I have two 12 ga and two 16 ga 97s. The first one I bought was a 12
ga with a poly choke that was missing the outer piece. It was at an
indoor auction house and I was sure that it had been reblued but I
got it for $330 so I was happy. When I got it home I realized the blue
was original and it dates to 1955. I didn't realize how long the 97
stayed in production. I have since added another mid 50s 12 ga and
two 16s from 1941. I got rid of the poly on the first one by cutting
the barrel at 24". I have taken several pheasants with it. The 97 is a
great gun just to own, real history. Prices are all over the place,
mostly too high if you see one on GB. A serial number of around one
million indicates 50s mfg date. Here's my first and best 12 ga
on top and my first and best 16 ga. The 16 was the most
expensive of my four at $500 in a local FTF deal I came
across but better than most auction site prices.
Last edited by alwslate; 03-09-2016 at 01:40 AM.
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