Real or Fake? Authenticating an 1897 Trench Gun (Ad-Free)
Added 2023-09-19 12:00:03 +0000 UTCAuthentic World War One 1897 trench guns will have:
Serial number between E613,000 and E705,000
High quality rust blue finish
Solid frame
20-inch cylinder bore barrel (with no bead)
Muzzle in lone with bayonet lug
Handguard with six rows of holes
Bayonet lug with a bead sight and either "PAT APPY FOR" on the right or patent dates on the right
Stock with a thin wrist, high comb, no fluting, and no stamps
Hard plastic commercial buttplate
Sling swivel on stock
Authentic World War Two 1897 trench guns will have:
Serial number between 921,300 and 986,300 (but most between 930,000 and 953,000)
High quality commercial blue finish
Takedown frame with "U.S." and (usually) flaming bomb stamp
20-inch cylinder bore barrel (with no bead) with flaming bomb stamp on top of chamber
Muzzle extending approximately 1/4" beyond bayonet lug
Handguard with four rows of holes (except some very early ones with WW1-type heat shields)
Bayonet lug with a bead sight and patent dates on the right
Stock with a thick wrist, low comb, flutes, and inspection stamp (either WB or GHD) with crossed cannons
Hard plastic commercial buttplate
Sling swivel on stock
Comments
Oh, how wonderful it would be to have cheap but working clones of good old 1886 or 1897 shotguns.
Lance Thundercock
2023-09-19 23:37:10 +0000 UTCmy lady would need that norinco clone. love the 97 looks but rather grab a side by side myself. I like the finish just fine, not as much as a fine blueing though!
Guido Schriewer
2023-09-19 20:29:54 +0000 UTCI wish Norinco's were $300.
Kenneth Marshall
2023-09-19 16:29:49 +0000 UTCSurprised you didn’t pull a WWII gun off your lap just to flex.
Terry
2023-09-19 13:47:19 +0000 UTCYeah, that caught my attention.
ViejoLobo
2023-09-19 13:17:57 +0000 UTC
