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'97 question


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I took my "new" '97 down and gave her a good cleaning and shot a few rounds to test function.

I can only get 5 in the tube. The 6th one is about a quarter inch or so shy of going in. 

Other than snipping some of the spring, is buying a Wolff spring a better way to go?

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Wolff most likely has to be snipped too to make 6 rounds fit.   There are kits available with a replacement follower which is shorter than the Winchester (or Chinese) original.  Those help, but they also replace the spring with a shorter length, IIRC.

I've got 3 of the IAC 97 clones which will take 6 rounds in mag AND feed perfectly well with only a spring cut back to be 5" longer than the total magazine tube (that is, with all the guts out of the magazine, action closed, the forward end of the uncompressed spring is 5" longer than the mag tube body itself).  That includes the factory follower being used.

Snipping a spring is free - the 6 shot conversion last time I looked is about $40.  If you make a mistake, order a new 12 gauge spring for a Rem 870.   Same diameter and strength, and easily available.  $7 last time I bought one.

good luck, GJ

Edited by Garrison Joe
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23 hours ago, Garrison Joe said:

Wolff most likely has to be snipped too to make 6 rounds fit.   There are kits available with a replacement follower which is shorter than the Winchester (or Chinese) original.  Those help, but they also replace the spring with a shorter length, IIRC.

I've got 3 of the IAC 97 clones which will take 6 rounds in mag AND feed perfectly well with only a spring cut back to be 5" longer than the total magazine tube (that is, with all the guts out of the magazine, action closed, the forward end of the uncompressed spring is 5" longer than the mag tube body itself).  That includes the factory follower being used.

Snipping a spring is free - the 6 shot conversion last time I looked is about $40.  If you make a mistake, order a new 12 gauge spring for a Rem 870.   Same diameter and strength, and easily available.  $7 last time I bought one.

good luck, GJ

Yeah, I saw the mag follower/spring kits on eBay last night and it was just shy of $40. Guess it would be a better idea to buy the 870 spring and start trimming.

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I ordered the aftermarket follower/spring. I'll let you know how it goes. The buttstock has cracks on either side where it connects to the receiver. Anyone tried the Boyd's stocks?

Mine is currently wearing a set of the synthetic 3D printed "wood" furniture and I really want real wood. 

Edited by Deplorable Dan
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33 minutes ago, Deplorable Dan said:

I ordered the aftermarket follower/spring. I'll let you know how it goes. The buttstock has cracks on either side where it connects to the receiver. Anyone tried the Boyd's stocks?

Mine is currently wearing a set of the synthetic 3D printed "wood" furniture and I really want real wood. 

Your stock can be fixed as long as it’s all there.

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Slots in the retaining cap (at forward end of the slide handle) for the action slide, it sounds like.   I have successfully used the Boyd's 97 fore-end wood to replace a real Winchester 97 fore-end which used that slotted retainer cap. 

Brownells had a spanner wrench that I bought 10 years ago for Winchester 12 and 97 model fore-end retainers.   Works well.   With some care, though, a flat end punch will USUALLY let you CAREFULLY drive the cap around far enough to let you unscrew the rest of the way by hand.

Slightly different design than the one I have:

https://www.brownells.com/tools-cleaning/gun-tools/shotgun-tools/winchester-model-12-double-ended-forend-wrench/

Midway shows this wrench out of stock now.  But by the time you order wood, it might be back in stock.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1007012423?srsltid=AfmBOopPuDQdLydQsJJEt2SOwaPprUHov0RHSBofymO8N2ECiBD0HozD&pid=976945

good luck, GJ

 

 

Edited by Garrison Joe
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4 minutes ago, Deplorable Dan said:

so the cap unscrews? is it clockwise or counter? lefty loosely?

Yes, the cap unscrews. They can be VERY tight.  I use a system engineered by the Winchester service department. It helps prevent slippage of the wrench and splitting of the fore end.

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