Any thought?

[thundrchikin]

I just acquired a 1897 Winchester from my wifes grandfather in what appears to be great shape. It was manufactured in 1924 according to the serial #. I don't know alot about the barrels on these models but someone said it was fluid steel. Does any one have any idea what that is and if it would be safe to shoot the Fed. HW through it. The Fed HW I found in 2 3/4 say low recoil so I don't think the action would have any problems with the pressure. I'm more worried about the barrel and choke it is full choked and I'd hate to blow it out. Thought I might give it a try this fall on some birds. Thanks in advance.

[vaturkey]

 Todd

I've never heard it called fluid steel. If Im not mistaken I think Nickle steel is the same thing. Being that old of a gun the barrel should have Nickle Steel stamped on it.
I think you would be ok shooting Fed Hw's in it. That's some tough metal.

Hope this helps ! Take Care  Ricky   

[thundrchikin]

Thanks Ricky, I'll look it over closer and see if I can find anything stamped on it.

[coyotetrpr]

Just my opinion but back then there were not any tungsten shot offerings so I might fear that the barrel might not be hard enough for such a shot. It may be fine but I would hate to think of scarring a barrel on that nice of a gun.

[ILIKEHEVI-13]

I have heard those older barrels like the 97's and model 12's and redletter 37's had some nickel in with the steel used at the time to make those barrels.  I heard this from some old timer that said that's why those older barrels shot so well and worked good for shooting matches. 

[allaboutshooting]

I just acquired a 1897 Winchester from my wifes grandfather in what appears to be great shape. It was manufactured in 1924 according to the serial #. I don't know alot about the barrels on these models but someone said it was fluid steel. Does any one have any idea what that is and if it would be safe to shoot the Fed. HW through it. The Fed HW I found in 2 3/4 say low recoil so I don't think the action would have any problems with the pressure. I'm more worried about the barrel and choke it is full choked and I'd hate to blow it out. Thought I might give it a try this fall on some birds. Thanks in advance.

Congratulations! Good '97s have become very hard to find. They were pretty common but card shooters fell in love with them and did some really "interesting" things to them, jug chokes, puckered barrels, etc. and that took a lot of them. Then cowboy action shooting came along and that gun qualified so many more were taken by those folks. There are some Norinco copies and probably some others that have been used by the cowboy crowd because the originals became so hard to find. If you have an original gun in good shape you may want to think about shooting any tungsten based shot through it.

In the old  Model 97s just like Model 12s and other guns made until screw-in chokes were generally adopted, the inside diameter barrel taper began right after the forcing cone and continued to the muzzle. Winchester used state-of-the-art steel for that time but no one ever anticipated in that era that we'd ever be shooting steel shot or even harder tungsten based shot thorough those barrels.

Those guns generally are great shooters, especially the full choke models and I'd look at shooting some high quality 2.75" #6 lead shot through it as opposed to any tungsten based shot loads.

Lastly, even though they were great guns, the one you have is still getting close to 100 years old. I'd recommend taking it to a good gunsmith, familiar with those old guns and have him give it a good going over prior to shooting any shells through it. Things can happen over the years and it's always better to safe.

Thanks,
Clark

[ILIKEHEVI-13]

Clark

That's good info about taking it to a good gunsmith to have him look the gun over for safety concerns.  I wanted to mention since you brought the safety aspects up about things can happen over time with these guns.  The 97 my buddy had was a good shooting match gun.  But it had one thing that made the gun unsafe and that was when you went to pump the gun back and pump the action shut to load the shell it would some times fire the shell once the receiver was shut on its own without squeezing the trigger.  I have heard these 97's were bad about that.  So that is something to think about.   

[thundrchikin]

Thanks guys! It is a orginial but it has been redone somewhere along the way. The wood and bluing are in great shape and it also has a Pachmeyer recoil pad. After hearing from you all and doing my own thinking I believe I will probably just go with lead. I'd hate to mess the gun up over a few extra yards of pattering. Besides it just wouldn't feel right shooting a modern shell through that old of a gun at a turkey. Anyone know where I could find some good old paper shells?

[davisd9]

Heavier than lead shot never touches the barrel of a gun. the shot stays in the wadding until it exits the gun.  Heavier than lead shot would mess up modern day barrels if the shot and barrel came in contact.  Look at what steel shot can do to a barrel and HTD is denser than steel shot.

[Rockhound]

Heavier than lead shot never touches the barrel of a gun. the shot stays in the wadding until it exits the gun.  Heavier than lead shot would mess up modern day barrels if the shot and barrel came in contact.  Look at what steel shot can do to a barrel and HTD is denser than steel shot.

It has to do with the shot hardness, that's what scores the barrel. Lead is denser than steel

[thundrchikin]

I just acquired a 1897 Winchester from my wifes grandfather in what appears to be great shape. It was manufactured in 1924 according to the serial #. I don't know alot about the barrels on these models but someone said it was fluid steel. Does any one have any idea what that is and if it would be safe to shoot the Fed. HW through it. The Fed HW I found in 2 3/4 say low recoil so I don't think the action would have any problems with the pressure. I'm more worried about the barrel and choke it is full choked and I'd hate to blow it out. Thought I might give it a try this fall on some birds. Thanks in advance.

Congratulations! Good '97s have become very hard to find. They were pretty common but card shooters fell in love with them and did some really "interesting" things to them, jug chokes, puckered barrels, etc. and that took a lot of them. Then cowboy action shooting came along and that gun qualified so many more were taken by those folks. There are some Norinco copies and probably some others that have been used by the cowboy crowd because the originals became so hard to find. If you have an original gun in good shape you may want to think about shooting any tungsten based shot through it.

In the old  Model 97s just like Model 12s and other guns made until screw-in chokes were generally adopted, the inside diameter barrel taper began right after the forcing cone and continued to the muzzle. Winchester used state-of-the-art steel for that time but no one ever anticipated in that era that we'd ever be shooting steel shot or even harder tungsten based shot thorough those barrels.

Those guns generally are great shooters, especially the full choke models and I'd look at shooting some high quality 2.75" #6 lead shot through it as opposed to any tungsten based shot loads.

Lastly, even though they were great guns, the one you have is still getting close to 100 years old. I'd recommend taking it to a good gunsmith, familiar with those old guns and have him give it a good going over prior to shooting any shells through it. Things can happen over the years and it's always better to safe.

Thanks,
Clark
Clark what would you consider to be high quality loads. I just bought some 2 3/4 Win Mags in #6 they are the buffered turkey loads. I'm just a little conserned about the pressures. I've shot several field loads through it with no problems but no magnums.

I just acquired a 1897 Winchester from my wifes grandfather in what appears to be great shape. It was manufactured in 1924 according to the serial #. I don't know alot about the barrels on these models but someone said it was fluid steel. Does any one have any idea what that is and if it would be safe to shoot the Fed. HW through it. The Fed HW I found in 2 3/4 say low recoil so I don't think the action would have any problems with the pressure. I'm more worried about the barrel and choke it is full choked and I'd hate to blow it out. Thought I might give it a try this fall on some birds. Thanks in advance.

Congratulations! Good '97s have become very hard to find. They were pretty common but card shooters fell in love with them and did some really "interesting" things to them, jug chokes, puckered barrels, etc. and that took a lot of them. Then cowboy action shooting came along and that gun qualified so many more were taken by those folks. There are some Norinco copies and probably some others that have been used by the cowboy crowd because the originals became so hard to find. If you have an original gun in good shape you may want to think about shooting any tungsten based shot through it.

In the old  Model 97s just like Model 12s and other guns made until screw-in chokes were generally adopted, the inside diameter barrel taper began right after the forcing cone and continued to the muzzle. Winchester used state-of-the-art steel for that time but no one ever anticipated in that era that we'd ever be shooting steel shot or even harder tungsten based shot thorough those barrels.

Those guns generally are great shooters, especially the full choke models and I'd look at shooting some high quality 2.75" #6 lead shot through it as opposed to any tungsten based shot loads.

Lastly, even though they were great guns, the one you have is still getting close to 100 years old. I'd recommend taking it to a good gunsmith, familiar with those old guns and have him give it a good going over prior to shooting any shells through it. Things can happen over the years and it's always better to safe.

Thanks,
Clark

[allaboutshooting]

Clark what would you consider to be high quality loads. I just bought some 2 3/4 Win Mags in #6 they are the buffered turkey loads. I'm just a little conserned about the pressures. I've shot several field loads through it with no problems but no magnums.

Shells made by Winchester, Federal or Remington would be on my list of high quality products. I would however have a qualified gunsmith take a look at the gun and make sure everything looks okay.

Thanks,
Clark