Winchester 1897 Trench
Winchester Repeating Arms Company · Shotgun · Discontinued · 1917
Also known as: Model 1897 Trench Gun, M97 Trench Gun, Winchester M1897 Trench, Trench Broom, Trench Sweeper
Overview
The Winchester 1897 Trench is the militarized combat version of John Browning's Model 1897 pump-action shotgun, chambered in 12 gauge with a shortened 20-inch cylinder-bore barrel. Fitted with a perforated steel heat shield over the barrel, a bayonet lug accepting the Model 1917 Enfield bayonet, and sling swivels, it was procured by the U.S. Ordnance Department for trench warfare during World War I. Its exposed-hammer pump action lacks a trigger disconnect, allowing 'slam fire' so the gun discharges each time the action is closed with the trigger held, giving a devastating volume of buckshot at close quarters. Loaded with six rounds of 00 buckshot, it earned the nicknames 'Trench Broom' and 'Trench Sweeper' and prompted a formal German diplomatic protest in 1918.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3630 g (128.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1000 mm (39.37") |
| Barrel Length | 508 mm (20.00") |
| Action Type | Pump Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Tubular |
| Muzzle Velocity | 400 m/s (1312 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2560 J (1888 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 40 m (44 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 100 m (109 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Smoothbore |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 12 Gauge · primary — also known as 12GA, 12 Bore
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Tubular Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Action Lock
- Features: Perforated Heat Shield, Bayonet Lug, Sling Swivels, Slam Fire Capable, Exposed Hammer, Cylinder Bore, Takedown Design
Base model
Service history
Operators
- United States Army · adopted 1917 · as Model 1897 Trench Gun
- United States Marine Corps · adopted 1917
Conflicts
- World War I (1917-1918)
- World War II (1941-1945)
- Korean War (1950-1953)
- Vietnam War (1955-1975)
Production
Estimated total produced: 50,000 · Production years: 1917-1945
Approximately 20,000 trench guns procured in WWI and around 25,000 in WWII; the parent Model 1897 sporting/riot family exceeded one million units between 1897 and 1957.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: John Browning
Discontinued: 1945
Notes
WWI heat shields had six rows of perforations; the WWII-era handguard used four rows. Standard combat load was 2.5-inch paper or solid-brass shells with 00 buckshot. Roughly 20,000 WWI trench guns and 25,000 WWII trench guns saw service.
Background
Doughboys wielded the Model 1897 to such effect clearing German trenches that Germany lodged a formal diplomatic protest in 1918, claiming the buckshot shotgun violated the laws of war and threatening to execute captured shotgun-armed troops. The United States rejected the protest. Marines reportedly used the gun to shoot down enemy hand grenades in mid-air and to knock carrier pigeons from the sky.