ammo or another gun. I can never understand altering a gun that has historical value, especially when it devalues the gun at the same time... there's no positive outcome to it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom