Interestingly, the German Army protested the American use of shotguns during the war and threatened special "punishment" for prisoners caught in ownership of such weapons (such was the power of trench-clearing with a rapid-fire/repeat-fire shotgun). The protest ultimately went unheeded and the Americans counter-promised their own reprisals for German treatment of American shotgun infantry. Ironically, the German protest of the "barbaric" use of shotguns in the war came under the shadow of them utilizing poison gas against their Allied foes in the war.
Overall, the Model 1897 Trench Gun was a smooth weapon, complete with the Winchester-style boxy receiver now rounded out for modern times. The hammer spur protruded from the rear of the frame (hidden in the newer Model 1912) and a large ejection port was set to the right side of the receiver. The stock was well formed and solid, incorporating the pistol grip leading up to the trigger unit. The trigger sat within a thin ring guard in the usual way. The barrel tapered towards the muzzle to which a small front sight was identified as well as the bayonet attachment lacking in the civilian models. The pump action slide was of walnut and ribbed for a good hand hold and wrapped around the tubular magazine. Shells were loaded through a port under the receiver. The manual pump action worked the next shell into the firing chamber, the action also ejecting any shell currently in the receiver.
The Model 1897 was produced in eight major "grades" beginning with the basic model known as the Model 1897 Standard which was produced from 1897 to 1957. These sported 28- and 30-inch barrels and came in 12- and 16-gauge forms with a walnut stock and steel buttplate. The Model 1897 Trap was produced from 1897 to 1931 and was completed in 12- and 16-gauge forms with 28- and 30-inch barrels along with checkered walnut stocks. The Model 1897 Pigeon was also delivered in 12- and 16-gauge forms though only with 28-in barrels and a hand-engraved receiver. Production spanned from 1897 to 1939. The Model 1897 Tournament appeared solely in a 12-gauge form with a 30-inch barrel, a more refined glare-free finish and was produced from 1910 to 1931. The Model 1897 Brush was offered in 12- and 16-gauge forms with a 26-inch barrel, was produced from 1897 to 1931 and included a walnut stock, solid frame and decreased tubular magazine. The Model 1897 Brush Takedown was similar though produced with a "take-down" frame.
At the time of World War 2, the Model 1897 came into play once more. The Americans saw a critical shortage of small arms after the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Empire of Japan (the event thrusting the nation into war) . The existing stocks of Model 1897 were not sufficient enough to meet the new wartime demand so production ramped up on all manner of shotguns once more. As in World War 1, the US government contracted for Standard, Trench Gun and Riot Gun types during World War 2 as well as a stock to serve in training aerial gunners. Winchester rose to the occasion by delivering Model 1897 and Model 1912 shotguns and both went on to see continued exemplary service, particularly in the Pacific Theater of War where close-quarters combat in the jungle environment proved regular. Some shotguns were also modified in-the-field with barrel extensions to help with accuracy. From 1941 to 1944 the US military procured 39,176 Model 1897 series shotguns though this was dwarfed by the 80,500 Model 1912s also purchased in that same span.
Shotguns eventually served in frontline, secondline, guard and state-side police duty during the conflict. Logistics limited its overall reach, particularly in that the shotgun required very specialized ammunition stores unlike machine guns and service rifles, several designs being utilized that could share a common cartridge. After the war, pre-war shotguns such as the Model 1897 began to see fewer numbers owing in large part to their expensive production and procurement costs. Over the decades, numbers dwindled naturally as US military forces simply worked through their existing stocks, replacing them with cheaper and more modern alternatives from Remington and Ithaca. Production of Model 1897s ended in 1957 and many went on to see extended combat service in the Korean and Vietnam Wars to follow.
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