I'm looking to obtain a Winchester 1897 trench gun. And I know they are scarce and pricey. But I've noticed a lot of them for sale are either civilian 1897s or riot guns that have been converted

 

Would anyone purchase a converted one?

Are the converted ones safe?

 

I know IAC (Norinco) makes clones but that is not something I'm looking to get

 

 

thoughts?

Depends on why you want it. Value is usually found in the unadulterated form.

Depends on why you want it. Value is usually found in the unadulterated form.

 

I've just noticed a lot of the ones on gunbroker are regular 1897s that have been cut down or modified into the Trench Gun configuration. Just want to make sure this is safe or not

If it's just a reduction in barrel length it's fine if it's still over the 18in legal length. Although there won't be a choke on it.

The originals are out there and do pop up.  I fell into this one last year

That one was one of the rarer WW1 variations made in 1918 US material marked with original stock. Most of the WW1 guns were not US marked.   The WWII were takedown models and had a beefier wrist.  The store had it on the shelf without the heat shield marked as a reproduction because the US is hand stamped.  Everything I knew was saying the gun was legit.  I bought it on a whim for a couple hundred and the serial number was actually in my SRS books.  Inventoried at Hickam Field in 1939.  The hardest part was tracking down a real heat shield and bayo lug but, that was a whole different battle. 

That one was one of the rarer WW1 variations made in 1918 US material marked with original stock. Most of the WW1 guns were not US marked.   The WWII were takedown models and had a beefier wrist.  The store had it on the shelf without the heat shield marked as a reproduction because the US is hand stamped.  Everything I knew was saying the gun was legit.  I bought it on a whim for a couple hundred and the serial number was actually in my SRS books.  Inventoried at Hickam Field in 1939.  The hardest part was tracking down a real heat shield and bayo lug but, that was a whole different battle. 

 

Very nice, most of the original ones I found were pricey. And there are a lot of 1897s that were converted to trench guns as well. 

 

I did find an1897 with a 30 inch barrel that was a bit beat up so I am going to restore and convert to a trench gun