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Legacy Member
WWI WRA 1897 Trench, barrel swapped with a pipe Wrench?
Last edited by cplstevennorton; 01-27-2019 at 10:37 AM.
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01-27-2019 10:30 AM
# ADS
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Legacy Member
It is a real WWI 1897 trench gun. It even has the hand stamped US and Ordnance bomb on the receiver which make it more rare since most of the WWI 1897s did not have the hand stamped marks. Too bad someone really messed it up.
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Legacy Member
"...Too bad someone really messed it up..." Yep. Destroyed any collector value.
That's not a Brit broad arrow acceptance stamp. Too square and in the wrong place. Wouldn't be hidden away like that. Our was inside an upper case 'C'.
Spelling and Grammar count!
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Legacy Member
Hey thanks guys for responding! Does anyone have an idea where to get a replacement front sling swivel or whatever the technical name is?
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Contributing Member
You have a rare piece there regardless of the barrel score marks. At 7 pounds and 6 shells on board it was a favoured weapon for many years of WW2 and right up to the Vietam War.
It looks as though all the correct markings are there like the:
12 GA - 12 GUAGE
RA - RARITAN ARSENAL
20" BARREL
Flaming Bomb Exceptance stamp evident
Did you find either the WB or GHD inspection stamps? The later markings which consisted of "US" and the Ordnance "Shell and Flame' insignia on the left side of the receiver and "G.H.D" final inspection were normally stamped above the larger Ordnance Escutcheon on the left side of the stock. My understanding is that if these are missing you have a very original 1897 pump value somewhere around $4000 at a decent auction regardless as I say about the chink marks in the barrel IMHO
Last edited by Gil Boyd; 01-28-2019 at 05:23 AM.
'Tonight my men and I have been through hell and back again, but the look on your faces when we let you out of the hall - we'd do it all again tomorrow.' Major Chris Keeble's words to Goose Green villagers on 29th May 1982 - 2 PARA
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Contributing Member
Meant to also add that if those two stamps are missing, it confirms an early version, with the serial number of your shotgun built in late 1917 or early 1918.
You could get confirmation of this fact from the Winchester Polishing Room Records, but I am fairly certain from the written stuff I have on this beautiful piece that that is correct.
Last edited by Gil Boyd; 01-28-2019 at 06:07 AM.
'Tonight my men and I have been through hell and back again, but the look on your faces when we let you out of the hall - we'd do it all again tomorrow.' Major Chris Keeble's words to Goose Green villagers on 29th May 1982 - 2 PARA
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Legacy Member
Perhaps Bubba decided that he wanted a long barrel for duck hunting and tried to remove it and failed. Or succeeded only to eventually put the original barrel back on later.
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